“Do Not Watch the Video from Texas…Even for an ER Nurse… It Was Almost Impossible.”

by Kellen Squire

I was out knocking doors yesterday, in my new anti-melanoma floppy hat and SPF 70, when the notices started flooding in about another mass shooting in Texas. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples – what words are there to say anymore, we passed the “words” stage years or even decades ago at this point.

And then someone told me there was a video of the shooting yesterday; of the maimed and mangled bodies of the victims.

Despite reservations – even ER Nurses have our limits – I sought it out & watched it. And it is exactly as bad as it sounds. Worse, in fact. There is a reason the AR-15 and its ilk was designed the way it was – to maim and kill as efficiently as possible.

Don’t watch it. Even for an ER Nurse… it was almost impossible. There are no words for how gruesome it is.

I understand precisely what those of you advocating for the general public to see it mean. But the thing is, the vast majority of Americans are with us on gun violence prevention. Like, by 70-80% margins even by Fox News polling. There is a reason that the GOP is gerrymandering and ruling by a tiny minority everywhere they can – they know the American people are not with them.

And this video is incredibly traumatizing. I say this as someone who has witnessed the most horrific child and elder abuse you can imagine. As someone who’s had to do c-sections at the bedside in the ER on crashing moms. As someone who was on duty treating victims of the Unite the Right attack here in Charlottesville. Who has seen a two-year old with full body burns, victims of human trafficking, and so much more – this video is so hard to watch.

While I do not advise you watch it, I cannot say  the same about members of the General Assembly here in Virginia. Of our federal legislators in Congress. I believe these legislators should operate under different circumstances, and thus should be REQUIRED to watch these kinds of videos. As long as “thoughts and prayers” are considered enough action, legislators should be forced to watch the consequences of it.

And I will author a bill to make that the law here in Virginia.

Kellen Squire is an ER Nurse running for office in Virginia. Please consider volunteering for or donating to Moms Demand Action, Gun Owners for Responsible Gun Ownership, or another local group working on eliminating gun violence, like the BUCK Squad in Charlottesville.