Jimmy Kimmel Tearfully Pleads for New Gun Safety Laws After Uvalde Shooting (VIDEO)
Jimmy Kimmel took a moment to address the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas in the opening moments of his May 25 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
The late-night host spoke to viewers without an audience pleading with politicians to pass gun safety laws to prevent tragedies like this one which left 19 students and two teachers dead. “We grieve for the little boys and girls whose lives have been ended and whose families have been destroyed,” Kimmel said through tears in the opening segment.
“You know, most Americans support keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, of children… the majority of us do, democrats and republicans,” Kimmel stated. “And the reason they call them commonsense gun laws, cause that’s what they are.”
(Credit: Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Throughout the nearly nine-minute segment, Kimmel appeals to lawmakers, pleading for the passage of gun safety legislation with hopes that they’d prevent mass killings. The massacre at Uvalde is now considered the United States’ deadliest school shooting since the attack at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut which left 20 first-graders dead.
As his monologue continued, Kimmel said, “There have been 27 school shootings so far this year in this country — and it’s May. How does this make sense to anyone?” he stated through tears. “These are our children, and our representatives are supposed to represent us. We want limits on who could walk around with an AR-15, and it damn well shouldn’t be a teenager who works at a fast-food restaurant. If we can’t agree on that, forget it.”
Addressing Texas politicians Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott directly, Kimmel said, “It’s okay to admit you made a mistake. In fact, it’s not just okay, it’s necessary to admit you made a mistake when your mistake is killing the children in your state. It takes a big person to do something like that. It takes a brave person to do something like that. And do I think these men are brave people? No, I don’t, but I would love it if they surprise me.”
Kimmel followed up his remark by asking his audience to hold lawmakers accountable for their actions, or rather, inaction. “You make sure that unless they do something drastic, let’s make sure that not one of any of these politicians ever holds office again.”
The segment then featured a cut of various news reports and campaign footage juxtaposing the way guns are used in the country. Check out Kimmel’s full address, below, and let us know what you thought about his plea in the comment section.
