Screenshot of Vice Presidential Debate on CBS

During Tuesday night’s vice-presidential debate, firearms and gun violence became a major topic of discussion, particularly concerning school shootings and gun control measures. JD Vance, the Republican candidate, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, representing the Democratic ticket, offered starkly contrasting views on how to address gun violence, with Vance emphasizing security and freedom and Walz advocating for policy changes that would restrict some firearms, but arguing it in no way infringe on Second Amendment rights.

Vance proposed that increased security measures in schools should be the priority. 

“We have to make the doors lock better. We have to make the doors stronger. We’ve got to make the windows stronger, and, of course, we’ve got to increase school resource officers,” Vance stated during the debate, making it clear that any effort to “magically wave a wand and take guns out of the hands of bad guys” is not realistic. For Vance, the core issue is protecting children while preserving gun rights, and he implied that the focus should be on practical security enhancements rather than infringing on citizens’ rights to bear arms by enforcing rules that eliminate due process or restrict the rights of Americans to own certain types of firearms such as AR-15s. An assault weapons ban has been a cornerstone of the Harris and Walz’s agenda. 

Vance also addressed the debate surrounding whether parents should be held accountable for crimes committed by their children with firearms, referencing the case of James and Jennifer Crumbley, the parents of the Oxford High School shooter in Michigan, who were both sentenced to prison terms for supplying the handgun used by their son to kill and wound people at the high school. He noted that parental responsibility could play a role but emphasized that each situation is different and requires a nuanced approach. Vance didn’t commit to a blanket solution but acknowledged that in some cases, holding parents responsible might be appropriate.

Meanwhile, Walz argued for a more comprehensive approach, pointing to other countries like Finland, which have high gun ownership but don’t experience school shootings on the scale of the United States. Walz’s suggestion was that “reasonable” policies could be implemented without infringing on the Second Amendment. However, Walz was unclear on what specific measures should be taken, vaguely suggesting that some firearms should be restricted, but without detailing which weapons he believed should be banned. Walz has formerly called AR-15 style rifles “assault weapons” and “weapons of war,” so his history is clear on his party’s intent without him specifying during the debate. 

Walz’s rhetoric raised concerns among gun rights advocates, as he suggested that federal policies should intervene to remove certain weapons from circulation, even though he also continued, as he did again Tuesday night, to reassure gun owners by mentioning his own history as a hunter and gun owner. His statements are seen as the ultimate “Fudd” move.

A debate moment his opponents seized on was when Walz stumbled when he tried to make a point about his connection to gun violence victims, awkwardly stating that he had “become friends with school shooters,” a gaffe that drew heavy criticism. Though some dismissed it as a simple misstatement, it provided fodder for his opponents to question his credibility on the issue. 

The New York Post shared that “even former President Donald Trump got in on the action, posting a Trump-Vance 2024 sign on his Truth Social with a slogan written underneath.

‘Not friends with school shooters,’ it read.”

Despite his efforts to appeal to gun owners, including his personal anecdotes about hunting, Walz’s messaging appeared inconsistent, and unlikely to change any minds in the gun community.

The debate laid bare the familiar divide between the Republican and Democratic approaches to gun control. Vance’s emphasis on school security over gun confiscation will resonate with the 2A crowd, who see such security measures as a reasonable, realistic and practical response. Meanwhile, Walz’s vague policy proposals and gaffe undermined his attempt to present himself as a defender of both gun rights and safety, but likely will only win over the support of those who are amenable to restrictions on gun rights and willing to abdicate their freedoms to the government. In the end, it’s unlikely either candidate did much to change any American’s mind on the subject.

