CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke’s wife, Amy, was at the College of Charleston on Tuesday morning. It was one stop in her first solo trip to South Carolina.
Amy participated in an intimate, roundtable discussion about gun violence prevention with about a dozen students from several different organizations. Beto has announced a comprehensive plan to combat gun violence which includes creating a nationwide gun licensing system and registry, universal background checks at the point of purchase and a national gun buyback program for banned assault weapons and handguns.
During the discussion, students asked Amy why she and Beto are so passionate about gun violence prevention. They also asked about her definition of the second amendment and what consequences would be put in place for people who did not participate in the gun buyback program.
Amy also spoke about her experience in the wake of the shooting at a Walmart in her home city of El Paso, Texas. A 21-year-old confessed, according to police, to driving to El Paso from the Dallas area to target Mexicans in the attack on Aug. 3 that took the lives of nearly two dozen people and injured many more.
“It really shook us and made us realize that nobody is immune from this," said Amy. “People are going to experience mass shootings... across this country if we don’t step up and do something differently and be as strong and approach it in the most urgent way possible.”
After the hour-long discussion with the students, Amy said she was impressed with their ability to speak openly about this topic. She encouraged them to talk to others who may not share the same views.
“Young people have been disproportionately affected by gun violence,” she added. “[We] want to hear their perspective, what they feel should be a part of a solution and how they feel we can carry that voice even further.”
Amy ended her day in Columbia with local advocates and leaders. She also participated in a phone bank at the Beto For South Carolina Columbia Field Office.
Copyright 2019 WCSC. All rights reserved.