* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Press Conference: "Gun Safety Rally in Houston"] [00:00:17] ALRIGHT, UH, LEMME JUST NUMBER ONE, LET, LET ME WELCOME. LET ME WELCOME EVERYBODY TO, UH, TO, TO CITY HALL TODAY. UM, AS YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, UH, EVENTS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE IN THE CITY TODAY, AND WE'LL BE TAKING PLACE IN THE CITY THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THIS WEEKEND. AND SO I WANT TO, I WANT TO WELCOME EVERYBODY TO, TO CITY HALL. UH, UM, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PRESSING CHALLENGING MOMENTS FOR ALL OF US. UH, I DO WANT TO START OFF BY ACKNOWLEDGING ALL OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER EY CAMAN, COUNCIL MEMBER KAREN EVAN SHABA, COUNCIL MEMBER RA, WHO GIVES LEADERSHIP TO OUR YOUTH AND EDUCATION. UH, AM I MISSING ANY OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS? OKAY. AND THEN I CERTAINLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE OF THE 18TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. STATE STATE SENATOR JOHN WHITMEYER OF THE 15TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. AND THEN OUR LEGISLATIVE LEADERS, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVE JARVIS JOHNSON, STATE REPRESENTATIVE RON REYNOLDS. UM, DID I LEAVE OUT ANYONE ELSE FROM THE LEGISLATURE? NO. OKAY. AND THEN, UM, UM, AND THEN JUST HONORED TO HAVE WITH US, UH, INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE JUST BEEN ON THE FRONT LINE WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATION FOR TEACHERS FOR OUR STUDENTS. UM, THE HEAD OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, RANDY WINEGAR, GOOD TO SEE YOU, UM, BE WITH HER AGAIN. AND THEN THE HEAD OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, BECKY PRINGLE. AND THANK YOU. AND LET ME WELCOME BOTH OF THEM, UH, TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR INCREDIBLE LEADERSHIP. UM, AND THEN CERTAINLY I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF OUR, UH, OH, AND THEN THE STAFF OF CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN, UH, AS WELL AS THE STAFF OF STATE SENATOR BORIS MILES. SO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEM AS WELL. UM, I, I INTENTIONALLY SAVED, UM, UH, BISHOP JAMES DIXON, UH, BECAUSE IT WAS BISHOP JAMES DIXON WHO CALLED. AND, AND, UM, AGAIN, LIKE ALL OF US FELT COMPELLED, UH, TO JUST DO SOMETHING AND TO ADD EMPHASIS TO HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR US TO RECOGNIZE THAT TOO MANY OF OUR TEACHERS, TOO MANY OF OUR KIDS, AND TOO MANY OF OUR JUST COMMON EVERYDAY CITIZENS HAVE DIED FROM SENSELESS GUN VIOLENCE. AND SO BISHOP DIXON CALLED AND, UH, ASKED, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY WOULD BE AVAILABLE. OF COURSE, THE CITY, CITY HALL IS ALWAYS OPEN. IT'S 24 7. SO LET ME THANK, UH, LET ME THANK, LET ME THANK, UM, UH, BISHOP JAMES DIXON AND THEN LET ME THANK ALL OF THESE FAITH-BASED LEADERS. IF YOU ARE A FAITH-BASED LEADER, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND. JUST HERE. YEAH. I'M GOING TO, LEMME JUST SAY IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF US, UH, FAITH COMBINED WITH SOME WORK. YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. UM, TO GET IT DONE. YEAH. SO IT'S GONNA TAKE ELECTED OFFICIALS, IT'S GONNA TAKE OUR EDUCATORS, IT'S GONNA TAKE OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY, UH, FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY, UH, TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. AND THEN PRAYER, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT WORK AS WE KNOW YEAH. IS DEAD, DEAD. SO, UM, AND IT'S, IT IS PAST TIME TO MOVE. UH, YOU KNOW, AS WE, WE ALL HAVE HAD NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS, WELL, NOT THE LAST FEW DAYS MM-HMM . BECAUSE BUFFALO, UH, MASSACRE, UH, WAS JUST TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, WHEN 10 AFRICAN AMERICANS WERE, OR LOST THEIR LIVES, UH, FROM AN 18-YEAR-OLD, UH, WHO WENT TO THE GROCERY STORE. AND THEN IF THAT WERE NOT ENOUGH, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, YOUR VALDI 19 OF OUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN. AND I SAY OUR YEAH. 'CAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE BIOLOGICAL FATHER OR MOTHER. THEY ARE OUR CHILDREN. AND YOU KNOW WHAT, THEY'RE NOT DEMOCRATIC KIDS. THAT'S RIGHT. RIGHT. THEY'RE NOT REPUBLICAN KIDS. THAT'S RIGHT. THEY ARE JUST KIDS. AND, BUT 19 OF OUR PRECIOUS KIDS ARE NOT WITH US. AND TWO ADULTS, EDUCATORS ARE NOT WITH US. AND THIS IS A SITUATION, A PROBLEM THAT'S NOT GOING TO GO AWAY, JUST WISHING IT GOES AWAY. IT'S ONLY GONNA GO AWAY UNLESS WE STEP UP AND WE TAKE DEFINITIVE ACTION IN OUR COUNTRY. AND THEN IT'S NOT A GLOBAL ISSUE. YOU KNOW, THE PANDEMIC WAS, IS GLOBAL WITH THE PANDEMIC. IT'S ALL OVER THE WORLD. ALMOST EVERY COUNTRY IS AFFECTED BY THE [00:05:01] PANDEMIC. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE SENSELESS MASS, UM, MURDERING OF OUR KIDS, OF OUR TEACHERS, OF OUR EVERYDAY CITIZEN, THAT'S AN AMERICAN PROBLEM. YES, IT IS. WHICH MEANS THERE IS A FIX IF WE HAVE THE WILL TO DO IT. AND HOPEFULLY AS EVERYONE COMES TOGETHER FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, IT CAN HAPPEN. SO NOW LET ME, LET ME JUST YIELD, LET ME, LET ME, UM, BRING UP, UH, SOMEONE WHO'S JUST HAS, UM, ENDLESS AMOUNT OF PASSION AND WISDOM AND ENERGY AND JUST, UM, IS NOT DETERRED AND THAT'S BISHOP JAMES DIXON. AND QUITE FRANKLY, WHEN YOU THINK YOU ARE TIRED, IT JUST KIND OF NEED TO LOOK AROUND. OKAY. AND IF YOU THINK YOU'RE TIRED AND YOU JUST CAN'T GO ANY FURTHER, REFLECT ON THOSE 19 CHILDREN. YEAH. OKAY. AND IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH, REFLECT ON THE FACT THAT ALMOST EVERY SINGLE DAY IN OUR COUNTRY YES, I MAY, THIS IS, THESE TYPE OF INCIDENTS ARE HAPPEN. SO WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE TIRED, JUST TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND FOLLOW BISHOP JAMES DIXON BECAUSE GOD HAS CERTAINLY PUT A, HAS PLACED A LOT OF FUEL IN HIS TANK. BISHOP JAMES DIXON. THANK YOU MAYOR TURNER. IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, HOUSTON'S MAYOR IS CONSIDERED TO BE AMERICA'S MAYOR. MM-HMM . MAYOR, YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT. YEAH. MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER IS A VISIONARY AND A LUMINARY AND ONE WHO SETS THE STANDARD VERY HIGH FOR WHAT LEADERSHIP SHOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE OFFICE OF, OF MAYOR. AND HOUSTON HAS RISEN TO NEW HEIGHTS SINCE HE TOOK THE HELM HERE, UH, AT HOUSTON CITY HALL. AND WE ARE PROUD OF HIM. IT'S AN HONOR TO TRAVEL THE NATION AND HEAR PEOPLE SAY, WE LOVE YOUR MAYOR. YOU ARE FORTUNATE IN HOUSTON TO HAVE A MAYOR LIKE VERA TURNER FROM THE FOUR FOUR. GIVE HIM ANOTHER HAND AND THANK HIM. PLEASE FOR YES SIR. AND WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE NOT EFFECTIVE, LEMME TELL YOU THAT YOU ARE. UH, BECAUSE THE GOVERNOR'S NOT COMING TO THE NRA MM-HMM . THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR'S NOT COMING TO THE NRA, THE SPEAKER JOHN OF THE TEXAS HOUSE IS NOT COMING TO THE NRA CONVENTION. WHEN THE VOICES OF PEOPLE STAND UP. LET ME TELL YOU, YOU CAN BE EFFECTIVE. AND QUITE FRANKLY, PEOPLE SAY, MAYOR, WHY DON'T YOU CANCEL NUMBER ONE, IT'S A CONTRACT. BUT LEMME JUST SAY SOMETHING ELSE. WHY SHOULD WE SAY SAVE PEOPLE FROM THEIR OWN SHAME? YEAH. OKAY. WHEN YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD DO BETTER, YOU OUGHT TO DO BETTER AND THEN NOT HAVE TO ALLOW ON SOMEBODY ELSE TO SAVE YOU FROM YOUR OWN SHAME. YES. SO NOBODY HAS TO COME TO THE NRA. OKAY. BUT YOUR VOICES HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE AND THEY WILL NOT BE SPEAKING, AT LEAST IN PERSON AT THE NRA THANK YOU MAYOR FOR REMINDING US OF THE POWER OF PEOPLE'S PASSION, DOING THE RIGHT THING FOR THE RIGHT REASONS. WE'RE HONORED TO BE HERE TODAY AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL, AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN RECOGNIZED, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, BOTH FROM THE FEDERAL, FROM THE STATE, AND THE LOCAL UH, JURISDICTIONS. WE APPRECIATE EACH OF YOU AND CERTAIN TO ALL OF OUR FAITH LEADERS WHO'VE COME. UH, TODAY HOUSTON IS BLESSED, UH, WITH AN ARMY OF FAITH LEADERS WHO DON'T JUST TALK IT, BUT WALK IT AND WHO WILL STAND IN THE GAP FOR THOSE WHO NEED US THE MOST? WOULD YOU GIVE A HAND TO OUR FAITH LEADERS AS WELL? WE APPRECIATE YOU FOR BEING HERE ON TODAY. I WANT TO QUICKLY SAY THAT THIS PRESS CONFERENCE IS NOT GONNA LAST ALL AFTERNOON. UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL SPEAKERS AND THEY'RE GOING TO, UH, HOLD THEIR COMMENTS TO ONE MINUTE, UH, PER