Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) appeared on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday, where he addressed the recent shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, GA. When asked about Senator JD Vance’s proposal for increased school protection, Warnock countered that the issue goes beyond school security.
Host Dana Bash presented Vance’s statement, “If you’re a psycho and you want to make headlines, you realize that our schools are soft targets,” to which Warnock responded, “I think we have to stop treating school shootings as an inevitable reality. We need to acknowledge that this is a uniquely American problem and ask ourselves why it keeps happening here.”
Warnock emphasized the trauma inflicted on children by the constant threat of violence, saying, “We’re essentially teaching our kids to hide, which is unacceptable. We need to take a different approach.”
He also pushed back against the idea of “hardening” schools, pointing out that shootings occur in various public spaces, including spas, shopping malls, houses of worship, and medical clinics. “Do we really want to turn our entire country into a fortress?” he asked. “We need to focus on implementing common-sense gun laws, just as we have with car safety regulations. This isn’t about debating the Second Amendment; it’s about making people safer.”
Warnock stressed that the solution lies in finding a middle ground, rather than perpetuating a divisive debate.
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