Greg Abbott Seems to Believe Assault Rifles are Less Deadly Than Trans Kids

It’s been only three months since the Uvalde massacre, and Texas Governor Greg Abbott is showing exactly where his priorities lie. 

At a recent campaign event, Abbott spoke about the school shooting and took the opportunity to proclaim a measure—one that would raise the legal age to buy an assault rifle from 18 to 21—”unconstitutional.”

“It is clear that the gun control law that they are seeking in Uvalde — as much as they may want it — has already been ruled as unconstitutional,” Abbott explained.

Meanwhile, the officers on the scene at Uvalde were cleared to go back to work for the upcoming school season, to the dismay and upset of traumatized parents and children still reeling from the massacre’s impact. 

Abbott’s focus on protecting gun rights for minors isn’t a surprising tactic for re-election: in fact, he’s worked long and hard this year to target what he appears to believe is the true issue threatening the safety of Texas’s school systems: trans kids. 

Earlier in the year, Abbott issued a directive mandating that the supportive parents of trans children be targets of investigation for “child abuse,” among other aggressive anti-trans tactics. This measure has already pushed the childhood welfare agency in the state into chaos, adding to the many structural issues that Texas is currently ignoring, including the looming power grid failure and the state claiming one of the highest incarceration rates in the country. 

Agents from Texas’ child welfare agency told a federal court Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to investigate trans kids has brought the agency to “the brink of collapse” after 2,000 agents resigned in the past year alone rather than “break up loving families.” https://t.co/09ORvtb33m

— Gillian Branstetter (@GBBranstetter) August 31, 2022

As many have pointed out, Texas has become an increasingly violent place to live under Abbott’s watch.

pic.twitter.com/DGmsDD4OzB

— Mike Midsommar (@mcrouchpr) August 31, 2022

3 of the top 10 deadliest mass shootings in US History have happened in Texas in the last 5 years.

Greg Abbott became Governor 7 years ago.

— Olivia Julianna 🗳 (@0liviajulianna) September 1, 2022

To add insult to injury, Abbott famously can’t seem to remember a single name of one of the 21 victims killed during the Uvalde massacre, as this grieving father has taken the time to point out:

@GregAbbott_TX Hey buddy, remember me? I’m the father of a Uvalde Victim (I know, you don’t know any of their names “off the top of your head”) I had the honor of calling your ass out yesterday, outside your lovely tax payer funded mansion and on the steps of our gorgeous

— Brett Cross (@BCross052422) August 29, 2022

Again, it’s no surprise that Abbott is trying to strengthen support from the conservative base. But you have to wonder why he thinks it’s acceptable to deplete the state’s resources to do it.

I know social workers. They take on enormous debt and school for years only to take on a thankless job with low pay.

They do it because they care.

Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton sicked them on trans kids, and they have resigned en masse.

They have to end this senseless policy. pic.twitter.com/8iarPkQbi2

— Erin Reed (@ErinInTheMorn) August 31, 2022

For Texans voting in this upcoming election, just remember what the Queen herself has to say:

Thank you, Beyoncé! pic.twitter.com/wfNJsGvrec

— Beto O’Rourke (@BetoORourke) November 6, 2018