By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Val Verde County Judge Lewis G. Owens Jr. said Tuesday county officials can’t and won’t attempt to block a Friends of the NRA fundraising dinner planned for Saturday.
The founder of Fierce Madres, an activist group formed after the May massacre of 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, on Tuesday urged county commissioners court to cancel or postpone the dinner. The Fierce Madres founder was joined at Tuesday’s commissioners court meeting by a handful of local and regional supporters.
Kathrine Fulton of Uvalde, Texas, said she was speaking on behalf of Uvalde parents whose children were killed in the massacre.
“I’m coming to you all today to ask in regards to my friends who lost a child . . . I’m asking you all to please consider canceling the NRA event you all will be holding. I know we had the same thing happen in Hondo, and we also spoke with their city council, and we got them to agree to cancel their event,” Fulton told the court.
“I feel like it’s disrespectful and it’s distasteful, as you are our sister town next to us, that you all would hold such an event after what happened, after 21 people were murdered and by an AR(-15), something I believe is being raffled in this event, that anybody could just sign up and register to win this thing that killed kids, that destroyed kids, and it hurts me to come to you guys and ask for that, but I’m asking if you could consider maybe postponing it or putting it off for right now,” Fulton added.
Owens thanked Fulton for coming and told her neither he nor the rest of the court could discuss her concerns in detail since there was no item on the court’s agenda to do so.
County Commissioner Pct. 3 Beau Nettleton said, “I know we’re not supposed to say anything, but this is not a county event. It’s in a private facility, held by a private group, so this court has basically no authority to determine what they do or don’t do.”
Later in the meeting, Owens recognized several other women who wished to address the court about the issue.
Del Rioan Mariza Mancha told the court, “I’m here as a citizen in solidarity with the 19 lives that were lost just down the road in Uvalde, Texas. I know it’s a shame that we didn’t make it on the agenda because there is a fundraiser coming (Oct.) 1 with the Friends of (the) NRA . . . There shouldn’t be this event taking place so soon. It’s only been four months since these families lost these lives.
“As Val Verde County, we should say, ‘Let’s put a hold on this.’ Stop it. We’re not saying cancel altogether, but it’s really too soon . . . They’re raffling the same type of gun that did the destruction to these kids. Some of the kids couldn’t even be identified. They were decapitated by these guns that they’re raffling, and all you need to do is pay $40, no ID, they’re not asking for ID or anything, no background check. All you have to do is purchase (a) $40 (ticket) and you can enter into the raffle to win these guns,” Mancha said.
Owens told Mancha no one asked for an item discussing the issue to be placed on the court’s agenda and reiterated Nettleton’s statement that the event is being held in a private venue. He also reminded Mancha the court passed a resolution in support of Uvalde’s efforts to raise the age limit to purchase certain types of firearms.
Owens also told Mancha her comment about “you pay $40 and you get the gun” was inaccurate.
“You buy a raffle ticket, and if you end up with the gun, then you still have to pass the background check . . . You’re just not handed a gun if you win the gun,” Owens said.
Owens said the massacre in Uvalde touched him and everyone in Val Verde County.
“To go out and tell this organization not to have an event on private property, in my opinion, I don’t think we should go down that road. If it was on a county facility, it would be the vote of the commissioners court to have it or not have it,” Owens said.
County Commissioner Pct. 4 Gustavo “Gus” Flores then told the court, “I think, Judge, out of courtesy and respect for the lives that were lost in Uvalde . . . I think we the court, the county, could send out a letter to this group of people (asking them) to stop their event this year.”
County Attorney David Martinez cautioned the court “there is nothing on this agenda that will allow this court to take any action.”
Owens then recognized Juanita Martinez of Maverick County, who called on the court to hold a special meeting before Saturday to discuss the issue.
When Mancha asked if a special meeting could be called, Owens said the court would discuss the request with Martinez and promised to call her as soon as a decision was made.
Angela Villescaz, who identified herself as the founder of Fierce Madres, joined the meeting just as the court was about to move into its closed-door executive session.
Owens recognized her, and she told the court, “What I’m here to say today is that, not requesting to take the rights of anybody who wants to fundraise for the NRA. We’re just asking that there be some compassion about the timing of it, because it’s still yet very raw.”
“My understanding is that Val Verde County wants to have a fundraiser on Oct.1, if I’m correct, and we’re just asking if you would just consider postponing it because you’re neighbors to Uvalde, right? And we just ask for compassion for the children. We ask that your leadership would consider the children,” she added.
“Again, it’s not Val Verde County. It’s the Friends of the NRA, not Val Verde County, just to be specific,” Owens reiterated after Villescaz finished speaking.
Following the executive session, Owens announced he had spoken with the county attorney.
“As county judge, I will not be calling a special meeting, but I will be calling the two ladies who left me their phone numbers to advise them of that,” Owens said.
None of the women who addressed the court stayed until after the executive session was over, and Owens called them as soon as the meeting was adjourned.
After the meeting, Martinez said, “I don’t believe any member of this court is in disagreement with where their hearts are and the motives behind the requests that were made, however, it’s beyond the authority of this court. This court cannot stop a private event at a private facility.”
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