Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker wrote a Medium post Saturday addressing Tuesday’s school shooting in Uvalde that left 19 kids and two teachers dead.
Mayor Parker attended her fifth-grade son’s graduation this week, stating she could not help but think about the families in Uvalde who are currently processing the loss of their children.
“Asa a mama, my heart can’t fathom what this must feel like for the parents and loved ones of these babies and heroic teachers in Uvalde,” Mayor Parker wrote.
Acknowledging a mental health crisis has impacted the nation, especially since the beginning of the ongoing pandemic, Mayor Parker added gun violence is “tearing this country apart and no city, small town or region is immune.”
The City of Fort Worth has seen 40 homicides, the mayor said.
“So I ask, what do we, especially those of us in positions of leadership, do to protect our children,” Mayor Parker said. “We must be better.”
As a response, Fort Worth City Council is working with first responding departments to evaluate procedures and current resources devoted to keeping schools safe.
Additionally, in a state where a person must be 21-years-old to buy alcohol or tobacco, Mayor Parker broke with her Republican colleagues advocating for a reform of current gun laws.
“An 18-year-old can purchase an assault rifle. Does this make sense?” Mayor Parker wrote. “Absolutely not.”
Parker said she will be addressing how to act locally and acknowledges that conversations must also take place at the state and national levels.
“We must get serious, we must be bold and we must do the hard work of governing and leading,” Mayor Parker said. “This moment is fart past due, and we should have no tolerance for inconsistent or nonsensical policy.”
Mayor Parker ended her post promising to advocate for policy change in Austin and D.C.
“As your mayor, I am determined to make Fort Worth safer. As a Texan, I am committed to fighting for courageous and commonsense policies. And as a mother, I will not rest until we have made our world better for the next generation.”
