Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has delivered an emotional opening monologue on his most recent show, discussing the mass shooting in Las Vegas, his home town.
The segment, in which Kimmel can be seen holding back tears as he addresses another horrifically tragic day in American history, has been praised for its honesty and strength and has been spread far and wide, as the US and the world struggles to reconcile with the worst mass shooting in the country’s history.
As Australians it’s always hard to properly comprehend such acts of gun-based terror and whilst we can state over and over again how successful our 1996 National Firearms Agreement was in combating mass shootings, it’s almost impossible to fathom the frustration and pain of Americans themselves pushing for gun law reform whilst these horrific acts continue to occur.
Kimmel, a Nevada native, attempts to open up on this very subject:
Common sense says no good will ever come from allowing a person to have weapons that can take down 527 Americans at a concert. Common sense says you don’t let those who suffer from mental illness buy guns.
I don’t know why do our so-called leaders — continue to allow this to happen? Or maybe a better question – why do we continue to let them allow it to happen?
It’s not enough to send your love and prayers.
You can watch the full, powerful speech below:
It’s been a brutal and defeating day for a lot of people. Hug a loved one, friends.
