Tim McGraw Says He’s ‘Deeply Moved’ by Florida Students Speaking Out After Shooting
Tim McGraw is one of many celebrities who has offered up his support for Florida high school students who are joining forces to make their voices heard in the wake of the Parkland school shooting that claimed the lives of 17 people.
Students engaged in school walkouts around South Florida Tuesday (Feb. 20) pleading for gun control and reform, as more funerals took place for victims of last week’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. McGraw showed his solidarity by posting an encouraging message on Instagram Feb. 21.
"I learned one of the teachers who was shot in Florida at Stoneman Douglas, Scott Beigel, was a friend of one of my associates — they were camp counselors together," McGraw notes. "What an amazing man who lost his life protecting the children. That is a true hero. And I’m deeply moved by these students who are lifting their voices - challenging us to listen, learn, and make real changes. #NeverAgain"
This isn't the first time McGraw has made his views clear on gun control. He and wife Faith Hill shared their grief on social following the mass shooting in Las Vegas at the Route 91 Harvest Festival, and they were also outspoken in November 2017 after the CMA Awards, calling for common-sense gun laws.
In an interview with Billboard that month, McGraw stated, "They want to make it about the Second Amendment every time it’s brought up ... It’s not about the Second Amendment," while Hill added, "Military weapons should not be in the hands of civilians," Hill adds. "It’s everyone’s responsibility, including the government and the National Rifle Association, to tell the truth. We all want a safe country."
This is an issue that very few country singers have spoken upon. Country artists have traditionally been very reticent about speaking publicly about gun control for fear of offending fans, but that tide is slowly shifting. In addition to McGraw and Hill, artists such ass Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow and Chely Wright have weighed in since Las Vegas.
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