SPEAKER, UH, SO THAT WE CAN HASTILY MOVE THROUGH THE AGENDA. IT IS A RELAY, UH, NOT A MILE RUN PER PERSON. AND, UH, SO THAT WE CAN RESPECTFULLY HEAR ALL OF THOSE WHO'VE COME, ESPECIALLY OUR FRIENDS AND I GUESS WHO'VE COME FROM OUT OF THE CITY TO BE WITH US TODAY. UH, WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE WITH US TODAY, OF COURSE, OUR CONGRESSWOMAN WHO MADE IT BACK TO HOUSTON TO BE HERE. SHE'S BEEN TRAVELING, UH, AND WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE CONGRESS ON MILA JACKSON LEE BACK IN HOUSTON, AND HEALTHY AS WELL AS CONGRESSMAN GREEN IS GOING TO SHARE A COM A COMMENT ELECTRONICALLY. BUT, BUT THEN WE'VE GOT WITH US TODAY THE PRESIDENT OF THE, [00:10:01] EXCUSE ME, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS WITH US, MS. UH, UH, RANDY WINEGART. AND LEMME TELL YOU, SHE IS A FIRECRACKER. UH, SHE IS REALLY A, A STAR WAR LEADER ALONG WITH, UH, BECKY PRINGLE, WHO IS WITH THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION. UH, THEY'RE HERE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, ALONG WITH OTHER LEADERS TO BE WITH US AND SURVIVORS FROM, UH, PARKLAND AND FROM SANDY HOOK. UH, SO WE ARE HONORED TO BE HERE WITH PRESTIGIOUS COMPANY. LET ME QUICKLY GIVE MY BRIEF COMMENTS AND I'M CONDENSING EVEN MY OWN COMMENTS TODAY. WE CLAIM TO BE A STRONG NATION, UH, AND YET WE SEEM TO BE TOO WEAK TO PROTECT OUR MOST VULNERABLE, UH, NELSON MANDELA WAS RIGHT WHEN HE SAID THE TRUE MEASURE OF THE CHARACTER OF A SOCIETY IS SEEN IN HOW IT TREATS ITS CHILDREN. THAT STATEMENT BE TRUE. THEN WE OWE AMERICA'S CHILDREN A COLLECTIVE APOLOGY FOR WE HAVE FAILED AMERICAN CHILDREN ON SO MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS. BUT PRIMARILY TODAY, THE FACT THAT WE'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THEM OUR PRIORITY TO KEEP THEM SAFE. THE FACT THAT OUR CHILDREN CANNOT GO TO SCHOOL AND BE SAFE, THEY CANNOT GO TO A PARK AND FEEL SAFE OR TO A MOVIE THEATER AND FEEL SAFE, SAYS THAT WE MAY NOT BE AS STRONG AS WE HAVE CLAIMED. NELSON MANDELA'S STATEMENT THAT A TRUE CHARACTER OF A SOCIETY IS SEEN AND HOW IT TREATS ITS CHILDREN CHALLENGES US TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE REALLY UNDERSTOOD THAT WHEN MASS SHOOTINGS HAPPEN AND CHILDREN'S LIVES ARE TAKEN, BE IT IN SANDY HOOK OR COLUMBINE OR SANTA FE OR IN VALDI, WHEREVER THAT HAPPENS, IT IS A MARK AGAINST US AS A NATION, ESPECIALLY SINCE THOSE CHILDREN RELY ON ADULTS TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT ARE IN THEIR BEST INTEREST. CHILDREN DON'T VOTE, CHILDREN DON'T LEGISLATE. BUT CHILDREN GROW UP EXPECTING TO BE KEPT SAFE. AND THAT'S THEIR RIGHT AS CHILDREN. AND YET WE SEE YEAR AFTER YEAR, TIME AFTER TIME, NO CHANGES MADE. I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT AFTER SANDY HOOK IN DECEMBER, 2012, THAT WOULD BE RADICAL CHANGES. I THOUGHT ALL HEARTS AND MINDS WOULD COME TO THE TABLE TO SAY, FORGET POLITICS, FORGET PARTISANSHIP, CHILDREN DIED. MM-HMM . AND YET NOTHING HAPPENED. I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT WHEN PARKLAND HAPPENED, THERE WOULD BE GREAT CHANGE. AND THE STUDENTS TOOK TO THE STREETS AND THEY CAMPAIGNED AND THEY'RE STILL WORKING. BUT ISN'T IT AMAZING HOW EVEN PARKLAND DID NOT CHANGE VERY MUCH MM-HMM . AND YEAR AFTER YEAR, SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL, CITY AFTER CITY, THIS EPIDEMIC OF MASS VIOLENCE HAS PROVEN IT CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE TO ANY PEOPLE, TO ANY SCHOOL IN ANY CITY AT ANY TIME. AND YET WE'VE BEEN STUBBORN. LEADERS HAVE BEEN STUBBORN AND FIXED ON NOT MAKING CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY. SO WE'VE COME TODAY TO HOUSTON CITY HALL TO SPEAK TO THE NATION TO SAY, THIS IS A MORAL CALL FOR MORAL CHANGE. THIS IS NOT A POLITICAL CALL, THIS IS A MORAL CALL. WE WANT TO CHALLENGE THE MORAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF THOSE WHO READ BIBLES OR THE QURAN OR WHATEVER SACRED BOOK YOU READ AND WHAT WHATEVER THE MEASURE OF YOUR FAITH IS TO SUGGEST. THIS IS TIME FOR MORAL LEADERSHIP TO STAND UP AND DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE THE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY. THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE. NUMBER ONE, RED FLAG LAWS SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. SECONDLY, ASSAULT WEAPONS SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY BANNED. AND WE ARE CALLING ON OUR GOVERNOR AND OUR LEGISLATURE TO ISSUE AN EXECUTIVE ORDER TO BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS AND DO IT NOW. THOSE GUNS ARE NOT MADE TO HUNT ANIMALS. THEY'RE MADE TO HUNT PEOPLE. YEAH. AND AS LONG AS WE DON'T HAVE A BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS, OUR LEADERSHIP SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALLOWING THOSE WEAPONS TO BE AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE ON THE STREETS OF OUR SOCIETY. THEY DON'T BELONG IN THE PUBLIC. THIRDLY, THIRDLY, WE SHOULD RAISE THE AGE TO BUYING A GUN TO AGE 21. IF YOU CANNOT BUY LIQUOR A CAN OF BEER AT 18, WHY WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO BUY A GUN [00:15:01] AT AGE 18 THAT RAISE THAT AGE? WOMEN OF MY AGE NEEDS TO BE RAISED TWO 20 TO 21. AND THEN WE ALSO NEED UNIVERSAL THOROUGH BACKGROUND CHECKS. THIS MUST HAPPEN SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE GUNS DESERVE TO HAVE A GUN CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GUN. IT'S LITERALLY AMAZING TO ME THAT PEOPLE PROTEST COMMON SENSE GUN LEGISLATION. THAT'S RIGHT. ALL OF US HERE DRIVE VEHICLES. AND THE ONE THAT I DRIVE, THE SPEEDOMETER SAYS I COULD GO 140. THAT'S WHAT THE SPEED, I COULD GO 140. BUT THE LAW SAYS 65. THAT'S RIGHT. AND THERE ARE POLICE OFFICERS THAT MAKE SURE THAT IF I DON'T BELIEVE THE SIGN, THEY'RE GONNA REINFORCE THAT SO THAT I WILL UNDERSTAND. I DON'T HAVE A PREROGATIVE TO USE MY CAR THE WAY I WANT TO. WE LEGISLATE CARS, WE LEGISLATE. IN FACT, IT'S EASIER TO GET A GUN IN TEXAS THAN IT IS TO VOTE. YEAH. SO WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND THAT LIVES ARE BEING LOST AND AT SOME POINT, THOSE WHO ARE ACCOUNT ARE COMPLICIT. MUST BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. I CONCLUDE WITH THIS ON TODAY. WE MUST MAKE THIS A MORAL CHALLENGE. RIGHT. AND WE'RE NOT GONNA STOP WITH PRESS CONFERENCES, CONGRESSWOMAN. THANK YOU. WE ARE GOING TO TAKE TO THE STREETS, WE'RE GONNA CALL ON OUR BUSINESS LEADERS, OUR FAITH LEADERS, INCLUDING THOSE WHO SELDOM SHOW UP TO PRESS CONFERENCES LIKE THIS, TO PREACH THE RIGHT SERMON, TO DECLARE THE RIGHT MESSAGE. BECAUSE IF WE DON'T LEARN TO LIVE TOGETHER AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS, WE SHALL PERISH TOGETHER AS FOOLS. THAT'S THE WORD OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. FINALLY, WE WANT TO URGE PARENTS AND FAMILIES TO WATCH YOUR CHILDREN WATCH THEIR ACTIONS, WATCH THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA, WATCH THEM CLOSELY. MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT RAISING A RACIST. MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT RAISING AN EXTREMIST. MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT RAISING A SUPREMACIST. MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT RAISING SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T VALUE THE LIVES OF OTHER PEOPLE BECAUSE THESE 18-YEAR-OLD PEOPLE KILLED PEOPLE FILLED WITH HATE. AND VI, HOW DO YOU LEARN THAT KIND OF HATE BY AGE 18? THAT STILL BOGGLES MY MIND. WHO HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO? WHO ARE YOUR ROLE MODELS? WHO'S YOUR MAMA? WHO'S YOUR DADDY? WHO'S YOUR TEACHER? WHO'S YOUR NEIGHBOR? WE'VE GOT TO RAISE CHILDREN TO RESPECT EVERYBODY REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, CREED, GENDER OR PARTISAN POLITICS. WE'VE GOTTA RAISE PEOPLE TO LOVE PEOPLE. 'CAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE ALL MADE IN THE IMAGE AND LIKENESS OF ONE GOD. AND WE'RE ALL ONE FAMILY AND WE HAVE ONLY ONE FUTURE. MAY GOD BLESS ALL OF US, AND MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA. I'M GLAD THEY DIDN'T SHOW UP TO SPEAK BECAUSE HAD THEY SHOWN UP TO SPEAK, THE ONLY MESSAGE I WOULD'VE WANTED TO HEAR IS WE'RE READY TO MAKE A CHANGE. AND I'M HOPING AND BELIEVING THAT WE CAN APPEAL TO THE MORAL CONSCIOUSNESS OF OUR LEADERS TO SAY, LET'S REASON TOGETHER. LET'S NOT FIGHT ABOUT THIS. LET'S FIGHT FOR SAFETY AND FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN AT THIS TIME. IT BRINGS ME HONOR TO PRESENT TO US THE PRESIDENT OF A FT. SHE IS A WARRIOR FOR THE RIGHT CAUSE. I WANT YOU TO RECEIVE THIS RANDY WINEGARTEN I HAVE DAVID WITH ME IF I CAN PLEASE. RIGHT. THANKS. SO, UM, I'M I, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU. AND, AND, AND THE HAVING BEING HERE RESTORES FAITH, NOT JUST OF THE FAITHFUL BUT OF ALL THE FAITHFUL IT'S ALL RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. ALL THE FAITHFUL. