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Vivek Ramaswamy torches ‘knee-jerk’ gun control policy after Iowa school shooting: ‘Stop the guns, that’s the problem’
Following the tragic Iowa school shooting, presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy challenges the focus on gun control in US.
On Thursday, a school shooting at Perry High School, Iowa left one student dead and five others wounded. The shooter, who was also a student, took his own life after the rampage.
The police have not yet revealed the motive behind the attack.
The incident sparked a debate on gun control among politicians, but Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy argued that the real issue was mental health. He slammed the expected “knee-jerk policy reactions” from lawmakers who would push for stricter gun laws in the wake of the tragedy.
In a meeting with voters on the same day, the Indian American politician said that guns were not the problem, but the symptom of a deeper crisis in the society.
‘Knee-jerk policy reactions in response to a tragedy’
He said, “The temptation is just pass some law, paper and over and say ‘We did something,’ in response to this. You mark my words tomorrow, if not later today, you’re going to hear calls for, ‘Stop the guns, that’s the problem,’ sweeping under the rug, this real ailment at the heart and soul of our nation and our culture that has spread to the entire next generation and to the unit of the family. The loss of purpose.”
“It’s a false hubris. It’s a belief that we are God, that we can ultimately control this outcome without getting the root cause. I think that’s the wrong approach, right out of the gate, knee-jerk policy reactions in response to a tragedy,” he expressed.
Ramaswamy, who was supposed to hold a campaign event near the site of the shooting, cancelled it and opted for a private prayer instead. He also expressed his condemnation of gun violence as a manifestation of “psychological sickness” in the country.
His stance was shared by other GOP contenders, such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who also advocated for addressing mental health issues rather than imposing gun control measures.
