Philadelphia Union captain Alejandro Bedoya brought attention to this weekend’s mass shootings in Ohio and Texas when he called out Congress after scoring for his team in Washington DC.
The USA international scored his team’s opening goal in their 5-1 win over DC United on Sunday. After Bedoya scored he ran over to a TV microphone and shouted: “Hey Congress, do something now. End gun violence. Let’s go!” The comment could be heard on Fox Sports’ coverage of the game.
Philadelphia Union soccer player Alejandro Bedoya scores a goal in tonight's game against D.C. United, runs over to a field microphone and shouts, "Congress, do something now. End gun violence."
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) August 5, 2019
Via FS1 pic.twitter.com/7WH4PA08cs
The 32-year-old is from Weston, Florida, close to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which was the site of a mass shooting in 2018. Before Sunday’s game he had made his thoughts on gun policy in the US clear. “Seeing more thoughts and prayers bullshit,” he wrote on Twitter. “Words without actions are just worthless. America, it seems, is becoming a dystopian society.” When Bedoya was asked to clarify by another user on Twitter how he would address the problem of gun violence he expanded on his views. “We can start with stricter background checks, red flag laws, making a registry for gun purchases, closing gun show loopholes, and taxing ammunition,” he wrote.
Seeing more thoughts and prayers bullshit.
— Alejandro Bedoya (@AleBedoya17) August 4, 2019
Words without actions are just worthless. America, it seems, is becoming a dystopian society.
Do something!!! Enough!!!
This weekend’s shootings left 29 people dead. There have now been 31 mass shootings in America this year, defined as those where at least three people are killed by gun violence in a single episode.