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. YEAH, IT'S ALL RIGHT. AND, AND, AND AS SOMEONE WHO WILL BE BACK IN MY OWN SYNAGOGUE TONIGHT, YES, IT IS AN HONOR FOR EDUCATORS AND PARENTS AND ACTIVISTS WITHIN, UM, OUR SPACE, INCLUDING SURVIVORS OF, OF PARKLAND AND OF SANDY HOOK FOR US TO ALL COME TO HOUSTON TO RESPECTFULLY, BUT PERSISTENTLY AND PASSIONATELY DEMONSTRATE TO THE NRA [00:20:01] THAT THERE IS A DIFFERENT WAY. YES. AND I KNOW THAT BECKY WILL BE SPEAKING MOMENTARILY, BUT I WANT THIS IS WHEN YOU HAVE THE LEADERS OF BOTH NATIONAL UNIONS WHO REPRESENT OVER THREE TO 4 MILLION EDUCATORS COMING TOGETHER TO SAY TO THE NRA. THERE IS A DIFFERENT WAY. THERE IS A WAY WHERE WE VALUE ALL OF HUMAN LIFE. AS THE BISHOP SAID, THERE IS A WAY WHERE THE GOODWILL, WHERE PEOPLE OF AMERICA WHERE I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE OF AMERICA CAN COME TOGETHER TO FIGHT, TO PRESENT AND PERFECT THE DIGNITY OF ALL AMERICANS. AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE ARE HERE. PARENTS, TEACHERS, EDUCATORS, SURVIVORS, FAITH LEADERS. THIS IS AMERICA IN OUR TRUE BEAUTIFUL COMPOSITION. AND PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY IS TO SAY, PLEASE, PLEASE LET THE LIFE OF CHILDREN, LET THE LIFE OF GRANDMOTHERS LET THAT BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN POWER. THAT GUN ISSUES. LET THIS BE MORE IMPORTANT AS A TEACHER. LET ME SAY ONE MORE THING. I WANT TO BE TRUSTED FOR THE CURRICULUM I DO, FOR THE BOOKS I ASSIGN FOR THE WORK THAT WE DO IN CLASSROOMS TO CREATE THE FREEDOM TO LEARN AND THE FREEDOM TO BE. IF YOU TRUST ME ENOUGH TO HOLD A GUN, THEN TRUST ME ENOUGH TO BE THAT SCHOOL TEACHER THAT I WANT'S RIGHT TO BE. THAT'S RIGHT. LAST THING I'LL SAY, BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO MY DEAR FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE DAVID HULK, LET US, AS BISHOP SAID, WALK THIS RIGHTEOUS WALK TOGETHER, ENGAGE TOGETHER, FIND THE COMMON GROUND. AND IF WE CAN'T HOLD THOSE WHO WILL NOT PRESERVE AND PROTECT CHILDREN AND GRANDMOTHERS, HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE OTHERS IN OFFICE WHO WILL. AND AS ONE OF THE SURVIVORS OF PARKLAND WITH TWO OF THE TEACHERS WHO ARE THE SURVIVORS OF PARKLAND AND OF SANDY HOOK. I JUST WANT TO INTRODUCE SOMEONE WHO HAS WALKED THE FRONT LINES OF THIS SINCE PARKLAND HAPPENED, SOMEONE WHO STARTED MARCH FOR OUR LIVES. DAVID H THANK YOU, RANDY. I, I SINCERELY APPRECIATE IT. UM, I'M JUST PULLING UP A NOTE REALLY QUICK. SORRY. I JUST WANNA DO THIS RIGHT? MM-HMM . UM, LOOK, I'VE DONE THIS WORK FOR FOUR LONG YEARS. FOUR MORE YEARS THAN I SHOULD HAVE HAD TO BECAUSE THIS ISSUE SHOULD HAVE ENDED BEFORE I WAS BORN. I WAS BORN A YEAR AFTER COLUMBINE, AND NOW I'M SPEAKING TO YOU. THE GENERATION THAT HAS BEEN FAILED, FRANKLY IS NOW SPEAKING TO YOU. I DON'T WANNA BE HERE TODAY. MM-HMM . NONE OF US WANNA BE HERE TODAY, BUT I AM HERE TO TELL US ONE THING. THE LAST TIME THAT I WAS IN THIS CITY, ONE OF THE LAST TIMES I WAS IN THIS CITY, WHEN I WAS SPEAKING RIGHT NEXT TO THIS BUILDING, ACTUALLY RIGHT OUT FRONT, MY FRIENDS AND I, AS 18 YEAR OLDS WERE COUNTER PROTESTED BY MEN WITH AR FIFTEENS THE SAME GUN THAT WAS USED AT MY HIGH SCHOOL AND HAS BEEN USED AT SO MANY OTHERS. AND INSTEAD OF JUST IGNORING THOSE PEOPLE AND BEING HARASSED BY THEM, THERE WERE TIMES WHERE I WENT OUT THERE AND HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AS AN 18-YEAR-OLD TALKING TO A 40 PLUS YEAR OLD MAN WHO WAS EASILY TWICE MY SIZE AND HAD NOT ONLY AN AR 15, BUT A HANDGUN AND HAD MANY PEOPLE AROUND HIM WITH THE SAME WEAPON THAT WAS USED AT MY HIGH SCHOOL. AND LOOK, WE DID NOT AGREE ON EVERYTHING. MANY OF THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE DON'T AGREE ON MANY THINGS, BUT WE DID AGREE THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO ADDRESS GUN VIOLENCE. WHEN I WAS IN DALLAS, TEXAS, WE WERE ALSO COUNTER PROTESTED BY MEN OPEN CARRYING AR FIFTEENS. AND I WENT OUT THERE AND I TALKED TO THEM. THEY WERE SCREAMING MY NAME, CALLING ME A CRISIS ACTOR [00:25:01] SAYING THAT I AM A PAID GOVERNMENT AGENT THAT IS HERE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T WANNA BE SHOT IN OUR SCHOOLS, IN OUR COMMUNITIES. I WENT OUT TO THEM AND I ASKED THEM, I DIDN'T ARGUE WITH THEM. I SAID, WHY ARE YOU HERE RIGHT NOW? YOU KNOW, WHY ARE YOU PROTESTING US AS KIDS? AND THEY SAID, WELL, YOU WANNA TAKE OUR GUNS AWAY? AND I, I LOOKED AT THEM AND I SAID, SIR, ARE YOU A RISK TO YOURSELF OR OTHERS? HE SAID, NO, OF COURSE NOT. I SAID, WELL, I'M NOT TRYING TO TAKE YOUR GUNS AWAY. AND IF I WAS, IT'D BE THROUGH A COURT ORDER WITH A RIGHT TO DUE PROCESS AND COUNSEL BECAUSE THE SHOOTER AT MY HIGH SCHOOL MADE MULTIPLE THREATS RIGHT. AGAINST MY HIGH SCHOOL. THAT'S RIGHT. AND WE COULD HAVE USED A LAW LIKE THAT IN MY HIGH SCHOOL. AND WOULD YOU AGREE THAT IF SOMEBODY LIKED THE SHOOTER AT MY HIGH SCHOOL WHO MADE MULTIPLE THREATS, SHOULD HE BE ABLE TO OWN THE WEAPON THAT YOU'RE HOLDING RIGHT NOW? HE SAID, ABSOLUTELY NOT. WELL, I'M GLAD YOU AGREE WITH ME, SIR. 'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE ADVOCATING FOR. AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE THIS, WE ACTUALLY DO AGREE ON THIS ISSUE BECAUSE OUR ENEMY IN THIS FIGHT IS NOT GUN OWNERS. OUR ENEMY IN THIS FIGHT ISN'T EVEN REPUBLICANS. OUR ENEMY IN THIS FIGHT ULTIMATELY IS GUN VIOLENCE. I'M REMINDED OF THE, OF THE EFFORTS OF DR. KING AND THE, ONE OF THE MESSAGES THAT HE PREACHED IN THE PRINCIPLES OF NONVIOLENCE, OF ATTACKING THE SOURCES OF EVIL AND NOT THE PERPETRATORS. WE NEED ALLIES IN THIS FIGHT, TEXAS. WE NEED GUN OWNERS IN THIS FIGHT. YEAH. WE NEED TEACHERS IN THIS FIGHT. WE NEED STUDENTS IN THIS FIGHT. AND IT'S NOT AGAINST ANY SOLE INDIVIDUAL OR ANY ONE GOVERNOR BECAUSE THE REALITY IS, EVEN IF YOU GOT RID OF ONE GOVERNOR, IF YOU STILL HAVE THIS SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT ENABLES SOMEBODY TO ALLOW OUR CHILDREN TO DIE IN THEIR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE NAME IS OR WHAT THE LETTER IS THAT'S NEXT TO THEM, IF THAT SYSTEM IS STILL THERE, WE NEED TO ATTACK THAT SYSTEM. YEAH. AND THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION TO ALL AMERICANS RIGHT NOW. YEAH. ALL AMERICANS WHO COME TOGETHER FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY, FOR OUR CHILDREN. YEAH. YEAH. TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN AGREE ON. I KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT GONNA SOLVE THIS ISSUE OVERNIGHT. I UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT EVEN IF IT'S JUST ONE LAW THAT SAVES ONE LIFE, BE IT HERE IN TEXAS OR IN WASHINGTON DC WE MUST FOCUS ON WHERE WE CAN FIND COMMON GROUND. YES. BECAUSE THE, OUR CHILDREN ARE DYING. AS A FINAL POINT, I'M REMINDED OF A SIMILAR TIME IN AMERICAN HISTORY WHEN WE FACED GREAT CHALLENGES. I'M REMINDED OF A YOUNG MAN WHO WENT TO THE SAME COLLEGE AS ME AND ACTUALLY SPOKE HERE IN HOUSTON. AND HE SPOKE HERE IN THE 1960S AT A VERY TUMULTUOUS TIME IN OUR COUNTRY. HE SPOKE AT RIGHT TO UNIVERSITY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HE TALKED ABOUT WAS A GREAT CHALLENGE THAT WE FACED OF EXPLORATION. HE SAID, AND I QUOTE, WE CHOOSE TO GO TO THE MOON. WE CHOOSE TO GO TO THIS MOON IN THIS DECADE AND DO THE OTHER THINGS. NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE EASY, BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE HARD. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE FACED WITH TODAY AS AMERICANS. IF WE CAN LAND A MAN ON THE MOON, WE CAN KEEP OUR KIDS SAFE IN SCHOOLS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. BUT WHAT IT WILL TAKE IS AMERICANS GETTING OVER THEIR POLITICS, ADULTS GETTING OVER THEIR POLITICS, AND REALIZING WE HAVE OUR DISAGREEMENTS. LET'S STOP TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE CAN AGREE ON AND LET'S START TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE CAN AND HOW WE CAN ACTUALLY SAVE OUR KIDS. SO TO THE GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE AT THE N, THE POLITICIANS THAT ARE AT THE NRA CONVENTION, LET'S MEET, LET'S TALK AND LET'S FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GET DONE HERE. BECAUSE THIS IS A DEMOCRACY. BUT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN SAVE OUR KIDS AND PROVE THAT DEMOCRACY WORKS WHEN IT IS ONCE AGAIN UNDER THREAT GLOBALLY. WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY AS AMERICANS TO DO THAT AND TO PROTECT OUR FUTURE. SO LET'S DO IT. THANK YOU. WELL SAID. GREAT JOB. WELL SAID. THAT IS POWERFUL FOR SURVIVOR TO BE HERE WITH THAT COMPETENCE, THAT COURAGE, AND THAT LEVEL OF COMMITMENT TO MAKING SURE THAT HIS GENERATION IS THE LAST GENERATION THAT EXPERIENCES WHAT HE EXPERIENCED AS A STUDENT. WOULD YOU GIVE DAVID HOG ANOTHER HAND, PLEASE? OUR CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION ANYWHERE ON THE PLANET. UH, THE TRUTH IS SHE'S PROBABLY ON OTHER CONTINENTS RIGHT NOW WHILE SHE'S HERE BECAUSE SHE HAS A WAY OF MAKING APPEARANCES IN MULTIPLE PLACES AT THE SAME TIME. AND, UH, BUT SHE'S ALWAYS THERE TO DELIVER A MESSAGE, TO DELIVER A RESULT THAT BENEFITS PEOPLE. FIGHTING FOR PEOPLE'S RIGHTS IS SOMETHING SHE DOES INNATELY. AND WE HONOR HER TODAY FOR HER ASTUTENESS AND FOR HER COMMITMENT AFTER THE CONGRESSMAN HAS COMPLETED. THE NEXT VOICE WOULD BE BECKY PRINGLE WITH THE NEA. AND THEN WE WILL MOVE TO OUR CONGRESSWOMAN AL CONGRESS MUNN AL GREEN, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE TO [00:30:01] OUR ELECTED OFFICES AT THE STATE LEVEL. