Liz Cheney on Nashville shooting: Focus on gun violence in schools, not banning books
Former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., on Tuesday weighed in on the deadly shooting at a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, echoing the "TODAY" show's Jenna Bush Hager in calling for less focus on banning books and more on stopping gun violence in schools.
A heavily armed former student shot through a locked school door before killing three children and three staff members at The Covenant School in Nashville on Monday, authorities said. The shooter, identified as 28-year-old Nashville resident Audrey Hale, was fatally shot by officers soon after they arrived on the scene.
During a segment of NBC's "TODAY" show Tuesday morning, Bush Hager, the daughter of former President George W. Bush, shared impassioned remarks in response to the deadly shooting.
"I have a friend in Nashville, so I knew of one of the little girls who was 9, who went to school yesterday and who didn't get to come home," she said, expressing disbelief at the thought of never getting to hug her own 9-year-old daughter again after dropping her off at school.
Bush Hager then took aim at efforts at school districts in red states to ban books.
“We are worried about giving our kids Judy Blume and other books that are important to the history, to the fabric of our country? And we aren’t worried about sending our kids to schools where they’re not safe?” she said. “Like I just don’t understand what has happened to a country that I know, you love, that I love.”
Cheney endorsed Bush Hager’s impassioned remarks in a tweet Tuesday.
Thank you @JennaBushHager for making this point today - if we really want to keep our children safe, we need to spend less time banning books and more time stopping the horrific gun violence in our schools.
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) March 28, 2023
Cheney was among the 14 Republicans who joined every House Democrat last year in voting for the most sweeping gun violence legislation that Congress has passed in 30 years. In a statement, Cheney said that “as a mother and a constitutional conservative,” she believed the bill would curb violence and enhance safety, according to The Associated Press.
“Nothing in the bill restricts the rights of responsible gun owners. Period,” Cheney said at the time.
President Joe Biden signed the legislation into law, calling it a “monumental day,” and said it was proof that Democrats and Republicans could find common ground on important issues.
“God willing, it’s going to save a lot of lives,” he said.
