How many decibels can convey the pain of a grieving father? How many can cut through the silent indifference at the Texas Capitol? How many does it take to stir Texans who haven’t yet lost a child to gun violence to join in calls for change?
These questions were no concern to state troopers under the pink dome on Tuesday night where Brett Cross, once again, was leading thunderous protests for a commonsense gun reform bill a year after his little boy, 10-year-old Uziyah Garcia, was killed during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
“2744! Put this bill on the floor!” Cross and about a dozen other gun safety advocates yelled late into the night in the echoing halls of power, calling the number of the house bill that would raise the age to purchase assault-style rifles from 18 to 21. Such legislation could have stopped the Uvalde shooter, who had tried and failed to get weapons when he was under-age and then promptly obtained them legally when he turned 18.
