Rep. Fine: Biden Should Be ‘Embarrassed’ for Politicizing School Shooting and Should Not Have ‘Threatened’ Second Amendment Rights
May 25, 2022 Updated 3:35 P.M. ET
TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – Republican State Rep. Randy Fine called out President Joe Biden for “politicizing” the Uvalde elementary school shooting and “threatening” people’s Second Amend rights in a speech Tuesday night.
19 children and two adults were shot and killed at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas Tuesday. While many are still waiting for more details on what happened, Biden told Americans that evening “we have to act” and pass “commonsense” gun laws.
“The idea that an 18-year-old can walk into a gun store and buy two assault weapons is just wrong,” Biden said. “And the gun manufacturers have spent two decades aggressively marketing assault weapons which make them the most and largest profit. For God’s sake, we have to have the courage to stand up to the industry.”
Fine responded to the comments the next morning in a Tweet saying “take our guns and you’ll learn why the Second Amendment was written in the first place.” Fine reiterated to reporters Wednesday that the Second Amendment was created in response to overarching government.
“They need to understand that when they make statements like we’re going to come for your guns, that’s going to upset people,” Fine said.
“My comments were related to Joe Biden going on national tv and within 60 seconds politicizing it and turning it into a fight against gun control. It was unacceptable. It was disgraceful and he should be embarrassed for it,” Fine told reporters Wednesday.
Fine said the President should have taken the time to learn what happened in Texas and whether the shooting violated laws before making remarks about gun control.
“It was irresponsible within one minute of beginning a speech about an unspeakable tragedy for the president of the United States to politicize it and begin blaming Republicans and talk about gun control. It was unconscionable,” Fine said to reporters.
“And what I find ironic is Democrats politicize these things, make these outrageous statements, and then demand Republicans shut up for unity and these sorts of things. No, we’re done with that. We’ve proved that in Florida. We aren’t going to stand silent in the face of woke leftist radicalism. We’re going to stand up and we’re going to fight back,” Fine said.
President Biden mentioned the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that happened in Parkland, Florida in February of 2018 where a shooter killed 17 Florida students and educators. Former Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act in 2018.
Florida also established the Coach Aaron Feis Guardian Program through the Marjory Stoneman Douglas act allowing certain armed and trained personnel to protect students at schools. School districts can choose to opt into the program.
“I believe that schools should not be gun free zones that teachers should have the ability to protect themselves. Unfortunately a lot fo Democratic politicians didn’t agree with me,” Fine said.
REPORTER: “How many guns does my elementary school need before they are safe?”
FINE: “I don’t know but what I will say is this: We had an issue four years ago in Florida, we thoughtfully, I voted for it, we passed the Parkland bill. We have thank God not had an issue since. Maybe they need to do other things in Texas. I don’t know but before people make political statements on national news, they should understand what exactly happened. And when Democrats come out and start saying we’re going to take your guns away, they need to understand in this country, that is not an option.”
