Vice President Kamala Harris may have had one of her better moments since taking office a year ago in responding to the senseless shooting in Uvalde, Texas, which claimed the lives of 19 elementary school children and two adults, accomplishing the rare feat of rising to the occasion — at least, in comparison to her boss.
With President Joe Biden later responding to the incomprehensible shooting with a partisan play for gun control, Harris managed to be a bit more reserved in her remarks.
The vice president was speaking at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies annual awards presentation as details were still coming in about the shooting in Texas, and she spoke of the heartbreak of such events while declaring, “Enough is enough.”
And while there is no mistake that Harris was referring to gun control, she did so in a reserved manner being careful not to come off as being too political — advice Biden could have used.
“Tonight is a rough night. We planned for a great celebration, but I’m sure most of you have heard the tragic news about what has happened in Texas,” Harris told those gathered.
"Our hearts keep getting broken," Vice President Kamala Harris says in delivering remarks on the Texas elementary school shooting where at least 14 children and one teacher was killed.
"Enough is enough. As a nation, we have to have the courage to take action." pic.twitter.com/is8giL1T1U
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 24, 2022
“As many of you now, the reports are that there was a mass shooting at an elementary school, and the preliminary reports are that 14 children have been killed. And the details are still coming in, and of course, the president and I are monitoring the situation closely,” she said. “So while we don’t know all the details yet, we do know that there are parents who have lost children, families that have lost children and their loves ones, of course, and many others who may have been injured.”
Often criticized for feigning emotion, Harris was clearly troubled by the shooting — even if her answer was misguided.
“So, I would normally say in a moment like this — we would all say naturally — that our hearts break, but our hearts keep getting broken,” she said. “You know, I think so many — there’s so many elected leaders in this room. You know what I’m talking about. Every time a tragedy like this happens, our hearts break, and our broken hearts are nothing compared to the broken hearts of those families. And yet, it keeps happening.”
“So, I think we all know and have said many times with each other: Enough is enough. Enough is enough,” Harris implored. “As a nation, we have to have the courage to take action and understand the nexus between what make for reasonable and sensible public policy to ensure something like this never happens again.”
Ben Shapiro had a ready response for those who immediately began calling for more gun laws.
“The Texas shooter violated a multiplicity of gun laws. The suggestion that more gun laws would have prevented this act of unspeakable evil is unsupported, and the implication that those who oppose such laws are somehow in favor of mass shootings is morally reprehensible,” he tweeted.
The Texas shooter violated a multiplicity of gun laws. The suggestion that more gun laws would have prevented this act of unspeakable evil is unsupported, and the implication that those who oppose such laws are somehow in favor of mass shootings is morally reprehensible.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 25, 2022
The National Association for Gun Rights released a statement that highlighted how gun free school zones make for the ultimate soft target.
“Today, a horrific act of evil was carried out by a deranged murderer in Uvalde, TX. Innocent children and adults were left defenseless against a madman because we refuse to protect our children while at school,” the association said in the release.
“Every day law-abiding citizens use firearms to protect themselves, their families, and their communities, yet we’ve passed laws which prevent teachers and responsible adults from protecting our children while they go to school,” the group continued. “The painful truth is that the Gun Free School Zones Act has equipped evil men to carry out their crimes against helpless people. Joe Biden and anti-gun politicians will desperately attack millions of law-abiding gun owners who live peaceful lives, not because they want to pass laws which will actually save children — but to expand their disastrous policies which enable the loss of innocent life.”
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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