After 19 students and two teachers were killed in a mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, Republican lawmakers in the state have begun pushing back against calls for stricter gun control.
“Inevitably, when there’s a murder of this kind, you see politicians try to politicize it, you see Democrats and a lot of folks in the media whose immediate solution is to try to restrict the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) told reporters last week. “That doesn’t work. It’s not effective. It doesn’t prevent crime.”
Sen. Cruz called for armed security at schools, saying, “We know from past experience that the most effective tool for keeping kids safe is armed law enforcement on the campus.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also quickly dismissed the idea of more stringent restrictions on firearms and called for armed guards at schools in an appearance on Newsmax.
“I’d much rather have law-abiding citizens armed and trained so that they can respond when something like this happens because it’s not going to be the last time,” Paxton said.
There was an armed officer at the Uvalde elementary school. The Washington Post reports that a school district police officer “engaged” the gunman but was shot and wounded before the shooter entered the elementary school.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that at least one officer from the Uvalde school district was at the school. Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Director Steve McCraw said the school police officer saw the gunman after he crashed a car near the school.
“Gunfire was not exchanged, but the subject was able to make it into the school,” McCraw said, adding that the officer was “brave.”
President Joe Biden took to social media to call on Congress to take action with stricter gun laws.
“As a nation we must ask: When in God’s name will we stand up to the gun lobby? When in God’s name will we do what needs to be done?” Biden said. “I’m sick and tired of it. We have to act.”
As a nation we must ask: When in God’s name will we stand up to the gun lobby?
When in God’s name will we do what needs to be done?
I’m sick and tired of it. We have to act.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 25, 2022
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke called on Republican Governor Greg Abbott to withdraw from appearing at the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) 2022 annual meeting on Friday in Houston. Former President Donald Trump and Sen. Cruz were also scheduled to appear at the meeting. O’Rourke told Abbott to order the NRA to move its conference out of the state.
“Governor Abbott, if you have any decency, you will immediately withdraw from this weekend’s NRA convention and urge them to hold it anywhere but Texas,” O’Rourke tweeted Tuesday night.
Governor Abbott, if you have any decency, you will immediately withdraw from this weekend’s NRA convention and urge them to hold it anywhere but Texas.
— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) May 25, 2022
Aside from stationing more armed police at schools and arming teachers and school administrators, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also suggested limiting the number of entryways into schools as a possible solution in an appearance on Fox News.
“We have to harden these targets so that no one can get in ever except through one entrance,” Patrick told Tucker Carlson. “Maybe that would help. Maybe that would stop someone.”
I believe the following changes are worth looking into: 1. Raise age limit to 21 for buying high capacity weapons. For example, 18 year olds could still get a shotgun or bolt action for hunting. At 21 they can buy whatever is on the market. 2. Harden schools. Single points of entry, classroom door central locking, clear plastic backpacks only, metal detectors, armed administrators, contract security or the like. There are other ideas here but those are representative examples of what I mean. 3. Red Flag laws. This area is the most tricky to legislate, but I think has the potential to do some good. Many of the school and mass shooters had issues that others knew about. Had those issues been identified and action taken there may have been an opportunity to intervene early. I’m interested in other’s thoughts on what or whether anything should be done.
Well I tried to comment but I guess the Dallas Express editors aren’t having it. My comment discussed possible solutions to school shootings as a jumping off point for a discussion on this comment thread. It was not a diatribe or an attack of any kind. Oh well.
I guess we also need one entrance at hospitals, movie theaters, grocery stores, airports, etc.. Let’s get more and more guns and harden all the targets. Everyone has a gun and every building in the country looks like a maximum security prison. That should work.