After Vice President Kamala Harris walked down the hall. Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School In Parkland, Florida, she announced a new national office to promote “red flag” laws and push for gun control legislation.
“I believe we have a duty to remember and bear witness to what happened here. This is a very tragic thing. These were beautiful people that I knew through my family,” Harris said. He spoke after accompanying several people. He appealed to the families of the victims through the high school building where a gunman killed 17 people in 2018.
“They should be very big, more than just statistics, more than subjects of politics and gamesmanship,” the vice president said.
Parkland victim’s father slams Vice President Kamala Harris’ ‘photo op’ visit to ‘promote agenda’: ‘Slap in the face’
Families hold up portraits of victims of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, on March 23, 2024. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris leaves her family after giving a speech on gun safety. (Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images)
“Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in America,” Harris said.
“You know, part of what I tell families is the fact that one in five families in America has a family member who has died from gun violence,” Harris said. “Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in America.”
“And today, after walking through the building where the crime occurred and spending time with the families, what I saw here was a moment where time stood still,” she said.
Victims of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting as Vice President Kamala Harris speaks to reporters about gun safety measures at a high school in Parkland, Florida, on March 23, 2024. Families holding up portraits of their loved ones (back, right). (Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images)
The vice president said people need to “understand the dimensions” of the Parkland High School tragedy and “do better” in the future.
“I know most of it, but… [parents of victims] They’ll try to ease the pain, but it won’t heal completely,” Harris said.
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“We have to understand this side of the issue, and as we reflect, reconsider, and dare I say study what happened here at Stoneman Douglas, we must understand whether we speak of change or not. “We must have the courage to say that at every level, regardless of whether we are doing so or not. We must do better, taking into account changes in laws, customs and communities,” she said. Ta.
A relative holds up a portrait of a victim of the 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting while speaking to reporters about gun safety measures at a high school in Parkland, Florida, March 23, 2024. US Vice President Kamala Harris gesturing to. (Drew Angerer/AFP via Getty Images)
In her speech, Harris announced the creation of a new national office, the National Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center, to provide assistance to the 21 states that have enacted red flag laws.
“Of the 21 countries that have passed red flag laws, I call on the rest to join us,” Harris said. “We have created several resources to help you implement your leadership commitment to this tragic issue.”
Red flag laws allow citizens or law enforcement to apply to a court for a civil order temporarily blocking access to firearms, fearing the potential for violence.
People visit a memorial to the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 people dead, on February 14, 2023, marking the fifth anniversary of the massacre. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
Harris concluded her speech by promising to “continue to advocate” for stricter gun laws in the United States.
“These are just some of the ways we can learn from what happened here,” she said.
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“And of course, as you know, I continue to advocate for universal background checks, bans on assault weapons, and what we must continue to do to treat, diagnose, and treat trauma in our communities.” ” she said. .
The vice president said some of the tougher gun control laws are “no-brainers.”
“And we don’t have complete agreement on what we have to do to deal with these kinds of tragedies. But frankly, there are some things that aren’t easy to solve,” she said. added.
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Ryan Petty, the father of one of the Parkland victims, said Harris’ visit to the high school was an important step in his efforts to find solutions to school problems that did not involve “violating Second Amendment rights.” He said it was a “slap in the face” to them. ”
“The Vice President and the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention made it clear to families early on that nothing short of new gun regulations would satisfy them in order to protect our nation’s schools,” he told Fox News Digital. told. “And that’s just a slap in the face to those of us who have worked for six years to protect our nation’s schools.”
February 13, 2021 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. (Matthias J. Ochner/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
He said there are “many ways” the United States can protect children without “violating Second Amendment rights.”
“There are many ways to protect our children and school teachers without violating the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners across the country,” Petty said. “But the vice president and the Office of Gun Violence Prevention don’t want to hear those solutions. What they want to do, frankly, is create an opportunity for the vice president to spout talking points on gun control. It’s a sacred place at this point.”
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“I find the whole thing offensive,” he added.
FOX News has reached out to the White House for comment.
