ANALYSIS.
Vance met with the victims of the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting and announced 'steps' to prevent further cases
The vice president asked that the families be listened to and that the focus not be on the aggressor, but on the wounded and deceased so that it does not happen again. Although he avoided delving into measures, he called for a bipartisan agreement to address these tragedies.
JD and Usha Vance pray silently in front of the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis.
JD Vance visited Minneapolis one week after the tragic gun attack by a trans shooter that claimed the lives of two children and left several injured. The vice president met with the families of the victims, who he asked to be heard, and announced "steps" to prevent a repeat of such events, in addition to calling for bipartisan agreement on the issue.
Vance drove with his wife Usha directly from the airport to Annunciation Catholic Church, where he deposited a bouquet of flowers on the steps. He then met with several of the victims' families privately.
Society
Two children killed and 17 injured in attack during Minneapolis Catholic school mass
Virginia Martínez
"It’s obviously a very sad moment, but also in a lot of ways, a very rewarding moment that these parents opened up their lives and opened up their hearts," the vice president noted before leaving.
Bipartisan measures
While he avoided pronouncing on the special session called by Tim Walz on gun control, Vance was blunt about the need for bipartisan support to address these dramas:
"I'm not going to tell Minnesota lawmakers or the governor exactly how they should respond to this tragedy. I would just say, take the concerns of these parents seriously. I think all of us: Democrat, Republican, Independent, want these school shootings to happen less frequently. Hopefully there’s some steps that we can take to make that happen."
Victims' families ask Vance to promote "peace, unity and hope"
"First, I want to say to Jackie and Mike and Jesse and Molly, my heart hurts for you and for your pain of losing your beautiful children, Harper and Fletcher. Harry and I and so many others are with you in your grief. I want to thank Father Zehran, Principal DeBoer and the teachers for protecting our little ones and the amazing first responders and hospital staff for bringing us all to safety and treating our injuries. All of us moms, teachers, you reporters, and vice presidents: we all have an obligation to use this moment, as Principal DeBoer said when he quoted an African proverb: ‘when you pray, move your feet.’
Vice President Vance, you have enormous authority. Please use this moment to move your feet and transcend our political divides to promote peace and unity and hope. This is what the people of the United States will hold you accountable to. This Annunciation community is a force of good in the world, and we invite you to be the same. On the sidewalk, in front of the church, in front of the boarded up windows, someone wrote the prayer of Saint Francis, which says, ‘make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me bring love. Where there is injury, pardon; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, only joy.’" Lydia Kaiser
"Mr. Vice President, thank you for coming to see Lydia. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity for my kids to meet a vice president. And for the sake of Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel and Lydia and Sophia and all my students, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity of having your ear for a moment. We disagree about so many things. We both know both sides and all the talking points we fall back on, but on just this one issue of gun violence, will you please promise me, as a father and a Catholic that you will earnestly support the study of what is wrong with our culture, that we are the country that has the worst mass shooter problem.
We were at Mass singing about being called to act with justice, love, service and humility. Will you please promise to pursue, despite powerful lobbies, some common sense, bipartisan legislation as a starting point so we can come out of our corners and find the values that we share, so that this time some progress is made. Thoughts and prayers haven’t been enough. Many policies have been dismissed without even being studied or tried. It’s so complicated. I don’t claim to have the answers, but we have to commit to looking; then we can feel good about defending life. If one thing changes for the better, perhaps Fletcher’s and Harper’s deaths and all the injuries and destruction might bring about even more unity, love and light than I have already seen this past week. One law, one Executive Order, one policy: You can call it the Annunciation Bill, then I’ll be able to look Lydia and Sophia and all my students in the eye and say, I tried. Sincerely. Harry Kaiser."
LATEST
