Will Bunch is disappointed in a comment made by Tim Walz at his debate Tuesday night against J.D. Vance.
"I've become friends with school shooters" was an unfortunate Walz misstatement
— Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) October 2, 2024
It certainly was a misstatement, a stupid thing to say on national television. Given the context of his statement, as well as common sense, the Minnesotan evidently meant the parents or family of school shooters or of his victims. The statement was preceded by "Yeah, I sat in that office with those Sandy Hook parents" and followed by
I've seen it. Look, the NRA. I was
the NRA guy for a long time. They used to teach gun safety. I'm of an age where
my shotgun was in my car so I could pheasant hunt after football practice.
That's not where we live today. And several things I want to mention on this is
talking about cities and where it's at. The number one, where the most firearm
deaths happen in Minnesota are rural suicides. And we have an epidemic of
children getting guns and shooting themselves. And so we have, and we should
look at all of the issues, making sure folks have healthcare and all that. But
I want to be very careful. This idea of stigmatizing mental health, just
because you have a mental health issue doesn't mean you're violent. And I think
what we end up doing is we start looking for a scapegoat. Sometimes it just is
the guns. It's just the guns. And there are things that you can do about it.
But I do think that this is one, and I think this is a healthy conversation. I
think there's a capacity to find solutions on this that work, protect Second
Amendment, protect our children. That's our priority.
This was a substantive response from a candidate more substantial than his running mate who recognizes that gun ownership ought to be put into context." I was the NRA guy for a long time. They used to teach gun safety. I'm of an age where my shotgun was in my car so I could pheasant hunt after football practice. That's not where we live today."
That's not where we live today is an acknowledgement few politicians are willing to make- that circumstances in America have changed. It's not a statement Kamala Harris would make. However, Walz is, or at least once was, a guy who owned a weapon when men of that time and place did so..
At her own debate, Harris was queried about her current health care plan because she had supported "Bernie Sanders' proposal to do away with private insurance" and since then has "proposed a plan that included a private insurance option." She replied in part
And then this business about taking everyone's guns away. Tim Walz and I are both gun owners. We're not taking anybody's guns away. So stop with the continuous lying about this stuff. As it relates to the Affordable Care Act.
Asked about health care (health care!), the presidential nominee managed to remind viewers that she owns a gun. Congratulations, Madame Vice President; we're impressed that you're a kickass woman. One individual who admits that he is not a psychologist or sociologist nonetheless defines "out-of-nowhere brags" as "rather rare. Typically the occur when the speaker wants that dopamine rush of sharing perceived superiority so badly that they can't bring themselves to wait until the right moment arises."
By contrast, not only did Walz note the importance of not stigmatizing mental illness, he put the importance of mental health in context as of less importance than firearm possession,, which he clearly believes is serious business. He explained
This idea of stigmatizing mental health, just because you have a mental health issue doesn't mean you're violent. And I think what we end up doing is we start looking for a scapegoat. Sometimes it just is the guns. It's just the guns. And there are things that you can do about it.
Sometimes it just is the guns. This is a bold statement, though it shouldn't be. It's bold because no one else says it. Not Harris, not her fellow Democrats (though Connecticut's Chris Murphy comes close), and certainly not Republicans, who generally worship firearms. As Walz recognizes, mental illness cannot be ignored- but it has become a scapegoat. In the hands of the wrong person, or occasionally the right person at the wrong moment, the gun becomes the most deadly weapon a civilian can possess.
Tim Walz probably is not ready to become a presidential candidate, and he is not one. The once very unpopular Kamala Harris has proven herself a viable presidential candidate as her surge in polls the last couple of months has demonstrated. However, unlike the former California senator and the deeply dishonest Republican candidates J.D. Vance and Donald J. Trump, Tim Walz is one candidate for national office who has principles he's ready to defend.
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