A stark realization that was perhaps lost on some watching the debate is how Walz and the Democrats have embraced the headline-making fears of white America by making school shootings and assault weapons (still used in statistically few crimes) the centerpiece to their calls for firearms restrictions, while abandoning the larger cause of teen gun deaths in the inner cities, which disproportionately affects black families and accounts for many more “teen” deaths from gun violence than school shootings (as horrific as any senseless death is). In fact, it was the Republican vice-presidential nominee Vance, who spotlighted that very real concern and how enforcing existing laws to arrest those committing the crimes, not passing more restrictive laws that punish the law-abiding, will help everyone where gun violence is a concern.

During the discussion of gun violence, Walz mentioned his own 17-year-old son had witnessed a shooting at a community center to which Vance offered his concerns for his son having to see that saying, “It is awful.” Walz thanked him for his concern in a show of professional respect both candidates displayed through much of the debate, something that was largely absent during the Harris-Trump debate. This debate focused more on the issues and less on attacks on the candidate standing across from each other as well.

On Finland, Vance noted it is interesting how Walz pointed to that country as an example for gun ownership, noting that they do indeed own a fair number of guns in Finland, yet don’t have the violent crime rates the United States do. Vance also noted they don’t have the high rates of mental illness and anxiety experienced in this country either pointing to the fact that it will take a multi-pronged approach focusing on mental health and law enforcement to solve America’s gun violence concerns, not more restrictive policies.

Vance’s stance, rejecting the idea that the government can simply legislate its way out of gun violence, aligns with the belief that protecting the Second Amendment must remain paramount in any discussion of gun control.

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49 COMMENTS

    • “F both the Ho and Potato Head Jr.“

      And there you have it folks, the insightful political rhetoric of today’s conservative Republicans.

      • Wake up agitated this morning? You’re getting started earlier and posting more unhinged than usual.

      • minir49iq…Who are you to talk when you posted some apparently drug induced vision of 1950 and tried to hang it around the neck of POTUS DJT?

        Throughout the 1950s democrats were wearing sheets and running around with torches…democRats were having fits about Blacks playing baseball with whites, Blacks dining in white restaurants, Blacks staying in white motels, Blacks riding in the front of the bus, Blacks drinking from white water fountains. In other words you History illiterate Jim Crow twit…you have no podium.

      • minor49iq…Who are you to talk when you posted some apparent drug induced vision of 1950 and tried to hang it around the neck of POTUS DJT?

        • minor49iq…Throughout the 1950s democrats were wearing sheets, having fits about minorities playing baseball, dining in restaurants, staying in motels, riding in the front of the bus, drinking from water fountains. etc. In other words you History illiterate Jim Crow twit…you have no podium.

        • My fitting reply to minor49iq was moderated so I tried editing the content and was moderated again and again. Someone running the show needs to post the words that sets the disgusting moderator off. Nothing and I mean Nada I posted should be blocked by moderation, I am not the only one complaining. So let everyone know what sets the fukhead moderator off.

      • Is that like the violent rhetoric done by the democrats and mainstream media against Trump, saying he is Hitler and will destroy democracy, yet the democrats and DNC ran a coup on a sitting president and installed Harris?

        The rhetoric that Trump wants to ban all abortions and wants to implement Project 2025, riling up their base to where two assassination attempts were made on Trump?

        That kind of rhetoric?

        • Speaking of riling up their base to the point of assassination attempts, let’s not let them memory hole the assassination attempt on Kavanaugh by a deranged leftist. Then there is the baseball game wannabe assassin that was radicalized by dems on the healthcare issue.

          “I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions.” -(then)Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer

        • “democrats and mainstream media against Trump, saying he is Hitler“

          You are confused, it was Donald Trump‘s running partner, your Vice presidential candidate JP Mandel who said Donald Trump is America’s Hitler:

          “JD Vance once worried Trump was ‘America’s Hitler’. Now his own authoritarian leanings come into view
          Vice-presidential pick has said he would have blocked certification of 2020 results in key states won by Biden
          Martin Pengelly in Washington
          Tue 16 Jul 2024 08.54 EDT
          JD Vance once feared Donald Trump might be “America’s Hitler”. Last Saturday, the Ohio senator claimed Democrats calling Trump “an authoritarian fascist who must be stopped at all costs” caused the assassination attempt the former president survived.“

          Of course, none of you will let the actual facts of the situation interfere with your treasured delusions.