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THIS FASTER, BUT I THANK GOD THAT WE'VE GOT LEADERSHIP THIS COMMITTED TO SHOW UP TO BE A PART OF MAKING CHANGE HAPPEN. CONGRESSMAN MILA JACKSON LEE, I WOULD BE LESS THAN APPROPRIATE IF I DID NOT, UH, FIRST HONOR THE BISHOP, UH, JAMES DIXON FOR, UH, BEING A ROOTED OAK TREE, UH, AGAINST THE TRAS OF EVIL. AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL RECOGNIZE HIM AND APPLAUD HIM FOR BEING THAT OAK TREE THAT IS IMMOVABLE. LET ME THANK OUR MAYOR THAT HAS PUT A FACE ON THIS CITY OF COMPASSION AND PASSION. HOW APPROPRIATE AND HOW PROUD I WAS THAT THE FACE THAT WAS SEEN WAS NOT THE NRA, BUT IT WAS A PASSIONATE LEADER WHO SAID, WE DO NOT WANT THEM HERE. WE UNDERSTAND THE LAW, BUT I WILL SPEAK WITH MY STRENGTH AND MY POWER. THANK YOU MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER. UH, LET ME ACKNOWLEDGE ALL OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT MADAM PRESIDENTS OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS. UH, I LIVE WITH YOU IN WASHINGTON. YOU ARE GIANTS. YOU ARE GIANTS. ON BEHALF OF, UH, THOSE WHO MADE US BESIDE OUR PARENTS, OUR TEACHERS HAVE MADE US. WE HONOR THEM AND WE HONOR YOU. I THANK YOU, DAVID, FOR THE TIME THAT YOU SPENT WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, UH, INCLUDING MYSELF. LET ME, UH, JUST, UH, BEGIN BY SAYING, TOMORROW ANOTHER VICTIM OF THE BUFFALO MASSACRE WILL BE BURIED. SHE WAS A VIBRANT, STRONG 86-YEAR-OLD. TODAY WE HAVE GIFTED TO THE CHILDREN OF VALDI, THOSE WHO LIVE AND TRAGICALLY THOSE WHO WERE MURDERED, A NEW TOOL IN THE TOOLKIT OF RAISING CHILDREN. WE HAVE GIVEN THEM THE BODY BAG AND THE CASKET. AND IT SHOULD BE SHAME ON US THAT WE HAVE ALLOWED DAVID AND ALL THE VICTIMS OF MASSACRES STARTING FROM COLUMBINE. AND YES, I WAS IN THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS NAMED TO THE COLUMBINE TASK FORCE. AND AT THAT TIME WE'VE SAID NEVER AGAIN. BUT THE NRA LOBBY WHO PERSISTS THAT THEY ARE ABOUT GUN SAFETY. I DO NOT SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MEMBERS EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I ASKED THEM TO CANCEL THIS CONVENTION. I ASKED THEM TO LEAVE. I ASKED THEM TO WALK OUT. I ASKED THEM TO KNEEL AND PRAY FOR. IF THE CORPORATE ENTITY CANNOT, IF THE STRUCTURAL CONTRACT DOES NOT ALLOW US TO DO IT, AS IT DOES NOT, THEN THOSE WHO ARE MOTHERS AND FATHERS AND GRANDPARENTS AND THOSE WHO LOVE CHILDREN, THEY CAN CANCEL THAT CONVENTION. THEY SHOULD CANCEL IT TODAY, TOMORROW, AND THE NEXT DAY. THEY SHOULD TELL DONALD TRUMP TO STAY HOME. THEY SHOULD NOT BRING HIS PRESENCE OF DISREGARD FOR DEMOCRACY TO THIS PLACE. HE HAS NEVER LIFTED A FINGER TO HELP US AS PRESIDENT TO STOP THE GUN VIOLENCE. BUT WE DO CALL OUT TO PEOPLE OF FAITH NO MATTER WHAT THEIR PARTY. IT IS NOT A PARTISAN ISSUE. BUT I AM TIRED OF CHILDREN WHO LOVED TEDDY BEARS, WHO LOVED THEIR GRANDPARENTS AND LOVED SAYING, DID YOU TAKE YOUR MEDICINE OF THE LITTLE GIRL WHO CALLED 9 1 1 OR THE LITTLE GIRL THAT IS A GREAT LITTLE LEAGUER, OR THOSE WHO LOVE MUSIC, OR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN HUGGED, WHO HAVE LEFT A BOTTOMLESS PIT OF A HOLE IN THE HEARTS OF THEIR PARENTS. THOSE PARENTS WHO FOUGHT TO GET IN, WHO FELL TO THE GROUND. THE VISION IS EVIDENT THAT THERE IS SHAME ON AMERICA. THERE IS SHAME ON THE NRA LOBBY BECAUSE AS A MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS, WE HAVE PUT ON THE FLOOR OVER AND OVER AGAIN. I'VE INTRODUCED GUN BILLS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND MY BILLS HAVE BEEN BLOCKED. THE ASSAULT WEAPON BAD THAT WE TRIED TO REAUTHORIZE BLOCKED BY MITCH MCCONNELL, BLOCKED BY THE LOBBY THAT SIMPLY HAS A CHAIR ON THE OUTSIDE BLOCKED. AND SO BISHOP, AS I FINISH MY REMARKS, I WANNA SAY TO YOU, YOU LIVE IN A NATION OF 400 MILLION GUNS, BUT YET POVERTY PREVAILS. BUT THERE ARE 400 MILLION GUNS. YOU LIVE IN A NATION THAT HAS 45% OF THE GUNS IN THE WORLD. YOU LIVE IN A NATION THAT IS LARGER THAN NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIA, UNITED KINGDOM AND FRANCE. AND THEY ISSUED RESTRICTIVE LAWS AFTER THEIR MASS MURDERS AND THEY BROUGHT DOWN MASS KILLINGS. YOU LIVE IN A WORLD THAT TEDDY BEARS AND HUGS ARE REPLACED BY CASKETS AND BODY BAGS. YOU LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE OUR [00:35:01] CHILDREN KNOW THE WORDS AND LIVE IN KILLING FIELDS THAT WAS LAST USED IN VIETNAM. AND SO I ANNOUNCED TODAY AS CHAIR OF THE CRIME, TERRORISM, AND HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE. WE WILL GO BACK TO WASHINGTON AND WE WILL PUT ON THE FLOOR FIRST AS WE GO BACK TO WASHINGTON, WE WILL MARK UP IN MY COMMITTEE ON JUNE 2ND, WE'LL GET THERE AS FAST AS WE CAN. GUN BILLS THAT WILL INCLUDE RED FLAGS, STORAGE BILLS, TIMEFRAMES FOR WAITING PERIODS. WE WILL MARK UP GUN BILLS AND THEY WILL BE ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE. IN THE IMMEDIACY OF OUR RETURNING, WE WILL TELL THE SENATE THAT YOU NEED TO PASS THESE BILLS. 'CAUSE THE HOUSE IS GONNA PASS THEM BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO THAT THING CALLED MARKUP. AND WE WILL DO SO. WE ARE COMING BACK TO DO IT. AND WE WILL HAVE GUN BILLS FOR AMERICA TO SEE. AND I WILL SAY DEMOCRATS, THAT I WILL ASK MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES TO STAND WITH US AND WE WILL GO TO THE FLOOR. AND IF WE HAVE TO DO IT ON OUR LONELY, COURAGEOUS SELF, AND I DON'T USE THE WORD COURAGEOUS TO GET ANY KIND OF COMPLIMENT, I USE IT BECAUSE IF SOMEONE NEEDS COURAGE, I WILL HELP THEM GET IT SO THAT THEY CAN PASS THESE BILLS. AND FINALLY, WE'LL TAKE MY COMMITTEE DOWN TO VALDI WHEN IT IS APPROPRIATE TO HOLD A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING, TO HEAR THE PAIN AND STORY OF THESE FAMILIES SO THAT CONGRESS CAN DO MORE. THAT'S RIGHT. RIGHT? WE DON'T NEED TO STOP HERE. WE NEED TO DO MORE FOR OUR TEACHERS. I JUST IN MY NOTES BY SAYING, DO I WANNA LIVE IN A COUNTRY WITH POVERTY AND 400 MILLION GUNS? DON'T WANNA LIVE IN A COUNTRY THAT HAS 45% OF THE WORLD'S GUNS, INCLUDING WEAPONS OF WAR AND BODY ARMOR. NO. I WANNA LIVE IN A PLACE OF PEACE AND I WANNA LIVE IN A PLACE WHERE MY TEACHERS CAN, TEACHERS THEY WILL, TO MAKE THE PRESIDENTS AND CONGRESSPERSONS AND MAYORS AND FELLOW TEACHERS AND LAWYERS AND ASTRONAUTS AND JUST PLAIN WONDERFUL PEOPLE. I WANNA GIVE YOU THAT AND I WANNA SECURE YOU. AND SINCE I HAVE THIS PODIUM, MY MESSAGE TO THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, STOP GIVING EMPTY PRESS CONFERENCES, NOTHING LISTS BURGERS. STOP FUNDING MAR RAIDS AND FALSITIES AT THE BORDER AND COME SECURE OUR SCHOOLS, ROB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THEIR LACK OF A RESOURCE OFFICER, GOVERNOR, IS ON YOUR SHOULDERS. YOUR FAILURE TO FUND OUR URBAN AND RULE AND SMALL SCHOOLS. IT IS ON YOUR SHOULDERS. MAY GOD BE WITH US. MAY GOD BLESS US. MAY PEACE COME WHERE WE HAVE COURAGE TO STAND AS WE SHOULD. THANK YOU, CONGRESSWOMAN. I NEED TO CORRECT A BRIEF MISTAKE. I FAILED TO CALL ON RABBI ADRIAN P SCOTT. AND I WANT HER TO COME BEFORE, UH, WE HAVE OUR NEA PRESIDENT. THIS RABBI IS DOING A GREAT JOB WITH CONGREGATION. BE ISRAEL. LET'S RECEIVE HER AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, THE MAYOR, BISHOP DIXON, ALL, ALL OF YOU WHO WE STAND HERE TOGETHER IN THIS DAY, IN THE WAKE OF OUR HORRIFIC TRAGEDY THAT WE WITNESSED IN VALDI, WE ARE ANGERED, DISGUSTED, AND HEARTBROKEN. WE STAND HERE TODAY IN SUPPORT OF OUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS WHOSE LIVES ARE FOREVER CHANGED. WE OFFER OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES AND PRAY THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL FIND THE COMFORT THEY DESERVE TO KNOW. SADLY, OUR PRAYERS AREN'T DOING ENOUGH. AS PART OF THIS RICH AND INCREDIBLE HOUSTON FAITH COMMUNITY, WE STAND TOGETHER TO URGE OUR POLITICAL LEADERS TO ENACT CHANGE IMMEDIATELY. WHILE WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE FREEDOMS AND PRIVILEGES OF THIS COUNTRY, ACCESS TO WEAPONS HAS BECOME RAMPANT. OUR CHILDREN SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAFE, PROTECTED, AND SECURED SCHOOLS. OUR TEACHERS WHO SERVE AS OUR GREATEST RESOURCES SHOULD NEVER FEAR FOR THEIR LIVES BY WALKING INTO THEIR PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT. NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT. WE CAN'T WAIT ANOTHER MOMENT. LONGER. JEWISH TRADITION TEACHES US THAT EACH LIFE IS TO BE VALUED AND CHERISHED WITHIN OUR INTERFAITH COMMUNITIES. WE UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF CHOOSING LIFE. WE CAN'T UPHOLD THESE COMMITMENTS WHILE PURCHASING A WEAPON HAS BECOME COMMONPLACE AMONGST TOO MANY WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO USE THEM FOR ANYTHING BUT EVIL. THERE IS A WAR IN OUR COUNTRY. IT IS HARMING INNOCENT LIVES FAR TOO OFTEN IN TIMES OF WAR. WE PRAY FOR SHALOM, FOR PEACE, WHOLENESS, AND WELLBEING. WE WILL CONTINUE TO OFFER OUR PRAYERS [00:40:01] AS WE DEMAND LEGAL ACTION. LET US PRAY FOR THOSE PARENTS WHO HAVE LOST THEIR BELOVED CHILDREN. LET US PRAY FOR THE FAMILIES OF THE FINE EDUCATORS AND LET US ALL STAND UP TO THOSE WHO THREATEN OUR SAFETY AND SECURITY. AND WE PRAY THAT THIS WILL BE GOD'S WILL. AMEN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH RABBI SCOTT. WE APPRECIATE YOU AND THANK YOU MS. DEAN OF MARKS WITH THE SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE WITH THE CONGREGATION AS WELL. WE APPRECIATE YOU SO VERY MUCH REPRESENTING THE SYNAGOGUE AND THE JEWISH FAITH. TODAY. WE'RE HONORED, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, TO HAVE TWO PRESIDENTS OF TWO POWERFUL TEACHERS, REPRESENTATION REPRESENTATIVE ORGANIZATIONS WITH US. MS. BECKY PRINGLE REPRESENTS THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION. LET'S WELCOME HER AT THIS TIME, EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION. LET'S WELCOME HER AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. OF ALL THE CIVIL RIGHTS FOR WHICH THIS COUNTRY HAS FOUGHT AND DIED FOR 5,000 YEARS, THE RIGHT TO LEARN IS UNDOUBTEDLY THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL. THE FREEDOM TO LEARN HAS BEEN BOUGHT BY BITTER SACRIFICE. SO WHATEVER YOU MIGHT THINK ABOUT THE CURTAILMENT OF OTHER CIVIL RIGHTS, YOU MUST FIGHT TO THE LAST DITCH TO KEEP OPEN, THE RIGHT TO LEARN. THOSE POWERFUL WORDS BY WEB DU BOIS CAPTURES THE SIGNIFICANCE OF EDUCATION FOR OUR STUDENTS IN THIS COUNTRY. BUT HERE WE ARE IN A MOMENT WHERE WE ARE BEING CAUGHT ON TO ENSURE THEY CAN SIMPLY LIVE. AND WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THOSE PRECIOUS 19 LIVES IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LIVES THAT ARE TAKEN EVERY SINGLE DAY IN OUR COMMUNITIES ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY. COME ON. DUE TO GUN VIOLENCE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE GOING ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS IN A SUPERMARKET AND SUBJECTED TO RACISM AND HATE THAT'S BEING SPEWED TO DIVIDE US AND STOKE FEAR AND DISTRACT US FROM THE PROMISE OF THIS COUNTRY. IT IS OUR COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY TO NOT JUST SHED THE TEARS THAT I KNOW YOU SHED WITH ME AS A TEACHER FOR OVER 30 YEARS AS A MOTHER OF TWO, AS A GRANDMOTHER TO A 10-YEAR-OLD. I COULD NOT EXPLAIN IT TO. AND A TWO AND A HALF YEAR OLD THAT YOU AND I OWE MORE THAN WHAT WE HAVE GIVEN THEM. BUT HERE'S WHAT I BELIEVE. WE ALL CANNOT STAND IN THAT SORROW. RIGHT. WE HAVE TO BELIEVE IN HOPE, THE PLAUSIBILITY OF THE POSSIBLE WHEN WE COME TOGETHER AND SEE THE HUMANITY IN, IN EVERY ONE OF OUR STUDENTS, IN EVERY ONE OF OUR COMMUNITIES. AND WE STAND TOGETHER AND SAY NO MORE. THAT'S RIGHT. NO MORE. NO MORE, MORE. WE'LL LIFT UP OUR VOICES TOGETHER. YEAH. AND WE WILL DEMAND BETTER FOR OUR STUDENTS. YEAH. WE'LL STAND TOGETHER AND WE'LL PROTECT OUR STUDENTS. YES. WE'LL FIGHT TOGETHER UNTIL WE GET THIS DONE. I HEARD DAVID HO SAY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE'RE NOT DONE YET. NOT DONE YET. THAT'S RIGHT. IT IS OUR SHARED RESPONSIBILITY TO WRAP OURSELVES AROUND OUR BABIES AND MAKE SURE THEY CAN LIVE AND THEY CAN GROW AND THEY CAN THRIVE. THAT IS OUR SHARED RESPONSIBILITY, OUR MORAL OBLIGATION. AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT YOU'LL JOIN THE 3 MILLION MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION ASSOCIATION, THIS NATION'S LARGEST UNION. YOU'LL RISE UP WITH US AND YOU WILL BE WORTHY OF OUR CHILDREN. [00:45:02] I WANNA JOIN ME BY MY SIDE. MR. JITU BROWN. YES, MA'AM. FROM JOURNEY FOR JUSTICE, WHO UNDERSTANDS HOW IMPORTANT THE COMMUNITY IS. YES, MA'AM. IN THIS WORK, BROTHER JITU. THANK YOU MOM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UM, I CAN LISTEN TO MY SISTER BECKY ALL DAY. I GOT, UM, BUT I THINK, UM, I'M REMINDED OF A QUOTE BY ONE OF OUR GREAT ANCESTORS, MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE. SHE SAID, I'M A MOTHER'S DAUGHTER AND THE DRUMS OF AFRICA STILL BEATING MY HEART AND THEY WILL NOT LET ME REST UNTIL EVERY CHILD HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE THEIR WORTH. AND SHE WALKED THAT WALK. SHE LIVED THAT LIFE. WE HAVE A LOT OF RHETORIC TODAY, BUT WE BEING SHOWN THE MIRROR, THE MIRROR IS WE HAVE FAILED OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. AND WHAT I WOULD ASK OF YOU, 'CAUSE I AGREE WITH UH, BROTHER DIXON AS YOU LAID OUT THE POLICY PLATFORM. I HAVE NOTHING MORE TO ADD TO THAT EXCEPT FOR ONE THING, WE CANNOT LET GUN MANUFACTURERS OFF THE HOOK BECAUSE THEY ARE PROFITING OFF OF FLOODING OUR COMMUNITIES WITH WEAPONS. YEAH. 60% OF THE GUNS THAT ARE IN CHICAGO COME FROM OUTSIDE GUNSHOTS. RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. SO THERE IS AN INDUSTRY OF DEATH THAT LOOKS AT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN PROFITS. SO THERE SHOULD BE FINES ALL THE WAY UP TO SHUTTING THEM DOWN IF THEY CONTINUE TO FLOOD OUR COMMUNITIES WITH THESE RESOURCES. BUT WE MUST ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S ONE THING THAT IS COMMON WITH THE YOUNG PERSON IN CHICAGO THAT'S WILLING TO DO A DRIVE BY. OR THE YOUNG PERSON IN HOUSTON IS WILLING TO DO A CARJACKING OR THE YOUNG PERSON THAT IS YOUNG AND WHITE AND DISILLUSIONED AND WILL WALK INTO A SCHOOL AND TAKE LIVES. THERE IS ONE THING THAT IS COMMON AND THAT IS HOPELESSNESS. IT'S HOPELESSNESS. WHICH MEANS THAT OUR INSTITUTIONS AND OUR COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO PREPARE OUR CHILDREN TO STAND ON OUR SHOULDERS ARE FAILING. WE CANNOT BELIEVE IN AMERICA'S RHETORIC WITHOUT LOOKING AT AMERICA'S REALITY. I HAVE, I HAVE I FROM, I'M FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHICAGO. I'VE GONE TO MANY FUNERALS. I'VE RAISED THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE. I'VE WON SOME AND I'VE LOST SOME. AND WHAT I'M SAYING TO US IS THAT, THAT HOPELESSNESS IS FED NOT WITH LOVE AND RESOURCES, BUT IT IS FED WITH GUNS AND DRUGS. AND WE HAVE TO BE MEN AND WOMEN ENOUGH. YEAH. WE HAVE TO HAVE A STIFF ENOUGH SPINE TO LOOK IN THE MIRROR, FACE OUR UGLY, AND REALIZE THAT THERE IS A INTEREST IN OUR YOUNG PEOPLE NOT MAKING IT. AND WE HAVE TO BE WARRIORS FOR JUSTICE. YEAH. THIS IS A PUNK FREE ZONE. THERE ARE NO PUNKS ALLOWED HERE. WE HAVE TO BE WARRIORS AT THIS MOMENT. AND SO ZERO, NOT ZERO TOLERANCE ON BLACK AND BROWN CHILDREN. SO WE'RE NOT GONNA PUSH OUR CHILDREN OUTTA SCHOOLS ANYMORE. ZERO TOLERANCE FOR RACISM. YES. ZERO TOLERANCE FOR HATE. AND IF THAT'S YOUR AGENDA, COME SEE US. THAT'S WHAT IT HAS TO BE. THIS IS A WARRIOR MOMENT. YEAH. BECAUSE WE ARE FAILING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. MAYOR. BISHOP, WE AIN'T DONE YET. WE AIN'T DONE YET. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MS. PRINGLE. THANK YOU GTU. WE APPRECIATE THAT. