When the two vice presidential candidates were asked about school shootings at Tuesday's debate, they each gave answers that highlight their differing philosophies on public safety in the country, NPR reports. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz spoke about the need for gun control while, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, on the other hand, spoke of increasing police presence at schools in his answer, talking of the need to “arrest the bad guys, put them away and take offenders off the streets.” Vance has positioned himself as a staunch supporter of police, including introducing a resolution in Congress last year expressing support for law enforcement. Walz, as the governor of Minnesota has signed into law a number of police reforms in the state, including a ban on chokeholds, “warrior-style” police training and mandating that officers intervene if another officer uses excessive force.
Vance also blamed gun violence on immigration issues at the border, and said that schools should increase their security, USA Today reports. "I don't want my kids to go to school in a school that feels unsafe or where there are visible signs of security, but I unfortunately think that we have to increase security in our schools," Vance said. "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." Walz countered, asking viewers if they want “schools hardened to look like a fort?” He also touted his record in Minnesota passing enhanced background checks while selling firearms, and raised the fact that he is a hunter and a gun owner, countering the idea that someone supporting background checks would want to take people's guns away. "We understand that the Second Amendment is there, but our first responsibility is to our kids to figure this out," he said.
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