>> Stephen: OKAY, THERE'S NO EVIDENCE.
JUST DO IT ANYWAY.
HEY, EVERYBODY, WE'RE BACK HERE WITH DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR THE
GOVERNOR OF TEXAS, BETO O'ROURKE.
MR. O'ROURKE, WE PLANNED TO HAE YOU ON IN MAY ORIGINALLY, BUT
THEN THE TRAGIC SHOOTING HAPPENED IN UVALDE, AND I AM
SORRY FOR THE TRAGEDY FOR YOUR STATE, ALL THE TRAGEDIES, ALL
THE GUN TRAGEDIES THAT HAPPENED IN YOUR STATE RECENTLY.
TOMORROW MARKS ONE MONTH SINCE THAT TERRIBLE DAY.
HOW ARE THE RESIDENTS OF TEXAS PROCESSING THE HORROR OF THIS
EVENT?
>> IT'S TOUGH, AND FOR NO ONE MORE SO THAN THE PEOPLE OF
UVALDE.
AND THOSE PARENTS, I TALKED TO A MOM YESTERDAY, AND SHE SAID,
BETO, I AM LIVING IN A HELL RIGHT NOW.
BUT I WANT TO DO SOMETHING SO THAT NO MOM EVER GOES THROUGH
THIS OR FEELS THE WAY THAT I DO.
I WANT TO SPEAK OUT.
I MEAN, SHE SAID, I'VE NEVER BEEN POLITICALLY INVOLVED
BEFORE, I DON'T KNOW EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT IF THERE'S
SOMETHING I CAN DO, IF I CAN LEND MY VOICE TO SOMETHING,
PLEASE TELL ME, AND I WANT TO STOP THIS.
UVALDE AND EL PASO WHERE WE LOST 23 PEOPLE, THEY WERE TAKEN FROM
US IN 2019, SANTA FE HIGH SCHOOL, ANOTHER HORRIFIC SCHOOL
SHOOTING IN TEXAS.
WE'VE GOT TO STOP THIS AND THE PEOPLE WANT TO, AND THEY'RE
WILLING TO DO THE WORK.
NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO AGREE ON EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME BUT
THERE'S A LOT OF COMMON GROUND ON THIS.
UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS WHERE EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO
PURCHASE A GUN HAS SOME KIND OF A REVIEW SO IF THEY'RE GOING TO
BE A DANGER TO THEMSELVES OR SOMEONE ELSE WE CAN STOP THEM
BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.
A RED FLAG LAW WHERE THEY SAY I WANT TO HARM MYSELF OR OTHER
PEOPLE, IF THEY HAVE A FIREARM, WE REMOVE IT UNTIL THEY CAN GET
BETTER.
SAFE STORAGE LAWS -- MY FRIEND RHONDA WHO LOST HER DAUGHTER
KIMBERLY IN HIGH SCHOOL, SHE'S A GUN OWNER, ARMY VETERAN, A
SCHOOL BUS DRIVER AT THE TIME IN THE DISTRICT WHERE HER DISAWRGT
WAS KILLED.
SHE SAID WE LOCK UP OUR GUNS, IT'S SAFE AND IT'S COMMON SENSE.
MAKE SURE EVERYONE DOWS THAT.
ON THAT MUCH, WE CAN AGREEMENT LET'S MOVE FORWARD ON THAT.
WITH THE PEOPLE IN POWER NOW BEHOLDEN TO THE N.R.A., YOU MAY
HAVE SEEN THIS, GREG ABBOTT TAPES A MESSAGE FOR THE
CONVENTION HELD IN TEXAS THREE DAYS AFTER THE SHOOTING IN
UVALDE, PAYING TRIBUTE TO THEM, WHILE TRYING TO SOMEHOW MAKE US
BELIEVE THAT HE'S GOING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, EVEN THOUGH
HE HASN'T AFTER ANY ONE OF THESE MASS SHOOTINGS.
LAST YEAR HE SIGNED A BILL CALLED PERMITLESS CARRY THAT
ALLOWS ANYONE TO CARRY A FIREARM ON OUR STREETS WITHOUT ANY
BACKGROUND CHECK, TRAINING, REVIEW WHATSOEVER.
>> Stephen: WHAT'S THE POSSIBLE BEN FELT FOR HIM
POLITICALLY?
>> THE N.R.A., THE EXTREME FRINGE TO HAVE THE RIGHT WING OF
HIS PARTY.
BUT I TELL YOU, POLICE OFFICERS, SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES ACROSS THE
STATE OF TEXAS BEGGED HIM NOT TO DO THIS.
THEY SAID, MR. GOVERNOR, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, OVER THE LAST
FVE YEARS, 38,000 TIMES, PEOPLE ASKED FOR A LICENSE TO CARRY A
FIREARM AND THEY WERE DENIED BECAUSE THEY HAD A CRIMINAL
HISTORY, THEY HAD BEATEN THEIR WIVES, THEY HAD TRIED TO KILL
THEMSELVES AND WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS SMART FOR THEM TO BE
ARMED.
