Comal Young Democrats, New Braunfels Young Republicans and Riverside Pride organizations are tired of mass shootings.
The Nov. 19 shooting at Club Q in Colorado Springs, a popular LGBTQ club, that killed five people and wounded 19, also was an assault on freedom.
They’ve organized a 6 p.m. Saturday vigil to commemorate lives lost. The event is at Main Plaza in downtown New Braunfels, across from Comal County’s historic courthouse.
The Rev. Dr. Carla Cheatham with Faith United Church of Christ in New Braunfels is the featured speaker.
D.J. Seeger, a 27-year-old openly gay man who serves as treasurer and policy director for New Braunfels Young Republicans, said he and Comal Young Democrats founder Bentley Paiz, 17, want to honor the lives of victims and condemn a nationwide steak of shootings, including at Robb Elementary on May 24 in Uvalde
Seeger said he’s working closely with Paiz to find common ground on America’s hottest issues. The two look forward to a future of nonpartisan policy and advocacy.
Of particular concern is America’s mental health crisis and working together to find “common good,” he said.
“At the core of the Republican Party is liberty,” Seeger said in a statement. “It is the fundamental human right to be yourself, free from oppression. These shootings, driven by untreated mental illness and hatred, are a great threat to our democracy and our way of life. The very idea of hatred born out of fear of diversity and inclusion is un-American. Patriotism, a value of the Republican Party, is about working together, building each other up, and embracing the things that make us unique.”
Just remember the shooter identified as “non-binary”. Taking my guns will not solve anything even if it makes some feel better for a few minutes.