Whether in her stand-up routine or Comedy Central series, Amy Schumer never shies away from speaking her mind. Oftentimes, the topics cover everything from sex to feminism. Ever since last year, another subject she's adamant about is gun safety. In July 2015, a gunman opened fire at a screening of Trainwreck in Louisiana, killing two people and injuring nine before committing suicide. During her cover story with Vanity Fair, Schumer opened up about her feelings after the shooting, since it happened at her movie. The comedian recalled that when her publicist dialed her repeatedly, she had no idea the news would be so serious. She said,
I was laughing before I called her back, because I thought it was going to be like a sex tape [had surfaced] or something ... And then she told me there had been this shooting. It really … I don’t know. It’s like when the Dark Knight shooting happened, and in Paris. The idea of people trying to go out and have a good time—you know, like looking forward to it?—I don’t know why that makes me the saddest.
The 34-year-old continued, "So my publicist told me. And then I put on the news. I was by myself in a hotel, and I was just like, I wish I never wrote that movie." Expanding upon that, she told the magazine, "I just felt helpless and stupid." Schumer acknowledged it wasn't her "fault," but that didn't stop her from feeling devastated. Her honesty about her feelings really shows how confused and helpless people can feel in the wake of any tragedy. It's a shame that a movie that brought many people joy could also be home to such senseless violence.
Afterwards, Schumer's emotions translated into action. According to VF, she donated to the victims' families and reached out to them personally. Then, she heard from her cousin, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, explaining, "He was like, 'Amy, this is your cousin Chuck.' And I said, 'I hope this is you asking me to help with guns.' He laughed. 'Yeah, that’s what this is.' I was like, 'Let's go. Let's do it.'" This spurred the Aiming to Change campaign, an initiative to promote gun safety and help "close background-check loopholes."
Chuck told Vanity Fair, "It was clear to me she was a true believer. She was smart. She was knowledgeable. She really cared. This wasn’t just something to advance a career." He's right — the Inside Amy Schumer star has been vocal about the cause time and time again. It's not a gimmick, but instead a cause to which she shows commitment. When Schumer began dating Ben Hanisch, she shifted the attention from her new relationship to ending gun violence. (See the tweet below.) In October, she dedicated her HBO special to the victims from the Louisiana shooting. Additionally, she starred in a gun related skit on Saturday Night Live .
Based on all of the above, it's obvious that Schumer's heart is in a good place. Although she can't erase others' actions, she can try to prevent any such tragedy from happening again. While she's known for telling jokes, she's equally powerful when she gets serious and focuses on a cause that matters.
