Following the gun massacre in Uvalde, Texas, which claimed the lives of 19 children and two adults, many have attempted to provide solutions on how to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Gun control activists propose a simple solution: gun control legislation, claiming that the easy availability of semi-automatic weapons permitted this and past mass shootings.
Republicans, on the other hand, have pointed the finger at everyone but weapons. Ted Cruz, for example, has been chastised online and on late-night television for blaming doors.
Cruz was also one of the speakers who did not cancel his attendance at the annual NRA convention, which was held less than a five-hour drive away in Houston, just days after the massacre.
As per Washingtonpost, his speech was not as bleak as former President Donald Trump‘s. However, it’s possible that it was enough to get him heckled at a restaurant afterward.
As per Newsweek, Cruz was approached at an eatery by Benjamin Hernandez, a board member of the activist group Invisible Houston. The video begins with the two smiling and posing for a photo. As soon as the photo is taken, Hernandez’s tone changes and he begins questioning Cruz about his position on gun control, which he opposes. (In fact, during his speech, Cruz repeated the old NRA line, “What stops armed bad guys is armed good guys,” despite the fact that Uvalde cops on the scene reportedly did little to stop the mass shooter.)
Hernandez asked Cruz about background checks, saying, “Is that so hard?” Cruz accused Hernandez of not wanting to have a real discussion. He also repeatedly asked the Texas senator, “Why does this keep happening?”
Cruz smiled and waved as security personnel took Hernandez away, saying, “Why, when 19 children died?” adding, “Nineteen children died. That is in your hands. That is on your hands.”
On its Facebook page, Invisible Houston describes itself as “an inclusive coalition at the Houston level to fight the rise of tyranny in America.” Hernandez was among the hundreds protesting the NRA’s gathering outside the conference center. Cruz, on the other hand, appears to have mistaken him for one of his numerous youthful followers.
The video can be seen in the tweet attached above.
