Pete Buttigieg did not deliver planned remarks today during an address before the AFSCME Public Service Forum. Instead he spoke about the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas.
He is among a group of other presidential candidates speaking out in the aftermath of the violence.
Here is what he had to say:
I had a statement ready and I can't even think about it right now. I don't know if you all are seeing what's coming out of Texas — America is under attack. America is under attack from homegrown white nationalist terrorism.
And we have to talk, and act, about two things in this country. First of all, we are the only country in the world with more guns than people. It has not made us safer. We can respect the Second Amendment and not allow it to be a death sentence for thousands of Americans. And two, white nationalism is evil — and it is inspiring people to commit murder, and it is being condoned at the highest levels of the American government — and that has to end.
The first time I became aware that our country was under attack, like most people in my generation, I think, was 9/11. And for a hot minute, we all swore up and down that we were going to be different -- that it was going to change us, and that being attacked was going to bring out the best in this country. That's what we said. So how about this time?
We've got decisions to make here. Right now — I just saw a picture before I came out here — they are lining up down the block in El Paso to give blood, just like they did [in Las Vegas] after October 1. And they're doing that because you feel like at least you can do something, because they are close to where it's happening, so at least they can do something.
And so can we, if we have the courage, but we've got a decision to make. Are we, or are we not, prepared to stand up to the corporate gun lobby? And are we, or are we not, prepared to stand up to the evil of white nationalism in this country?