The recent comments by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance about school shootings being “a fact of life” have sparked significant backlash and accusations of misquotation from some of his party members.
This controversy follows a tragic incident at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, where a 14-year-old opened fire, resulting in the deaths of two students and two teachers. With the presidential election approaching in just two months, discussions around gun violence have resurfaced on the national stage.
During a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, Vance was questioned by CNN’s Kit Maher regarding his plans to address such tragedies. While he labeled the Georgia shooting as “an awful tragedy,” Vance suggested that increasing school security and prayer would be more effective than policies purportedly supported by Vice President Kamala Harris, which he claims aim to disarm law-abiding citizens.
OLIVIER TOURON/AFP
Vance stated, “I don’t like that this is a fact of life,” but emphasized the need for better security in schools, saying, “If these psychos are going to go after our kids, we’ve got to be prepared for it.” His comments were quickly seized upon by the Harris-Walz campaign, which criticized him for undermining common sense gun reform.
JD Vance responds to the deadly shooting in Georgia by saying school shootings are just “a fact of life” and attacking common sense gun safety reform pic.twitter.com/ISNRuXneg6
— Kamala HQ (@KamalaHQ) September 6, 2024
Harris responded strongly, stating that school shootings should not be accepted as an everyday reality and that action can and must be taken to protect children.
School shootings are not just a fact of life.
It doesn’t have to be this way. We can take action to protect our children—and we will. https://t.co/Oi8s9MfgvU
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 6, 2024
In turn, Vance accused Harris of spreading lies and claimed she was attempting to remove security measures from schools. This prompted further outrage from survivors and families affected by past shootings who condemned his remarks as insensitive and misguided.
Samuel Schwartz, who lost a cousin in the Parkland shooting, vehemently protested Vance’s characterization of such tragedies, asserting they are preventable and should not be normalized. Others echoed similar sentiments, arguing that the current state of school shootings is not an accepted reality, but rather a critical issue requiring urgent reform.
No. I refuse to believe that watching kids come out of school in body bags is a “fact of life”. I won’t tell parents who’ve buried their children that it’s just “reality”.
It does NOT have to be this way. And it wouldn’t — if political cowards had more to offer than a shrug. https://t.co/WNFmOgdQTo
— Brandon Wolf (@bjoewolf) September 6, 2024
This incident has further fueled discussions about media portrayal, with some supporters of Vance alleging misrepresentation in how his comments were quoted by outlets like the Associated Press. While there was backlash against the media, the AP later clarified their reporting to include the full context of Vance’s statement.
As this controversy unfolds, the debate over how to tackle gun violence and safeguard children in schools remains a divisive and pressing issue in American politics.