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE AS RAPIDLY AS WE CAN. WE'RE THANKFUL TO HAVE TODAY WITH US. UH, IT IS CRYSTAL GREEN, CHRISTOPHER GR. CONGRESSMAN GREEN'S OFFICE HERE. IS HE READY? ALRIGHT. CRYSTAL WEBSTER IS GOING TO HAVE OUR CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN TO GREET US AND SPEAK. AND THEN WE'RE MOVING TO SENATOR JOHN WHITMEYER, UH, FROM OF COURSE THE STATE. UH, AND WE THANK HIM FOR BEING HERE AS WELL AS, UH, STATE REPRESENTATIVES RON REYNOLDS AND JARVIS JOHNSON. AND THEY WILL DIVIDE THEIR TIME HOWEVER THEY DESIRE TO DO THAT. WE'RE HONORED TO HAVE CONGRESSMAN GREEN ON THE LINE. CONGRESSMAN, THANK YOU BISHOP DIXON. I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE. UH, THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. I THANK THE MAYOR, THE CLERGY, MY COLLEAGUE JACKSON LEE, UH, RANDY AND ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF VARIOUS ASSOCIATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH EDUCATION. AND I THANK THE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO WILL BE SPEAKING. BISHOP. DR. KING REMINDED US THAT THE TRUEST MEASURE OF A PERSON IS NOT WHERE THE PERSON STANDS IN TIMES OF COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE WHEN ALL IS WELL IN YOUR WORLD. BUT WHERE DO YOU STAND IN TIMES OF CHALLENGE AND CONTROVERSY? WHERE DO YOU STAND WHEN CHURCHES ARE HAVING THEIR CONGREGATES MURDERED IN CHURCH? WHERE DO YOU STAND WHEN SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE BEING MURDERED IN CLASSROOMS? WHERE DO YOU STAND WHEN BUSINESSES HAVE, UH, [00:50:01] TO ACQUIRE SECURITY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE BEING MURDERED IN PLACES OF BUSINESS? WHERE DO YOU STAND? WELL, HERE'S WHERE I STAND, BISHOP. I STAND FOR AN FBI INVESTIGATION INTO WHAT HAPPENED TO THOSE BABIES TO DOWN THERE IN VALDI. BECAUSE BISHOP, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. AND THE FBI CAN FIND OUT, THIS IS WHERE I STAND, BISHOP. YES. YES. I STAND FOR RED FLAG LAWS THAT YOU MENTIONED. BUT NOT ONLY DO I STAND FOR THEM, I HAVE VOTED FOR RED FLAG LAWS I HAVE STOOD STAND FOR AND I HAVE VOTED FOR UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECK. I STAND FOR CLOSING THE GUN SHOW LOOPHOLE. I STAND FOR TRAINING BEFORE YOU CAN BUY A GUN. I STAND FOR BANNING ASSAULT WEAPONS BECAUSE THEY BELONG IN PLACES OF WAR WHERE THE PERSONS ARE THERE TO SUPERVISE THOSE WHO HANDLE THEM NOT ON THE STREETS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. YES. I STAND OPPOSED TO A TWICE IMPEACHED PRESIDENT COMING TO HOUSTON TO TELL US WHAT WE NEED TO DO ABOUT GUNS ON OUR STREETS. WE DON'T NEED A TWICE IMPEACHED PRESIDENT TO DO THIS. I STAND OPPOSED TO THE PRESENCE OF A FORMER TWICE IMPEACHED PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. I STAND FOR LETTING YOU KNOW THAT TODAY I SENT THAT LETTER TO THE FBI BISHOP. ALRIGHT. I SENT THAT LETTER TO THE FBI REQUESTING THE FBI TO INVESTIGATE. I DID IT NOT ONLY AS A MEMBER OF CONGRESS, BUT ALSO AS THE PERSON WHO IS THE LEADER OF THE TEXAS DEMOCRATIC DELEGATION. BUT FINALLY, HERE'S WHERE I STAND. I AM BRIEFED BECAUSE YOU ASKED THAT WE BE BRIEFED. THERE'S MUCH MORE THAT I'D LIKE TO SAY. I STAND FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. YEAH. NOT JUST FOR SOME, I DON'T STAND FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR PEOPLE BECAUSE OF THEIR COLOR, BECAUSE OF THEIR RELIGION. RIGHT. I DON'T STAND FOR IT BECAUSE OF THEIR STATION IN LIFE. I STAND FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL BECAUSE THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS, CHILDREN OF THE SAME GOD. AND THAT GOD REQUIRES US TO RESPECT ALL OF THEIR LIVES. RIGHT. THAT'S WHERE I STAND. AND FINALLY, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WHEN I GO BACK TO WASHINGTON, I WILL CONTINUE THE STAND THAT I HAVE TAKEN. AND I ASSURE YOU THAT I WILL BE VOTING FOR THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE SUGGESTED WE VOTE FOR. AND I PLEDGE YOU THAT IF FOR SOME REASON THAT I HAVE SHOULD TAKE ME TO GLORY, I REFUSE TO STOP MY FIGHT. EVEN AFTER DEATH. I WILL CONTINUE TO FIGHT AND I WILL H THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA UNTIL THESE BILLS PASS. THAT'S WHERE I STAND. THANK YOU, CONGRESSMAN. THANK YOU. CONGRESSMAN REEN. SENATOR WHITMEYER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SENATOR. I'LL BE BRIEF. I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE MAYOR AND BISHOP DIXON FOR BRINGING US TOGETHER. WE DEFINITELY NEEDED TO COME TOGETHER TODAY TO SPEAK OUR MINDS. AND I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR. AS THE LONGEST SERVING STATE SENATOR IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE LEGISLATURE IS REACTIVE. WE KNOW THAT UNFORTUNATELY WE MEET EVERY OTHER YEAR FOR 140 DAYS. SO WE NORMALLY ARE REACTIVE. WE WE'RE NOT PROACTIVE, WE'RE REACTIVE. SO DAVID COLE, THE, THE REVEREND DIXON, OTHERS HAVE LAID OUT AL GREEN JUST DID THE ISSUES BEFORE US. TIMING IS EVERYTHING. YEAH. IN THE LEGISLATURE, I'VE SEEN TOUGH BATTLES BE WON. RIGHT. WHEN WE'RE PREPARED AND WE'RE REACHING OUT. YOU'RE RIGHT. YOU'RE RIGHT. THE MAYOR AND I HAVE BEEN IN MANY LEGISLATIVE BATTLES THAT WE WON GRAND JURY REFORM, DECRIMINALIZED IN SCHOOL BEHAVIOR. I CAN GIVE YOU A LONG LIST. THIS CAN BE ANOTHER VICTORY. YEAH. I REGULARLY IN THE LEGISLATURE SAY WE HAVE TO PUT A FACE ON THE ISSUE. WE CAN'T BE JUST WORDS IN THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. I ASK, TELL ME THE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE GONNA BE AFFECTED. HOW MANY FOLKS WILL BE TAKEN OFF MEDICAID WITH THIS AMENDMENT? YOU HAVE TO PUT A FACE ON THE ISSUE. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE SHOOTER GAVE US A FACE FOR GUN REFORM. THE 19 BABIES, THE TWO TEACHERS. IT'S ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NATIONAL PAPERS, OUR LOCAL PAPER. WE NEED TO TAKE THAT FACE OF THE ISSUE, THOSE FACES TO AUSTIN. WE NEED TO TODAY TO DEMAND GOVERNOR ABBOTT NOT WAIT TILL JANUARY WHEN WE MEET IN REGULAR SESSION, THE PEOPLE'S CAPITAL IS IN AUSTIN. WE NEED TO BE THERE TODAY AND TOMORROW, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA BE SUCCESSFUL IF EACH AND [00:55:01] EVERY ONE OF YOU, EVERYONE THAT CAN HEAR MY VOICE GETS FIRED UP. WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT ALONE. WE'VE GOT TO REACH OUT. WE'VE GOTTA CROSS THE AISLE. WE'VE GOTTA GET PEOPLE THAT ARE NORMALLY NOT ENGAGED IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. WE HAVE TO PUT A FACE ON THE ISSUE. SO LET'S LEAVE HERE TODAY DEMANDING A SPECIAL SESSION. LET'S CALL THE FOLKS BACK TO AUSTIN. LET US HAVE A GROWNUP DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUES. I'VE TRIED TO DO THE RED FLAG BILL THE LAST TWO SESSIONS. IT WOULD'VE BEEN EXACTLY NEEDED FOR THE SHOOTER IN VALDI. HE WAS GIVING OUTCRY, HE WAS TALKING ON SOCIAL MEDIA. THAT IS THE DESIGN OF THE RED FLAG. BILL, LET'S GO TO AUSTIN. PASS THAT. BUT I NEED YOU TO BE FIRED UP. YES. LET'S LEAVE HERE AND TALK TO OUR FRIENDS, OUR NEIGHBORS, AND OUR COLLEAGUES AND BE FIRED UP. THANK YOU REVEREND DIXON. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SENATOR. AND, AND LET ME TELL YOU, I COULD HAVE SOMEBODY, MY NOTES, THE PART THAT I DID NOT READ WAS TO SAY TO THE GOVERNOR, HE SEEMS TO HAVE NO PROBLEMS CALLING SPECIAL SESSIONS. YES. AND SO WE ARE GOING TO UNANIMOUSLY SEND FORTH THE CLARION MORAL CALLED SURE. SURELY 19 DEAD BABIES, TWO DEAD TEACHERS, THEIR BLOOD SCREAMS FROM THE GROUND. PLEASE CALL A SESSION IN MY NAME AND CHANGE LAWS SO THAT CLASSROOMS WON'T BE DEATH CHAMBERS FOR CHILDREN EVER AGAIN IN TEXAS. REPRESENTATIVE REYNOLDS BISHOP DIXON, I HAVE A NEWS FLASH FOR YOU. REPRESENTATIVE JOHNSON AND I HAVE ALREADY CALLED GOVERNOR ABBOTT TO CALL A SPECIAL SESSION . ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. GOVERNOR ABBOTT, AS YOU RECALL, CALLED SPECIAL SESSION AT THE SPECIAL SESSION AT THE SPECIAL SESSION, AT THE SPECIAL SESSION FOR VOTER SUPPRESSION. AND BISHOP, YOU'RE RIGHT, RIGHT NOW, IT'S EASIER TO GET A GUN THAN IT IS TO VOTE IN THIS STATE. AND GOVERNOR ABBOTT, I HAVE SOME NEWS FOR YOU. YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU CALLED OUT CHICAGO AND NEW YORK AND LA BUT TEXAS HAS THE UNFORTUNATE DISTINCTION OF LEADING THE NATION OVER THE LAST DECADE IN MASS SHOOTINGS IN SCHOOL SHOOTINGS. TEXAS IS NUMBER ONE. SO WE NEED COMMON SENSE GUN REFORMS. AND WE NEED IT NOW. WE DON'T NEED TO WAIT. YOU KNOW, THE LAST TIME WE HAD A UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT THAT OF THIS MAGNITUDE WAS IN SANTA FE. AND WE CAME BACK, WE SAID, OH, WE'RE GONNA DO SOMETHING. AND WE CAME BACK AND YOU KNOW WHAT WE DID? WE DID PERMITLESS CARRY. RIGHT. WE MADE IT EASIER TO GET A GUN. THAT'S WHAT WE DID. AND SO, YOU KNOW WHAT? I AM CALLING ON PEOPLE OF GOOD CONSCIENCE. AND THAT'S WHY I'M HAPPY WE HAVE THE FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY HERE. WE PRAYED FOR THE VICTIMS AND THE FAMILIES AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT. BUT I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO PRAY FOR THOSE IN AUTHORITY AS THE BIBLE SAYS, PRAY FOR GOVERNOR ABBOTT. PRAY FOR LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR PATRICK. PRAY FOR MY REPUBLICAN COLLEAGUES BECAUSE THEY NEED THE COURAGEOUS CONSCIOUS TO STAND UP TO THE NRA JUST LIKE WE'RE DOING NOW. THEY NEED THE COURAGEOUS CONSCIOUS TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE AMERICAN AND FOR TEXANS. RIGHT? WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO HAVE HOPES AND PRAYERS ALONE, BISHOP DIXON. WE NEED ACTION AND WE NEED POLICIES. NO, WE CAN'T ELIMINATE IT ALL. BUT IF WE CAN SAVE ONE LIFE, AND