Woodfin: Trump’s Praise of NRA ‘Sickening’ Amidst Birmingham’s Gun Violence
A Tough Week for the City
Birmingham, Alabama reels from a week of shocking gun violence incidents. As the city struggles to come to terms with the traumatic events, Mayor Randall Woodfin spoke out against former President Donald Trump’s recent praising of the National Rifle Association (NRA), calling it “sickening” during an interview on Sunday.
Mayor Woodfin’s Take On Gun Violence
Woodfin, who appeared on MSNBC’s Politics Nation hosted by The Rev. Al Sharpton, found himself discussing more than just his attendence at the Morehouse College graduation ceremony, where current President Joe Biden delivered the commencement speech. The topic quickly diverted to the gun violence plaguing Birmingham.
Sharpton asked Woodfin about the potential consequences southern cities like Birmingham could face if Biden wasn’t re-elected. Woodfin highlighted the risk of losing advances in healthcare costs, such as fighting against big pharma and capping insulin costs, and the regression of laws pertaining to marijuana, a factor that has negatively impacted families.
Trump’s Praise of the NRA Amidst Violence
The discussion then veered towards the events of the previous Saturday night in Texas when Trump claimed he had done more for Black people than Abraham Lincoln while receiving an endorsement from the NRA. This came right after Birmingham was rocked by gun violence, including a Wednesday press conference held by Woodfin in reaction to multiple shootings that resulted in the death of a 62-year-old ALS patient and injuring two children aged 11 and 9.
When asked about his thoughts on Trump’s praise of the NRA, Woodfin expressed his disgust, “It’s sickening. I think as a country related to gun violence, not just in urban cores but mass shootings as well … We’re the only country where this is an issue. You would think as the nation of the free world we would have solved this issue by now.”
Taking on the NRA
However, he went on to emphasize that the responsibility for tackling the crisis also rests with members of Congress, “But it takes more than the President of the United States. We need men in women in Congress, in both houses, to have the fortitude to take on the NRA, to simply say ‘at what cost?’”
Woodfin shared the painful toll that gun violence has taken on families, including his own. He insists that there is a better way to handle the issue but that it requires dedication and courage from elected officials. Protecting lives, especially those most vulnerable – children and seniors – should be a priority.
