Tom Mauser has seen history repeat itself and, as it happens again, he continues to be the voice of his son.
LITTLETON, Colo. — Even on days as difficult as school shooting after school shooting, Tom Mauser walks in Daniel’s shoes.
“So these are the shoes I was wearing that day,” Mauser said. “And to me that was such a powerful metaphor.”
When Mauser wears the sneakers from decades ago, he gives his son a voice.
“What I admired most about him was that he embraced his weaknesses, for example, he was very shy, and yet he chose to join the Columbine debate team, and he was one of the best debaters they had,” Mauser said.
It is that quality in his son that compelled Mauser to go to a protest against the National Rifle Association (NRA) Convention less than two weeks after his son was murdered at Columbine High School in 1999.
“I could deal with my shyness and reluctance,” Mauser said.
He ended up being the only parent at the anti-NRA protest at the convention that went ahead shortly after the shooting.
“It was the knowledge that Daniel had mentioned to me, asking me if I knew there were loopholes in the Brady Bill, and then he was killed with a gun that was purchased through one of those loopholes in the Brady Bill.” Mauser said. “The gun show loophole. And I knew that loophole was probably there because of the NRA.”
Mauser would later become a leader in the Colorado effort that closed the loophole that allowed people to buy firearms at a gun show without background checks.
Although the loophole was closed in Colorado, it remains a state-by-state decision.
“The main frustration is that nothing is happening nationally,” Mauser said. There is no real national recognition. There is no union of political parties to say yes, we are going to do something about it”.
RELATED: Yes, a bill that would require stricter background check rules to buy a gun has stalled in the Senate
After each new tragedy, Mauser continues to speak.
“No, I haven’t stopped,” he said.
The 2022 NRA Convention is scheduled to take place in Houston this weekend, just days after 19 children and two teachers were killed just hours away in Uvalde.
“Yeah, the ironies to me are pretty overwhelming,” Mauser said.
In a statement, the NRA said that when they meet in Houston, they will pledge to redouble their commitment to making schools safe.
Protests against the convention are also planned there.
Mauser has the same message that he did 23 years ago.
“The NRA has a lot of impact,” Mauser said. “They could change things if they wanted to, but right now it’s about sales, it’s about money. That’s what it’s really about.”
Years of history repeating themselves do not dissuade Mauser from advocating.
Daniel can’t talk, so he will.
“You know, in a way, it’s a way to keep Daniel alive,” he said. “You know, keeping the memory of him alive. Seeing him act through me.”
RELATED: Colorado shooting survivors offer help, support and understanding to the Uvalde community
RELATED: Yes, a bill that would require stricter background check rules to buy a gun has stalled in the Senate
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Texas elementary school shooting
Reference-www.9news.com