I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS BISHOP, WHEN A FEW DAYS AGO I WENT TO MY CHILDREN'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHO WERE MATRICULATING FROM THE FIFTH TO SIXTH GRADE. I WAS IN TEARS BECAUSE I REALIZED THAT THERE WERE PARENTS WHO WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO DO THAT. AND YOU VALIDATE THERE. PARENTS WHO WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK THEIR KIDS DOWN THE AISLE. THERE ARE PARENTS WHO WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO SEE THEIR KIDS GRADUATE. WE, WE OWE IT TO THEM AND MILLIONS OF OTHERS TO COME UP WITH THE REFORMS THAT ARE LAID OUT. SO THANK YOU. FAITH-BASED COMMUNITY AND OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS. AND GOD BLESS THIS STATE. LEMME THANK BISHOP DIXON AND THE MAYOR AND ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THE, THE CLERGY THAT ARE ASSEMBLED HERE TODAY. EXCUSE ME. GOVERNOR ABBOTT, DO YOUR DAMN JOB. YES. DO YOUR JOB. 246 PEOPLE DIED IN THE FREEZE. NOT ONE SPECIAL SESSION WAS CALLED IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, OVER 70 CHILDREN HAVE DIED BY THE HANDS OF GUNS IN SCHOOLS. YOU DID NOT CALL A SPECIAL SESSION. THREE, THREE PEOPLE VOTED ILLEGALLY OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. AND YOU CALLED A SPECIAL SESSION . WOW. YOU SAT UP HERE AND YOU SAID, THIS IS NOT A TIME TO BE POLITICAL, BUT YOU'RE A POLITICIAN. YOU'RE SITTING HERE AND, AND I'M LISTENING TO MY [01:00:01] COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE AISLE, SAY, THIS IS NOT A TIME TO BE POLITICAL, BUT YOU'RE A POLITICIAN. MM-HMM . EVERYBODY WHO WAS ON THAT STAGE WERE ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT WERE ELECTED TO DO A JOB. THAT'S RIGHT. AND TO CREATE LAWS THAT PROTECTS TEXANS. YES. IN THE LAST OF THE, THE, THE, THE TOP 10 DEADLIEST SHOOTINGS IN AMERICA, TEXAS OWNS FIVE OF THEM. FIVE OF THEM WE OWN. IT'S NOTHING TO BE PROUD OF. NOPE. AND SO IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT WE GO BACK TO THE STATE HOUSE. THAT'S RIGHT TODAY. THAT'S RIGHT. TO COME WITH POLICIES THAT WILL PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. NOT TO HARDEN SCHOOLS, NOT TO ARM TEACHERS. POLICE OFFICERS WHO WERE TRAINED FOR MONTHS ON END, WHO'VE BEEN ON THE FORCE FOR YEARS, STOOD OUTSIDE FOR AN HOUR, HOUR WHILE UNTRAINED TEACHERS WHO WERE NOT PEACE AND PEACE OFFICERS WHO INSIDE PROTECTING CHILDREN. THAT'S RIGHT. AND YET YOUR CALL IS TO GIVE TEACHERS GUNS OR YOUR CALL IS TO LOCK CHILDREN IN BUILDINGS TO CREATE SCHOOL PRISONS. MM-HMM. THAT IS NOT THE ANSWER. IF YOU WANNA SUPPORT THE FAMILIES THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THIS TRAGEDY, YES, LET'S PRAY FOR THEM. THEY NEED OUR PRAYERS, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY NEED OUR ACTION. THAT'S RIGHT. SO THAT WE CAN GIVE THEM SOME TYPE OF SOLACE THAT SAYS THAT WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT NOT ANOTHER CHILD HAS TO ENDURE THIS. WHEN TRAGEDY FALLS AT YOUR FOOTSTEP, ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU BECOME A LITTLE MORE EMPATHETIC. AND UNFORTUNATELY, TRAGEDY HAS NOT FALLEN AT THEIR FOOTSTEPS. AND SO THEY DON'T HAVE THE EMPATHY TO BE ABLE TO CALL BECAUSE THEY DON'T SEE THEMSELVES IN THOSE CHILDREN BECAUSE THEIR CHILDREN DO NOT GO TO PUBLIC SCHOOL. YES. THE NRAS CHILDREN DOES NOT GO TO PUBLIC SCHOOL. AND SO THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE LAWS THAT AFFECT SCHOOL CHILDREN BECAUSE YOU ARE FOCUSED ON YOUR PRIVATE SCHOOLS. THAT'S WHY YOU WANT MONEY TO FOLLOW THE CHILD. THE TIME IS NOW. GOVERNOR ABBOTT, WHEN I AND MY COLLEAGUES LEFT THIS STATE TO FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF TEXANS, TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO VOTE. YOU AND ALL YOUR COLLEAGUES TOLD ME TO COME BACK AND DO YOUR JOB. NOW I'M TELLING YOU, DO YOUR JOB. JOHN. REPRESENTING THE MUS. THANK YOU BOTH REPRESENTATIVES REPRESENTING THE, THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY TODAY. WE'RE SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE ZF TO HERE WHO'S ALSO ON THE CITY, UH, PLANNING COMMISSION Z. WOULD YOU COME LISTEN. AND AFTER ZAP, WE'LL HAVE LACEY WOLF REPRESENTING OUR UNIONS BECAUSE WE GOT EIGHT DIFFERENT UNIONS REPRESENTED HERE ON TODAY. WE APPRECIATE ALL OF LABOR SUPPORTING THIS CAUSE FOR JUSTICE AND FOR FOR PEACE. RECEIVE AFTER HERE, BIM, I REMINDER RAHIM IN THE NAME OF GOD, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL. I STAND BEFORE YOU HERE AS A PROUD MEMBER OF HOUSTON PLANNING COMMISSION APPOINTED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. I ALSO STAND HERE AS A PROUD MUSLIM AMERICA. WHEN DOES DESTRUCTION BECOME MASS DESTRUCTION? I ASK YOU THAT. WHEN DOES A WEAPON BECOME WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION? WE HAVE SEEN WARS FOUGHT ALL OVER THE WORLD FOR WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION THAT WERE NEVER REALLY THERE. BUT WE KNOW WHERE WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION ARE. THEY'RE RIGHT HERE IS IN 19 LOSS OF LIFE, MASS DESTRUCTION. WHAT WOULD MAKE US REALIZE THAT WE HAVE AN ARMS INDUSTRY, AN AMMUNITION INDUSTRY, THE EASE OF PURCHASE, THE AVAILABILITY OF AMMUNITION THAT IS NOT SEEN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. EVEN IN THE AREAS WHERE YOU HAVE RAGING CIVIL WARS. THE EASE OF BUYING A WEAPON BY SIMPLY WALKING INTO A STOREFRONT IS NEVER FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE LIKE IT IS FOUND HERE IN THIS COUNTRY AND NOWHERE ELSE IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND. SO I, AS A MUSLIM AMERICAN, AS A PROUD HOUSTONIAN CALL UPON MY ELECTED OFFICIALS, MY GOVERNOR, MY STATE LEGISLATURE. WE HAVE HEARD FROM SENATOR WHITMEYER, LET'S FOLLOW THEIR ADVICE. THEY KNOW IT IS NOT A DEMOCRATIC OR REPUBLICAN ISSUE. IT'S NOT A JEWISH ISSUE, IT'S NOT A MUSLIM ISSUE, IT'S NOT A CHRISTIAN ISSUE. [01:05:01] IT'S NOT A HINDU OR A SIKH ISSUE. IT'S A HUMAN ISSUE. RIGHT? SAFETY IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT. WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF HUMAN RIGHTS. I WANT MY HUMAN RIGHT TO BE SAFE. UH, BISHOP DIXON, THANK YOU FOR ORGANIZING THIS AND THANK YOU FOR COLLECTING ALL OF US UNDER ONE ROOF. ALWAYS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. LACEY WOLFE WILL COMING NOW REPRESENTING OUR, OUR LABOR, OUR FRIENDS, AND LABOR. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU BISHOP DIXON FOR INVITING US. THANK YOU FOR BEING A STRONG SUPPORTER OF UNIONS AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO. ABSOLUTELY. AND ALSO, WE'D LIKE TO THANK MAYOR TURNER FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND ALLOWING US TO BE HERE. I'M LACEY WOLF AND I'D LIKE TO ALSO SEE, LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M REPRESENTED NOT ONLY BY THE NATIONAL UNIONS, BUT OUR STATE UNIONS, AND OF COURSE ALL MY SISTERS AND BROTHERS HERE WHO ARE SUPPORTING US. AND WHAT I HAVE IN MY HAND IS WHAT WE CAME TOGETHER THE PAST TWO DAYS TO PUT TOGETHER ON, TO LET YOU KNOW WHERE DO UNIONS STAND ON THIS ISSUE. ALRIGHT. WE WANT THE NATION TO KNOW THAT MANY UNION MEMBERS ARE PROUD GUN OWNERS. WE HAVE LONG STANDING TRADITIONS OF USING GUNS RESPONSIBLY FOR HUNTING, RECREATION, AND PERSONAL PROTECTION. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THE US HAS MORE MASS SHOOTINGS THAN ANY OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED NAS BY FAR. LET'S BE CLEAR. THE EXTREMISM OF THE GUN LOBBY, THE NRA AND POLITICIANS LIKE GREG ABBOTT HAD LED US HERE AFTER EL PASO, ODESSA, MIDLAND, AND SANTA FE. THEY TOLD US NEVER AGAIN. THEY TOLD US HARDENING OUR SCHOOLS, INCREASING POLICE ON CAMPUS AND ARMING TEACHERS WOULD PROTECT OUR KIDS. THEY SAID THEY'D KEEP US SAFE, BUT NONE OF IT HAS WORKED AS A, AS A PARENT WHO HAS LOST CHILDREN. NOT LIKE THIS, BUT YOU, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU FEEL. I UNDERSTAND THE MISSING FEELING IN YOUR HEART. AND I CAN JUST IMAGINE WHAT THESE PARENTS ARE GOING THROUGH. AND I BELIEVE REPRESENTATIVE O'ROURKE, WHEN HE WENT UP TO THAT DIOCESE, HE FELT THE SAME THING. HE FELT HE WAS TAKING WHAT EVERY ONE OF THESE PARENTS WANTED TO SAY TO THEM. AND WHAT HE WAS TELLING THEM IS, GET OFF YOUR ASS AND DO THE RIGHT THING. I'M SORRY, I'M A CONSTRUCTION WORKER. SO THAT'S HOW IT'S GONNA COME OUT. THESE ARE THE PREACHERS , I'M SORRY REVEREND. THAT MAKES IT A LABOR ISSUE. WE MUST ACT NOW WE CAN START. YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING, JUST SOMETHING SIMPLE. GOVERNOR ABBOTT REPEAL THE LAW THAT YOU PUT INTO PLACE. THAT'S LET'S AN 18-YEAR-OLD HAVE A GUN. LET'S DO THE BACKGROUND CHECKS. GUN SAFETY EDUCATION, SECURE GUN STORAGE THAT DOESN'T INFRINGE ON ANYBODY'S LIBERTY. JUDGES SHOULD BE ABLE TO RESTRICT GUN ACCESS TO