‘This is now our fault’: Jimmy Kimmel speech on Uvalde school shooting leaves netizens emotional

In a pre-taped message without an audience, a visibly upset Kimmel said, “Here we are again on another day of mourning in this country.” Sharing his thoughts on how pro-gun campaigners are quick to warn people “not to politicise this”, he said, it was because “they know what they haven’t done and they know that it’s indefensible”.
Talking about the rhetorical counterargument made by pro-gun lobbyists, he added: “If your solution to children being massacred is armed guards, you haven’t been paying attention to what’s going on.”

Highlighting how in the recent mass shootings there were armed guards present at the site, be it at the supermarket in Buffalo or in Parkland and now in Uvalde, he argued how that did not work to avert the killings. “There was an armed guard in Uvalde. They had armed guards. There were police officers armed on the scene. And these murders still happen.”

Pushing for “common-sense gun laws”, he particularly called out Senator Ted Cruz and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who in the face of the tragedy have tried to argue guns are not a problem. Kimmel argued they too must have been affected by the event because they are all “humans”.

“It’s OK to admit you made a mistake. In fact, it’s not just OK, it’s necessary to admit you made a mistake when your mistake is killing the children in your state,” he continued. “It takes a big person to do something like that,” Kimmel added. “It takes a brave person to do something like that. And do I think these men are brave people? No, I don’t. But man, I would love it if they surprised me.”

Noting the effectiveness of gun control laws in numerous other countries, he turned his attention to the inaction of America’s elected representatives. “How does this make sense to anyone?” he asked, talking about the many mass shootings that the US saw in 2022 alone.

“This is not ‘their’ fault anymore,” he said, referring to the Republicans and members of the National Rifle Association, the gun lobby. “This is now our fault. Because we get angry, we demand action. We don’t get it, they wait it out and we go back to the lives that we should rightfully be able to go back to.”

He ended his evocative speech by saying while the general public can move on, victims’ families live the harrowing experience every day.

His monologue was followed by a montage of politicians proudly celebrating laws protecting their second amendment and showing off guns–all juxtaposed with news reports of multiple mass shootings.

People on social media thanked him for expressing his thoughts passionately and joined him to call upon lawmakers to take action instead of offering condolences.

👇 absolutely wonderfully spoken! Thanks @jimmykimmel ❤️ https://t.co/sQNRGp5aTj

— AFTLOECO (@aftloeco) May 26, 2022

One of the very strongest, most powerful, & emotional messages on gun control & the never ending mass shootings from @jimmykimmel! Cutting through all the b.s.! Just watch this & make sure the cowards who fail to take action to stop this are never elected again! #GunControlNow https://t.co/4juCnJj2KC

— BC ♂️🌊🌊🌊🇺🇸🇺🇦💙 (@bce111) May 26, 2022

@JimmyKimmelLive Say it loud! ✊🏿
These politicians can’t hear you because they have constant gunfire & families cries ringing in their ears #deafanddumbpoliticians https://t.co/SAsNvXjz9O

— Roxanne Miner (@RoxanneMiner) May 26, 2022

Whew jimmy coming with the receipts at the end. This country is going to hell and I do not want to be here when it does https://t.co/ER8a32Vazc

— AnnatheSavage🇹🇹 (@AnnaTheSavage17) May 26, 2022

Listen to this. I love @jimmykimmel but absolutely hate that a comedian is better able to set the tone and clearly articulate what needs to be said. He does it better than any member of the Senate because he actually feels it.
We are one very disturbed nation. https://t.co/t5iSruQc2B

— Patricia A. Smith🆘🍑🆘 (@nonconfromist) May 26, 2022

Spot on. Watch to the end. Jimmy makes the case for exactly how we got here and the importance of electing leaders who will support common-sense gun safety laws. https://t.co/l4IFAhnPcT

— Dorian Connelley 🌻 (@dorianconnelley) May 26, 2022

Jimmy says you are a human being and father who went to bed heartbroken last night, @tedcruz. PROVE IT.

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Doors & armed guards were not the issue here, btw. And your governor & state have the WORST mental health support & budget in the country. https://t.co/C6lQFNBV1C

— SYTweetGirl (@SYTweetGirl) May 26, 2022

Cannot believe that Jimmy Kimmel is the note I’m ending on tonight but this is it. This is the whole thing. Goodnight. Count yourself as I do just very lucky we’ll get to see tomorrow. Countless others won’t. https://t.co/pL2naKee4a

— SOTUS (@SteamboatUSA) May 26, 2022

I implore everyone to watch this, yes it’s political but he speaks from the heart and its sad that Kimmel has to keep making these because this problem keeps happening here. The amount of pain and sadness is immeasurable coming from him. https://t.co/ZsycphCVuq

— Stephen Szulborski 🇺🇦 (@Stebo_Wx) May 26, 2022

I’m not usually someone who shares stuff by late night talk show types, but this was harrowing. https://t.co/u5ElkVcg3O

— 🏴🏳️ Rin 🦝 (she/her) (@rincredible) May 26, 2022

200 mass shootings in the US this year.
27 schools shootings.
A school student is killed every hour by a gun.
And it is only May!
End this madness by voting for #GunControlNow and getting these maniacs out of office forever.
I’m from England. No guns. Very little crime. https://t.co/dtyDzdUKVO

— David Lowe ⭐️ (@davidjlowe) May 26, 2022

Jimmy’s tears aren’t going to make Cruz and Abbott have a change of heart. I’m tired of this crying shit. These people don’t love us, they don’t love their kids, they don’t have empathy. The only solution is to end their careers. Get angry. https://t.co/7o2VoxeB7i

— dug (@dugnoise) May 26, 2022

Kimmel said most Americans support common-sense gun laws, but legislation has stalled “because our cowardly leaders just aren’t listening to us.” #GunControl https://t.co/qpwm4lm2sn

— 🙋🏻Bevvy Votes Blue 🇺🇸🌊2022 (@BeverlyFlint6) May 26, 2022

If Jimmy Kimmel’s powerful opening tonight doesn’t move you, seek help.

That gun violence is the number one killer of children & teens is our national shame.

To remain on the sidelines is to be complicit.

It’s on all of us now.#GunControlNow #CommonSenseGunLawsNOW https://t.co/DW9FZHtgBE

— Rt. Hon. Rev. Digger (@GOPnot4me) May 26, 2022

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Kimmel’s long speech quickly went viral. He was not the only TV host who spoke their minds on air on Wednesday night. “Prayers won’t end this, voting might,” Stephen Colbert told the audience, reacting to the Texas school shooting.