Jack White has called for greater gun control in the U.S. following the recent shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
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On May 24, an 18-year-old gunman, who was later shot dead by law enforcement, opened fire in school, which teaches children aged seven to 10, resulting in the death of 19 children and two teachers. Uvalde marks the deadliest school shooting since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting back in 2012, and the third-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.
White is one of many artists, including Madonna, Taylor Swift, The Killers’ Brandon Flowers, and Olivia Rodrigo, who have been expressing their anger following the recent tragedy and are calling for tougher gun control laws.
Writing on Instagram, White, who is currently on tour in support of his fourth album Fear of the Dawn, called for stricter laws around gun control in the U.S. and said he was “exhausted” by “ignorant excuses” and an inability to fix the problem.
“As we tour in Texas these past few days, I can’t help but to feel saddened in so many ways about the latest in a long line of mass shootings, but mostly I’m exhausted,” posted White. “Exhausted with the ignorant excuses about the inability to fix this problem, exhausted with people clinging to their political party or their ‘side’ instead of looking at the issue.”
He added, “Exhausted with people whining about their “freedom” being more important than rules that help save lives… like the traffic light on the road, and the warning label on the poison, or the regulation of who can buy sticks of dynamite or own a surface to air missile. We already have rules, haven’t you noticed? So how about a few more rules then that also save lives and protect us from serious harm?
“Maybe rules that save your own children or loved ones’ lives someday?”
White went on to say that a majority of Americans, regardless of political affiliation, are outraged by what happened and are demanding change.
“Here’s something to remember,” said White. “Your family member or friend who wants to rant about the Second Amendment doesn’t know what they’re talking about. They live inside a type of fear that you shouldn’t want to live under. The ‘hero with a gun saving the day’ nonsense is for old westerns.
“And it’s not the size of the material that the door on the building is made of, it is the fact that people have the ability to get around that door with weapons in their hands that they should have never been allowed to possess.”
Photo: Paige Sara