THOSE THEY DEEM A, A DANGER. IT SHOULD NOT, LIKE WE'VE SAID, BE AS EASY FOR AN 18-YEAR-OLD TO BUY A SEMI-AUTOMATIC AS IT IS A VIDEO GAME. THESE ARE COMMON SENSE MEASURES. THE CARNAGE HAS GOT TO STOP. GULF COAST UNIONS DEMAND THAT OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WORK TOGETHER ACROSS PARTY LINES. IN THE INTEREST OF ALL WORKING PEOPLE, UNION MEMBERS DEMAND CHANGE THAT KEEPS OUR WORKPLACES AND COMMUNITIES SAFE. AND JUST LIKE CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE SAID, LET'S ASK FOR PEACE, BUT LET'S SEE THIS PEACE IN OUR LIFETIME. YES, WE WANT GUN SAFETY AND WE WANT IT NOW. NOW WE ARE NEARING OUR CONCLUSION. WE'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE SPEAKERS, ONE, OF COURSE OUR COUNCILWOMAN CALL AZZ, AND THEN A FAITH LEADER TOO. AND WE'RE GONNA CLOSE, CLOSE THIS CONFERENCE OUT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WITH US ON THIS VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE. UH, SHE'S FROM, UH, THE, THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. SHE CALLS IT DISTRICT D UH, UH, CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ. DR. CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ. THIS RECEIVED FOR HER AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU, BISHOP. I'M CERTAINLY HONORED TO BE HERE, UH, WITH ALL OF THESE ILLUSTRIOUS SPEAKERS. CERTAINLY WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE MY COLLEAGUE, UH, SALLY ALCORN AT LARGE, COUNCIL MEMBER FIVE. AND I, I JUST WANNA SAY A FEW THINGS. I AM THE COUNCIL MEMBER, CAROLYN EVAN SHABAZZ FROM THE DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. AND I WANTED TO KEEP IT FROM BECOMING THE DIS DISTRICT OF DESTRUCTION BECAUSE OF GUN VIOLENCE. WHAT CONCERNS ME, AND I DIDN'T COIN THIS PHRASE, IS THAT WE CANNOT BE TEMPORARILY OUTRAGED. I LOOKED AT THE VOTING STATISTICS FROM THE LAST ELECTION. THERE ARE OVER 2 MILLION PEOPLE REGISTERED TO VOTE. YET ON THE REPUBLICAN SIDE, THERE WERE ABOUT 116,000. [01:10:03] AND ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE, 72,000. WE WILL NEVER CHANGE THE LEADERSHIP UNTIL WE TAKE THE ONUS TO GET OUT AND VOTE. I WANNA SAY, GOVERNOR, HOW CAN YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT KNOWING THAT YOU CAN CHANGE THESE IRRESPONSIBLE GUN LAWS? WE CANNOT REGULATE MINDSETS AND MENTAL ILLNESS, BUT WE CAN REGULATE ACCESS TO GUNS. I WANNA SAY, HOW CAN WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE WOMB AND YET DO NOT KEEP OUR CHILDREN FROM GOING PREMATURELY TO THE TOMB? YES. YES. AND I HEARD SOMEONE SAY THAT WE CANNOT CHANGE IT OVERNIGHT. WELL, TECHNICALLY YOU ARE CORRECT, BUT TUESDAY, NOVEMBER THE EIGHTH OF 2022 CAN BEGIN THAT CHANGE. YES. THANK YOU. YES. THANK YOU, DR. AZZ. AND WE'RE AT THIS TIME, GONNA HEAR FROM MR. ROBERT WILLIAMS. WE PUSH DEMOCRACY FORWARD. AND THEN REVEREND SHANKS, WHO'S SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF, UH, DR. MAX MILLER AND OTHER PASTORS AS WELL, UH, RECEIVE WITH ME AT THIS TIME, MR. ROBERT WILLIAMS, PUSH DEMOCRACY FORWARD. THANK YOU, BISHOP. UH, WE'VE HAD SOME WONDERFUL SPEAKERS HERE TODAY. WONDERFUL, POWERFUL SPEAKERS. AND I, I THINK I WAS TOUCHED MOST BY MADAM PRESIDENT WHEN SHE SAID, THERE IS ANOTHER WAY SPEAKING TO GOVERNOR, UH, GOVERNOR ABBOTT. THERE IS ANOTHER WAY, ANOTHER WAY. AND BISHOP, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A DIFFERENT ANGLE ON THAT AND, AND TELL GOVERNOR ABBOTT, YOUR WAY IS NOT WORKING. COME ON YOUR WAY IS NOT WORKING. WE, WE, WE'VE WATCHED YOU POOR RESOURCES INTO THE SCHOOL. WE, WE'VE WATCHED YOU TRY TO TURN THEM INTO FORTRESSES AND CASTLES. WE, WE WATCH YOU SIGN IN THE LEGISLATION, OPEN CARRY AND THEN CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY. IT'S NOT WORKING RIGHT. SO LET'S TRY ANOTHER WAY. I KNOW WE'RE ALL LEADERS AT A SOLUTION BASED HERE. WHAT'S THE OTHER WAY? GO LOOK AT BELGIUM. GO LOOK AT CANADA. GO LOOK AT GERMANY. GO LOOK AT FRANCE. THOSE WHO HAVE GONE VIOLENCE RATES THAT ARE 80% LESS. YES. 80% LESS THAN WHAT WE HAVE HERE. ABBOTT, YOUR WAY IS NOT WORKING. LET'S TRY SOMETHING ELSE. WELL SAID, WELL SAID. FIRST, WE'RE GIVE AN HONOR TO GOD. WE WANT TO THANK OUR BISHOP, OUR FRIEND, FOR BRINGING LEADERSHIP TO THIS. LET ME SAY ON BEHALF OF DR. MAX MILLER, ON BEHALF OF A SAGE IN THIS COMMUNITY, UH, DR. FN WILLIAMS, MY GRANDFATHER TAUGHT US REAL EARLY IN LIFE THAT IN EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT. AND BEING THAT HE HAD ONLY ACQUIRED THE THIRD GRADE, HE WAS BOTH A PASTOR AND A PREACHER AND A FARMER. BUT HE SAID TO US, AND IT'S IRONIC THAT HE WOULD USE THIS, HE SAID, BULLET, LISTEN TO ME. YOU CAN GET A FORMAL EDUCATION ALL YOU WANT. THAT'S WONDERFUL. BUT IF GOD DOESN'T BLESS YOU WITH COMMON SENSE, YOU ARE ABOUT AS IGNORANT AS THEY'RE NOT ON THAT LAW. I SAY TO AMERICA, I SAY TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, 89%, 89%, 89% OF AMERICAN, I DIDN'T SAY DEMOCRATS. I DIDN'T SAY, I SAID, 89% AMERICAS ARE DEMANDING COMMON SENSE LAW. AND I'M LEAVING. I GOT UP THIS MORNING, THE GREAT GRANDCHILDREN CAME OVER, AND MY WI ONE, SADIE LOOKED AT ME AND SHE SAID, OH, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE CHILDREN? SHE'S 10. WOW. MM-HMM . SHE'S 10 YEARS OLD. HMM. AND SHE SAID, WHERE YOU GOING? I SAID, . YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. THANK YOU, PASTOR. BLESS YOU, MAN. BLESS YOU. I AM, AS ALL OF YOU TOUCHED, WE HAVE HAD A PLETHORA OF SPEAKERS. AND EVERYBODY HERE IS A SPEAKER. UH, AND SO THERE'S ALWAYS A, A CHALLENGE TO DECIDE WHICH SPEAKERS WILL NOT GET A CHANCE TO VERBALLY BE HEARD. BUT YOUR PRESENCE [01:15:01] HAS SAID MORE THAN YOU CAN EVER UNDERSTAND. AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. YEAH. FOR SPENDING YOUR TIME HERE TODAY. I WANNA THANK JUDY FOSTER FOR SENDING OUR MEDIA TODAY. GIVE HER A HAND WITH FOSTER INTERNATIONAL. I WANNA THANK LINDA BROWN FOR COORDINATING MEDIA HERE AT THE SITE FOR THE MAYOR AND FOR, UH, UH, CITY AS WELL AS MARY BENTON. UH, ALL OF THESE PERSONS PLAY A BIG ROLE. CRYSTAL JACKSON IN OUR OFFICE. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND TANYA IS HERE, MY SISTER. BUT LET ME CLOSE WITH THIS. JANICE WEAVER, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ALWAYS FOR HELPING US TO DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. UH, NOW WHEN I CALL THOSE NAMES, I THOUGHT, Y'ALL GONNA CLAP FOR THOSE PEOPLE BECAUSE WITHOUT, WITHOUT THEM, NONE OF THIS HAPPENS. MY FATHER IS TO MY RIGHT. ELDER JAMES DIXON IS SITTING OVER TO MY RIGHT. AND I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING AS WE CLOSE TODAY, BISHOP KEN MURRAY, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. OUR PARENTS RAISED US IN CHURCH AND WE SING A SONG JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN, ALL THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD, RED AND YELLOW, BLACK AND WHITE. THEY'RE PRECIOUS IN HIS SIGHT. JESUS LOVES THE LITTLE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD. WE GREW UP BELIEVING THAT, UNDERSTANDING THAT. THEN I WENT TO SCHOOL AND WE SANG THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND. THIS LAND IS MY LAND FROM CALIFORNIA TO THE NEW YORK ISLANDS, FROM THE REDWOOD FOREST OF THE GULFSTREAM WATERS. THIS LAND WAS MADE FOR YOU AND ME. AND THEN I GREW UP. I GREW UP AND DISCOVERED ANGELA RAVEN, THAT THAT'S NOT WHAT EVERYONE BELIEVES. EVERYONE DOESN'T BELIEVE THAT, THAT GOD LOVES ALL THE LITTLE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD. BISHOP DE LAGRANDE, SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT GOD LOVES SOME CHILDREN, BUT NOT ALL CHILDREN. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THIS LAND WAS NOT MADE FOR YOU AND ME. AND SO TODAY I CLOSE WITH THESE WORDS. I'M TRYING TO REACH OUT SENATOR WHITMEYER TO ALL OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN PUBLIC OFFICE AND IN PULPITS TO SAY, CAN WE COME BACK TO THE FUNDAMENTAL TRUTH, THAT GOD IS THE MAKER OF US ALL? AND WHEN YOU DO SEE JESUS, IF YOU DO, HIS QUESTION WOULD BE, HOW DID YOU THINK YOU COULD LOVE GOD? MM-HMM . WHOM YOU'VE NEVER SEEN. MM-HMM . AND YOU DON'T LOVE YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS WHOM YOU SEE EVERY DAY. IT'S A CALL, A MORAL CALL. WE NEED A SPECIAL SESSION NOW. IT'S A MORAL CALL. YES. SO THAT WE CAN PROVE TO OUR CHILDREN AND OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN THAT JESUS LOVES ALL THE CHILDREN OF THE WORLD AND CLASSROOMS WILL NOT BE DEATH ROOMS. THEY WILL BECOME LIFE ROOMS BECAUSE WE ARE PASSED LAWS THAT LOOKS LIKE GOD'S LOVE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. MAY GOD BLESS EACH ONE OF YOU. THANK YOU MEDIA FOR YOUR PATIENCE ON TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. THANK YOU MUCH. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.