NASA Chief Bill Nelson Expresses Grief, Revealing 'Heavy Weight' Of Mass Shootings
NASA Administrator couldn't hide his grief as he rallied for action to stop mass shootings in the U.S.
Nelson said Americans have been murdered "while shopping at a Buffalo supermarket, while attending a Taiwanese Presbyterian Church in Laguna Woods [California], and yesterday at an elementary school in Uvalde." referring to previous comparable mass shootings.
Following the news that at least 19 children and two adults were killed in a shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday, the former U.S. Senator (D-Fla.) and one-time space shuttle astronaut revealed he has been feeling a "heavy weight" in a Twitter thread.
According to CNBC, following the racially motivated Buffalo killings that targeted Black Americans, U.S. President Joe Biden reminded mourners that "white supremacy will not have the last word,"
"In each event, lives were tragically taken in the course of everyday living ... we have seen far too much tragedy," Nelson wrote in his thread about the shootings.
Tuesday also marked the two-year anniversary of George Floyd's death, according to Nelson. Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, was killed in police custody on May 25, 2020, after a white cop kneeled on his neck for more than nine minutes, according to The Guardian in 2021, after the officer was convicted of murder.
"We must act - for accountability, for justice. For change, for progress. For our children and our fellow Americans. It's past time to say enough of the senseless killings," Nelson wrote.
While Nelson did not provide any data during his speech, Pew Research discovered that roughly 80% of murders in the United States are perpetrated with a firearm.
In the aftermath of the Uvalde atrocity, Nelson is not the only person in the space community calling for action against gun violence.
Elon Musk, the creator and CEO of SpaceX, recently advocated for stricter background checks on male buyers. In addition, former astronaut and current U.S. Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) tweeted on Tuesday that the Uvalde massacre "demands a response." Kelly's wife, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), withdrew from politics after being shot in the head while meeting with supporters in 2011.
Several news outlets have reported on the schism between Democrats and Republicans in Congress when it comes to gun legislation. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is still scheduled to speak at the National Rifle Association's annual convention on Friday (May 27), fulfilling a commitment made before the Texas school shooting.
Cruz, on the other hand, termed the massacre "yet another unspeakable crime" in an interview that aired on NBC late Tuesday.