      • MINOR49er. It is rather inciteful. We are sick of your Lefty philosophy. And aside from that, what part of there is no such thing as “gun violence” as a gun is an inanimate object incapable of doing anything without someone holding it.

  2. If Harris/Walz get in all this “I support the second amendment “ will be forgotten and stacking in the supreme court overturning the Bruin, Heller and McDonald decisions, federal red flag laws, buyback will all be on the table.

    • Once again I will say that the only thing the democrats have to offer is hate for Trump and love for abortions. I could add fear of guns but that is painfully obvious to people here.

  3. Notice how “Tranz the kids” Tim was vehemently against protecting children in schools. You could see him shaking his head while Vance was talking. Yet, “Tranz the kids” Tim never gave a coherent plan for keeping children from being shot, inside or outside of schools.

    Of course they have to frame the gun violence problem as a school shooting problem. They have to wrap everything in a package of lies and half truths. The allergic to the truth journalist moderators used the lie about it being the number one cause of death for children.

    • If news people say it it magically becomes true.

      Like when news people reported on the country club camps the Germans were holding the Jews in for their own protection. Or when news people reported there was no famine in the Soviet Union. Or when news people said Iraqi soldiers were tossing Kuwaiti babies out of incubators and left to die.

      Manufacturing Consent is 25 years old, the concept itself is as old as humanity, new examples can be found everyday and still people act like it’s either not happening or it’s just something those “other people” do. If somebody is genuinely too naive to understand it’s happening that’s one thing but if somebody understands it’s happening and willfully plays along because they align with the outcome, well, then that person is an enemy of the truth and should be treated as untrustworthy or even as a criminal.

    • “Sorry” but I only caught a bit of the “debate”. Tampon Timmy makes me hurl🤮”Friends with school shooters”. Whatta puke!

  4. Also, a “mental health” problem is a euphemism for a culture and drug problem. Let’s call it what it is. Do you want to honestly contrast us with other countries? Then you have to acknowledge the cultural differences. They never use an apples to apples comparison because it isn’t in them to be honest about anything.

    “Tranz the kids” Tim wants to turn children into a demographic that is known for “mental health” problems, including a high likelihood of committing self-harm and suicidal thoughts or actions.

    • The phoney pshrink demographic is a 99% demographic for the demtard party. Every $ of “public”/tax $ buys votes.

  5. “reasonable” policies
    Reasonable ended in 1791. Everything after that is tyranny. The left’s disdain for our Constitution is now fully out in the open. Soon will be gone the NFA, FFA, GCA, Brady Act, NICS, and BSCA as well as a plethora of related state laws when Bruen is applied. There is absolutely no Constitutionally supported reason to limit arms to the People, period.

    • When you can allow over 10 million non-vetted illegals to pour into the country in less than four years while first pretending like it isn’t happening, and then changing to pretend like you want to stop it if you can only pass this bill that LEGALIZES it, then it’s over. The American people are lost, and Democrats know this. The mask is off because it’s no longer needed.

  7. Vance began his gun response by echoing the agenda concocted Gun Violence banner. Next he used the proper real world word “Violence” which encompasses any and all things that are criminally misused and gets to the root of the mental problem. But later Vance threw common sense out the window and reverted to using Gun Violence like a broken record. He folded like a cheap tent and helped establish Gun Violence as fact making Guns the Problem in the minds of spoon fed, brainwashed Americans.

    The entire clown show was to make the wide shouldered dominatrix moderators appear strong and reflect on cackle’s gender. Considering what is at stake I expected more ground and pound from Vance. After all for the last 4 years democRats have ground and pounded America.

    • “the wide shouldered dominatrix moderators.. “

      Somebody’s got a crush, that’s just so precious.

