On Wednesday night, billionaire Oprah Winfrey doled out some wisdom in the wake of recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, that took the lives of 31 innocents. The media mogul took a deeper approach than we are used to from Hollywood, taking aim at the "morality" issue plaguing the United States.
"I think what people are missing is a core moral center," Winfrey told "Extra" reporter Renee Bargh.
"Churches used to do that," the former talk show host explained. "It was a central place you could come to and there was a core center of values about a way of living and being in the world. Until we can return to that, however that is, in whatever form, we will continue to be lost."
"That's why I actually believe storytelling is a form of a new religion because it's a place where people can gather and be inspired and see themselves and get filled," she added.
After an armed man murdered nearly dozens of innocents in an El Paso area Walmart on Saturday, Gov. Greg Abbot (R-TX) released a statement assuring Texans that the state's government will be doing all they can to "ensure justice is delivered to the [perpetrator] of this heinous act."
"Today, the El Paso community was struck by a heinous and senseless act of violence. Our hearts go out to the victims of this horrific shooting and to the entire community in this time of loss," Abbot said on Saturday. "While no words can provide the solace needed for those impacted by this event, I ask that all Texans join Cecilia and me in offering our prayers for the victims and their families. The state of Texas and the Department of Public Safety are assisting the El Paso Police Department as they conduct their investigation. We have deployed troopers, special agents, Texas Rangers, tactical teams, and aircraft to the scene in a support role. The state of Texas will do everything it can to ensure justice is delivered to the perpetrators of this heinous act."
The following day, nine more people were murdered in Dayton by another mass shooter. Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) said he and his wife Fran were "absolutely heartbroken" in the hours following the tragedy.
"Fran and I are absolutely heartbroken over the horrible attack that occurred this morning in Dayton," the statement said. "We join those across Ohio and this country in offering our prayers to victims and their families. I have spoken with Mayor Nan Whaley and offered any assistance on behalf of the state. I have been briefed by the Ohio Department of Public Safety, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol has offered assistance to local law enforcement as they investigate this heinous act. I commend Dayton Police and other first responders for their bravery and quick response to save lives and bring an end to this tragedy."
In recent years, rumors have flown over a possible Winfrey run for the White House. But the celebrity quieted the whispers last summer, telling British Vogue that politics is just, well, too dirty. "In that political structure — all the non-truths, the bulls***, the crap, the nastiness, the backhanded backroom stuff that goes on — I feel like I could not exist," she said, according to CNN. "I would not be able to do it. It's not a clean business. It would kill me."
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