NOW ALL 38,000 OF THEM HAVE GUNS, AN TENS OF THOUSANDS MORE
WHO KNEW BETTER THAN TO EVER APPLY FOR A LICENSE TO CARRY
BECAUSE THEY NEVER WOULD HAVE PASSED THE BACKGROUND CHECK,
THEY'RE FREE TO DO THAT.
IN TEXAS MORE COPS HAVE BEEN GUNNED DOWN THAN IN ANY OTHER
STATE.
WE'VE SEEN A PREDICTABLE SPIKE IN GUN VIOLENCE.
IN OUR GOVERNMENT IN TEXAS HAS DONE NOTHING EXCEPT MAKE IT
EASIER FOR THE WRONG KIND OF PEOPLE TO HAVE THESE FIREARMS.
BUT I TELL YOU AGAIN, TO TRY TO BE OPTIMISTIC, AND I AM, THE
PEOPLE OF TEXAS AREN'T REFLECTED IN THOSE DECISIONS, AND I'M
TALKING REPUBLICANS AND GUN OWNERS, I WAS IN HONDO, TEXAS,
TOWN NEXT TO UVALDE, MET A GUY WATERING HIS LAWN AND WE
RECOGNIZED EACH OTHER.
I SAID I'M SORRY FOR THINGS HAPPENING IN THE COMMUNITY.
HE WAS WEARING A CONFEDERATE BATTLE CAP.
HE SAID, I HAVE SEVEN GUNS AND I HAVE A JUNIOR AT HONDO HIGH
SCHOOL AND I'M WORRIED ABOUT THAT GUY.
WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
THERE'S COMMON GROUND OUT THERE.
WE HAVE TO FIND IT AND COMMIT OURSELVES TO IT AND GET
SOMETHING DONE.
THAT'S WHAT THE PASSPORTS IN UVALDE WANT US TO DO.
>> Stephen: THOSE WHO DON'T WANT CHANGE ARE HOPING PEOPLE
WILL FORGET, THAT YOU JUST MOVE ON AND FORGET.
ABBOTT WANTS PEOPLE TO FORGET THE GUN TRAGEDY THAT CAME UP TO
UVALDE THAT HE COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING ABOUT.
WILL PEOPLE REMEMBER UVALDE?
>> WE WILL.
( APPLAUSE ) I WAS THERE THE DAY AFTER THE
SHOOTING AND I MET THE PARENTS OF THIS BEAUTIFUL GIRL NAMED
ALITHIA WHO HAD BEEN KILLED THE DAY BEFORE.
HER TENTH BIRTHDAY PARTY BALLOONS ARE STILL CLINGING TO
THE CEILING.
SHE'S AN EXTRAORDINARY ARTIST.
HER ART IS ALL OVER THE WALLS.
HER PARENTS WANTED ME, THEY WANT ALL OF YOU TO KNOW ALITHIA
LIVED, AND THAT SHE HAD AN EXTRAORDINARY CAREER AS THIS
CREATIVE TALL MINUTE FRONT OF HER.
SHE LEAVES SUCH A LEGACY, ALREADY, ONLY TEN YEARS ON THIS
PLANET, AND THEY WANT US TO KNOW THAT SHE LIVED.
THEY DON'T WANT HER DEATH TO BE IN VAIN.
THEY DON'T WANT ANY PARENT TO FEEL WHAT THEY'RE FEELING NOW.
THEY WANT US TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
THEY WANT ACTION.
IT'S THE WAY WE FELT IN EL PASO AFTER OUR MASS SHOOTING IN
AUGUST OF 2019.
AND THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS ARE NOT JUST DEMANDING IT, THEY DON'T
JUST WANT IT, THEY ARE WORKING FOR IT.
PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THE TOO, RIGHT NOW ASKING THEIR FRIENDS AND
NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY MEMBERS TO SHOWED ON NOVEMBER 8th IN THIS
ELECTION, THEY SAY, HEY, YOUR KIDS' LIFE IS ON THE BALLOT,
YOUR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ARE ON THE BALLOT, YOUR ABOUT TO MARRY
THE PERSON YOU LOVE IS ON THE BALLOT.
THESE ARE NOT R AND Ds.
THIS IS DEMOCRACY, THIS IS AMERICA.
THESE ARE LIVES WE ARE VOTING FOR NOW.
I THINK GOOD WILL ULTIMATELY PREVAIL.
WE CAN'T JUST HOPE IT HAPPENS.
THIS IS A DEMOCRACY.
IT'S NOT A SPECTATOR DEAL.
IT'S ALL OF US IN ALL THE TIME UNTIL WE GET THIS DONE.
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) >> Stephen: THANK YOU FOR
BEING HERE.
>> APPRECIATE IT.
>> Stephen: BETO O'ROURKE, EVERYBODY!
HE'S RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR OF TEXAS.
WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH "STATION ELEVEN'S" MATILDA
LAWLER!
( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ) ( BAND PLAYING )