Ah, but guns don't kill people...
The first bus will carry items from school shooting victims, including a pair of worn-out checkered Vans from 15-year-old Gracie Muehlberger, killed at her Santa Clarita high school in 2019; a kindergarten graduation card with a smiling teddy bear on it, awarded to Sandy Hook victim Chase Kowalski; and a LeBron James Miami Heat jersey adored by Joaquin Oliver, who died in the Parkland school shooting in 2018.
Named “The NRA Children’s Museum,” this project is the latest by artist Manuel Oliver, father of Joaquin. “It’s partially with the intention that some people will think this is truly an NRA museum,” Oliver told BuzzFeed News.
Oliver has channeled his advocacy for gun control since his son’s death into works of public art and activism. On Monday, he interrupted President Joe Biden during a Rose Garden speech, to open an office specifically for gun violence. Last year, he orchestrated where a former National Rifle Association president spoke to over 3,000 empty seats, representing the teen victims of gun violence. Now he wants people to look at which government officials accept NRA donations.
“We’re going after the money,” Oliver said. “These leaders are not loyal to the Second Amendment. They’re loyal to the gun industry and manufacturers, who protect them. And there’s lots of messages that supporting gun control is not patriotic. It’s corrupt, and I wanted to find a graphic way of showing them what the impact really is.”
A fleet of 52 yellow school buses will form a mile-long procession to Sen. Ted Cruz’s house in Houston on Thursday morning — 4,368 empty seats to honor the number of children killed by gun violence this year.
The first bus will carry items from school shooting victims, including a pair of worn-out checkered Vans from 15-year-old Gracie Muehlberger, killed at her Santa Clarita high school in 2019; a kindergarten graduation card with a smiling teddy bear on it, awarded to Sandy Hook victim Chase Kowalski; and a LeBron James Miami Heat jersey adored by Joaquin Oliver, who died in the Parkland school shooting in 2018.
Named “The NRA Children’s Museum,” this project is the latest by artist Manuel Oliver, father of Joaquin. “It’s partially with the intention that some people will think this is truly an NRA museum,” Oliver told BuzzFeed News.
Oliver has channeled his advocacy for gun control since his son’s death into works of public art and activism. On Monday, he interrupted President Joe Biden during a Rose Garden speech, to open an office specifically for gun violence. Last year, he orchestrated where a former National Rifle Association president spoke to over 3,000 empty seats, representing the teen victims of gun violence. Now he wants people to look at which government officials accept NRA donations.
“We’re going after the money,” Oliver said. “These leaders are not loyal to the Second Amendment. They’re loyal to the gun industry and manufacturers, who protect them. And there’s lots of messages that supporting gun control is not patriotic. It’s corrupt, and I wanted to find a graphic way of showing them what the impact really is.”
A fleet of 52 yellow school buses will form a mile-long procession to Sen. Ted Cruz’s house in Houston on Thursday morning — 4,368 empty seats to honor the number of children killed by gun violence this year.