      • Yeah they do… are you still dreaming of some quiet alone time with Tampon Timmy? Out on a secluded marsh, ” duck-hunting ” ?

      • “Crush”? JBOL! These two so called “moderators” violate their own rules by “fact checking” (they were in fact wrong) Vance.

  8. We know team Marxism is anti-RKBA but I was disappointed in Vance’s performance when it came to our God-given rights. I expected a LOT more. It’s quite disheartening.

    • I think he was trying to thread the needle to appeal more to women and feminine or independent men. Trump is criticized for being a fighter that is often viewed as unprofessional. Like Debbie mentioned, there’s a reason they chose two women as moderators. Although I do feel like he could have a punched a little harder at times while remaining professional. At this point in time, there are very few undecided voters. There’s no strategic upside to being super pro 2A this late in the game.

  9. The difference in the views relating to the protection of students in schools is apparent and in clear view for all to see. One side wants to protect students with more laws or paper as if those intent on doing bad things give a hoot about any law new or old. More laws don’t prevent crime or offer protection for anyone.
    The other side wants to protect students by structural changes, i.e., secure doors, physical measures to secure the school buildings along with strict entrance protocols and the addition of school resource officers which are common sense strategies that the other side calls fortification.

    The one side wants to use laws that are ignored and do absolutely nothing to prevent bad events nor reduce the damage when a bad event happens. They want to wait on enforcement to arrive while countless people are hurt or killed. The other side wants to use physical and human resources to discourage bad people and the means to stop and or reduce the damage when security is breached.
    Instead of waiting on the police when minutes/seconds count the one side wants to take preventive measures and actions to stop and reduce the damage.

    The differences were clearly illustrated in the comments in the vice presidential debate.
    Words on paper vs structural/physical and human changes/additions.

    Which school is more secured and prepared to deal with bad guys? Which one would you send your children to?
    The school dependent on laws that bad guys ignore which makes these schools a soft/easy target and who wait on the police to arrive while God knows what can and does happen while waiting ?
    Or to a school that has done everything it can to make and keep the students safe via a secure building, protocols in place to monitor entry, school resource officers on duty at all times who can respond on immediately when bad things happen?

    Where I live every school has at least one(1) SRO in the form of a sheriff’s deputy. School doors are locked and secured. To date there has not been any bad events and I have not heard any complaining about the security measures taken to protect all students and faculty. Those in control are doing all they can to protect the students and depend less on the passage of more laws that are merely words on paper and do nothing to protect anyone.

    Those who want to do “something” via more laws aren’t doing enough and just because they are doing “something” does not mean they are doing the right things.

    Ask yourself, is my child going to a school that is doing everything possible to protect all students?

  11. Once again the gun did it! If they can ban one, they will ban all!
    Take hammers first! But they won’t because they can be used for good also! Hello!

  12. Hmm, little timmy claims to be a ‘hunter’ – okay, what critters does he hunt and how successful has he been? What ‘evil’ guns (all guns are doncha know) does he own and use to harvest game? When was the last time he actually went to a range, oh wait he carried ‘weapons of war’ in combat, or did he? That makes him at least as much of an expert as the retired general who referred to a generic AR-15 as ‘fully semi-automatic’.

    • Why would he need to go hunting? If you have the ability to imagine that school age boys can somehow become any of the left’s 27 or so sexual varieties, many of them requiring tampon dispensers in locker rooms to allow for the insertion into imaginary vaginas, how hard could it be to imagine those multiple tubs of ice cream in the Governor’s Mansion freezer to be venison steaks and wild turducken?

    • I responded with an answer to your question, but it was buried due to containing an anatomical term starting with a “v”.
      I won’t hold my breath waiting to see if it ever surfaces.

  14. I would’ve liked to see Vance come back at Walz for his comment, “sometimes it’s just tha gunz.” Inanimate objects just randomly cause shootings? Is that the response you learned from your school shooter friends?

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