“American Pie” singer Don McLean has pulled his upcoming performance at the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Houston this coming Friday in response to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, that left 19 children and 2 teachers dead.
In a statement to Fox News, McLean said that his scheduled performance would be “disrespectful” and “hurtful” in the wake of the horrific tragedy.
“In light of the recent events in Texas, I have decided it would be disrespectful and hurtful for me to perform for the NRA at their convention in Houston this week,” McLean said.
“I’m sure all the folks planning to attend this event are shocked and sickened by these events as well. After all, we are all Americans. I share the sorrow for this terrible, cruel loss with the rest of the nation,” he concluded.
Musicians Lee Greenwood and Larry Gatlin are still scheduled to perform at the convention as well as Danielle Peck, Fox News confirmed.
Following Tuesday’s tragedy, anti-2nd Amendment pushers have ceased on the NRA’s upcoming convention in Houston as evidence of the gun owners’ uncaringness in the face of the tragedy. As an op-ed in Vanity Fair argued:
Unless something changes—and something tells us it won’t—Cruz, Abbott, and Trump will all be at an annual NRA event on Friday, which takes place in Houston, just hours away from the city of Uvalde, where an 18-year-old stormed Robb Elementary School and carried out the second-deadliest school shooting in American history.
The NRA, of course, is effectively a domestic terrorist organization that buys the votes of politicians, who subsequently do their bidding by blocking any and all attempts at gun control, which has led to the phrase “school shooting” being regularly uttered in this country. (On average, there has been a school shooting about every week in 2022.)
The NRA will be holding its first major convention since the coronavirus pandemic in Houston between May 27-29. The organization strongly condemned the shooting in a Wednesday statement, calling it a “horrific and evil crime.”
“Although an investigation is underway and facts are still emerging, we recognize this was the act of a lone, deranged criminal,” the group said. “As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events, pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members, and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure.”