This week, America was rocked with yet another deadly school shooting, this time in Parkland, Fla., at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The tragedy marks one of the deadliest school shootings in the country’s history, with 17 people killed.
Quickly after news of the attack broke, celebrities responded on social media by sending their condolences to the victims and their families. Some, including Reese Witherspoon, Ellen DeGeneres, Mark Ruffalo, and Chelsea Handler, went beyond just “thoughts and prayers” though and spoke out about the importance of gun control legislation.
Kim Kardashian was one of those celebrities. In the hours after the shooting, the mom of three wrote on Twitter: “We owe it to our children and our teachers to keep them safe while at school. Prayers won’t do this: action will. Congress, please do your job and protect Americans from senseless gun violence.”
Kardashian is no stranger to criticism — she’s arguably one of the most scrutinized celebrities — but her tweet about gun control really rubbed some people the wrong way. As one Twitter user told Kim: “Please stick to reality shows.” Another wrote, “Posting naked photos with your toddler on Monday. Telling the public how society should be run on Wednesday.”
Clearly some people don’t take the makeup mogul’s stance on gun control seriously, but regardless of people’s views on her opinion, Kardashian’s words on the issue have been consistent for years.
Kardashian’s most recent tweet about gun violence isn’t her first. More than two years ago, she posted several tweets about David Conley, who bought a gun online to kill his ex-girlfriend, her husband, and her six children, including his own son.
In 2016, Kardashian challenged background check laws.
Last year, after the nation’s most deadly shooting at the Route 91 Harvest music festival in Las Vegas, she again posted about gun laws and why she believes they need to be updated.
And sure, tweeting is easy. Anyone can spout off facts, statistics and outrage from behind a keyboard. Kardashian is certainly not alone in posting her opinions on the issue on social media. But the reality star isn’t just talking, she’s backing up her words with actions.
For several years now, Kardashian has been a creative council member of Everytown, an organization dedicated to gun safety and fighting for legislative reform that would help limit the circulation of guns and enforce stricter background checks for those wishing to purchase firearms. Last year, in partnership with the organization, she recognized National Gun Violence Awareness Day by speaking out against a bill signed by President Trump that revoked a regulation proposed by former President Barack Obama to add 75,000 people registered with mental illnesses to a national background check database, calling the move “crazy” on her personal website.
Kardashian also met with gun violence survivors from Sandy Hook and San Bernardino in 2016 at a lunch arranged through Moms Demand Action, an activist group founded in 2012 by a stay-at-home mother, now with chapters in each state fighting for local gun laws.
Sure, Kardashian might have a reality television show, she may post photos of herself in bikinis, but she’s also a gun control advocate who doesn’t merely spout off opinions after tragedies — she’s actively standing behind her words with her actions. Whether you agree with her convictions, Kardashian doesn’t deserve an eye roll when she speaks about gun control. She’s continually fought for what she believes in, and she’s decided that her platform can be used for more than self-promotion
CREDIT: YAHOO - Heather Gardner