Anybody Brave Enough To Be The Anti-Gun Beto Of Kansas City?!?!

Today the nation copes with the aftermath of historic tragedy at a Texas school as political battle lines are drawn.

Local MSM coverage has been sadly generic and without a sense of "place" for our local discussion and so we offer this first reality check of the evening . . . 

Both Kansas & Missouri voters have proven themselves stridently opposed to most forms of gun control and "shifting" those attitudes is going to take a great deal of bravery.

And this leads us to a consideration of Beto O'Rorke and his iconic protest today . . .

"Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, interrupted a press conference from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott about the Uvalde shooting Wednesday, shouting at the current governor before being escorted from the auditorium.

"He said the response from Abbott and other Texas leaders was "totally predictable," and did nothing to solve the problem of easy access to guns that is plaguing communities across Texas and the nation.

"You are doing nothing," O’Rourke said at one point.

"Abbott ordered law enforcement officers to escort O'Rourke, who won his Democratic primary for governor out Tuesday, outside the building."

Accordingly . . .

O'Rourke has a lackluster political record and his chances aren't good to win the Governorship of Texas. But nobody can deny his bravery — Like it or not, in the real world it takes courage to stand up and non-violently challenge the status quo amid overwhelming opposition.

And that brings us back to Kansas City . . .

In this urban Democratic Party dominated bubble we're forced to endure a pitiful dearth of leadership and our elected officials only play tough guy, activist and/or maverick on social media or in speeches surrounded by colleagues who all basically believe the same thing. 

TKC reality check numero dos . . . As far as we've seen, there isn't any elected leader in Kansas City willing to debate the issue of gun control face to face with the GOP pro-gun majority.

Caveat just to keep things light, breezy & just a bit bittersweet . . . Arguing with pro-gun, Fox news watching parents, friends & loved ones over the Memorial Day weekend DOESN'T COUNT as political courage . . . If anything, this horrific tragedy can/should teach us to appreciate the people we love because guns, fate and/or traffic can take them away in an instant.

We'll have more on the deets into how this process might work but for now we think this point of contention and political confrontation is worth considering . . .

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Texas school shooting: Beto O'Rourke derails Gov. Greg Abbott update on Uvalde shooting

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke attempted to derail Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's response to the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, on Wednesday. Abbott spoke for roughly ten minutes before attempting to transfer the microphone to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, at which point O'Rourke approached the stage.

Kansas City-area teachers reflect on reality of teaching after Texas shooting

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Some teachers in the Kansas City area say teaching the next generation of students felt heavier on Wednesday, after a deadly shooting at an elementary school in Texas. Jason Roberts, the president of the Kansas City Federation of Teachers, says he's heard from his teachers he represents on how they feel about another school shooting.

Safety expert: Kansas, Missouri have some of the weakest gun laws

SAN FRANCISCO - Giffords Law Center Local Policy Director Allison Anderman says Missouri has the fourth weakest gun laws in the nation and Kansas is not much better, at number six. Anderman said Missouri has steadily been weakening its gun laws over the past couple of years.

Beto O'Rourke interrupts Texas governor's press conference on shooting

Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-Texas, interrupted a press conference from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott about the Uvalde shooting Wednesday, shouting at the current governor before being escorted from the auditorium. O'Rourke, who is running for governor, rushed the press conference stage after Abbott described the need for more mental health programs in the state that he said might have headed off the massacre.

Opinion | Beto O'Rourke Goes for Broke

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Democrats use Uvalde shooting to demand Senate pass HR 8, which would not have prevented tragedy

In the wake of Tuesday's horrific mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, Democrats are pushing for a gun control bill that would have done little, if anything, to prevent the tragedy. H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021, would expand the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to require a background check for all firearm sales, including private sales between two unlicensed individuals.

Democrat rips "useless f**king baby killer" Ted Cruz for offering prayers while fighting gun safety

Democrats lashed out on Tuesday after Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and other Republican officials offered prayers and called for more guns in schools following the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, even though police say law enforcement engaged the gunman but could not stop the teenage shooter from killing at least 19 children and two teachers.

Senate Democrats search for path forward on gun control after Texas school shooting

Washington - Senate Democratic leaders on Wednesday implored Republican senators to drop their firm opposition to gun control legislation while signaling that the upper chamber won't immediately move to vote on legislation in the wake of the deadly shooting at a Texas elementary school that left 19 children and two adults dead.

Independence superintendent reacts to Texas shooting, speaks about school safety

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - While many local students and families are celebrating the end of the school year, safety is top of mind after Tuesday's shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. Dr. Dale Herl, superintendent of the Independence School District, said as a parent with kids in his own district, he is heartbroken for the students and families of Robb Elementary.

'Horrifying' conspiracy theories swirl around Texas school shooting

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - By now it's as predictable as the calls for thoughts and prayers: A mass shooting leaves many dead, and wild conspiracy theories and misinformation about the carnage soon follow. It happened after Sandy Hook, after Parkland, after the Orlando nightclub shooting and after the deadly rampage earlier this month at a Buffalo grocery store.

Former Clay County sheriff poses safety solution for school shootings

NORTH KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Former Clay County Sheriff Bob Boydston says the time to take action against school shootings is now and believes it will not stop without intentional prevention. He attributes the continued increase of school mass shootings to five things: accessibility to guns, extreme protection of Second Amendment rights, lack of mental health resources, violent video games that normalize killing and and shortcomings of school security.

Why can't America do anything to stop mass shootings?

Joe Biden's condolences to the community of Uvalde, Texas, where 19 children and two adults were killed in a shooting at Robb elementary school on Tuesday, also came with a demand for action. "Why are we willing to live with this carnage? Why do we keep letting this happen?"

You decide . . .