>> Lawrence: FOX NEWS ALERT, A
NATION REELING THIS MORNING
AFTER AT LEAST 19 CHILDREN AND
TWO TEACHERS ARE SHOT TO DEATH
INSIDE THEIR TEXAS SCHOOL.
G.O.P. TEXAS CONGRESSMAN RONNIE
JACKSON JOINS US NOW.
CONGRESSMAN, THANKS SO MUCH FOR
JOINING THE PROGRAM.
YOU REPRESENT THE STATE OF TEXAS
ALTHOUGH NOT THIS DISTRICT.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON
INITIALLY OF COMFORT TO THE
RESIDENTS OF UVALDE?
>> I DON’T KNOW, LAWRENCE, WHAT
I CAN SAY THAT HASN’T ALREADY
BEEN SAID 1,000 TIMES SINCE THIS
HAPPENED.
OUR PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS ARE
WITH THE FAMILIES THERE.
IT’S JUST UNBELIEVABLE.
IT’S JUST UNBELIEVABLE EVIL AND
I DON’T KNOW HOW SOMEONE COULD
DO LIKE THIS.
THERE WILL BE ALL KINDS OF
DISCUSSIONS IN THE MEDIA
REGARDING SECOND AMENDMENT AND
REGARDING THE OTHER ISSUES
AROUND GUNS IN THIS COUNTRY.
BUT I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO
ASK THE QUESTION, HOW COULD
SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN?
HOW COULD SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING
SO EVIL?
WHAT KIND OF PERSON, WHAT KIND
OF ANIMAL CAN DO THIS?
I THINK WE -- I GREW UP IN A
SMALL TOWN IN WEST TEXAS NOT TOO
MUCH SMALLER THAN UVALDE.
AND I CAN NEVER IMAGINE
SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENING
WHEN I GREW UP.
WHEN I GREW UP, THINGS WERE
DIFFERENT.
THERE WAS A FOCUS ON FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY AND CHURCH AND I THINK
THAT, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW EACH
OTHER.
AND I’M NOT SAYING THAT THE
PEOPLE IN UVALDE DON’T KNOW EACH
OTHER.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT’S BEEN
ROBBED FROM US.
OUR CULTURE HAS CHANGED OVER THE
LAST, YOU KNOW, 30 OR 40 YEARS,
AND THERE’S BEEN AN ATTACK ON
THOSE THINGS IN PARTICULAR.
AND I JUST THINK THAT KIDS ARE
EXPOSED TO ALL KINDS OF HORRIBLE
STUFF.
I THINK ABOUT THE RAP MUSIC AND
THE VIDEO GAMES WITH ALL THIS
HORRIBLE VIOLENCE AND STUFF.
I THINK THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE
INTERNET ON A REGULAR BASIS
WHICH, YOU KNOW, IS NOT GOOD FOR
KIDS I DON’T THINK.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT’S GOING ON.
I THINK WE NEED TO STOP AT THIS
PARTICULAR POINT, NOBODY NEEDS
TO BE POINTING FINGERS TOO MUCH
RIGHT NOW.
WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHY DID THIS
HAPPEN?
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE CULTURE IN
THIS COUNTRY THAT ALLOWS
SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN
RIGHT NOW?
>> Lawrence: YEAH, YOU KNOW,
CONGRESSMAN, I WANT TO GET A
LITTLE PERSONAL WITH YOU BECAUSE
OF YOUR BACKGROUND AND WHAT YOU
DID IN THE MILITARY.
BUT YOU WERE ALSO ENTRUSTED AND
BEING THERE IF ANYTHING
TRAGICALLY HAPPENED TO THREE
PRESIDENTS, AND THAT IS BEING A
TRAUMA SURGEON RIGHT THEN AND
THERE IF SOMETHING WAS TO
HAPPEN.
ALL THESE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT HAVE
WENT TO THE HOSPITAL, SOME OF
THEM WERE UNRECOGNIZABLE.
TALK ABOUT WHAT THE MEDICAL
STAFF HAD TO DO TO STABLIZE THEM
AND SOME TRAGICALLY HAD TO
PRONOUNCE THEM DEAD ON THE
SCENE.
>> WELL, IT MUST HAVE BEEN
HORRIFIC SCENE TO BE IN THE
HOSPITAL TO BE HONEST WITH YOU.
THIS IS A SMALL COMMUNITY
HOSPITAL, I’M SURE, THAT’S NOT
USED TO THIS KIND OF TRAUMA.
THEY’RE NOT A LEVEL ONE TRAUMA
CENTER.
THEY’RE NOT SET UP TO RECEIVE
EVEN ONE PATIENT LIKE THIS, YOU
KNOW, ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND TO BE OVERWHELMED WITH THIS
NUMBER OF PATIENTS WITH
HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE INJURIES LIKE
THIS AND THESE ARE DOCTORS AND
NURSES THAT, LIKE I SAID, AREN’T
ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING ON A
DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
IF YOU WERE TO GO TO A LARGE
TRAUMA CENTER IN L.A. COUNTY OR
PARKLAND OR SOMEWHERE, THEY’RE
USED TO SEEING THIS KIND OF
STUFF.
IT’S ALWAYS HARD NO MATTER WHAT.
I DON’T CARE HOW LONG YOU WORK
IN AN EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT TO
SEE YOUNG KIDS KILLED AND
CRITICALLY INJURED IS JUST, IT’S
VERY, VERY HARD TO SEE.
SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THOSE
FOLKS ARE GOING TO -- THEY’RE
GOING TO NEED SOME COUNSELLING
AND SOME SUPPORT.
AND I CAN’T EVEN IMAGINE WHAT
THIS COMMUNITY IS GOING THROUGH.
THE OTHER CHILDREN THAT WITNESS
THIS STUFF, AND THEIR LIVES ARE
GOING TO BE CHANGED FOREVER,
UNFORTUNATELY.
WE NEED TO FOCUS AS MUCH AS WE
CAN AS A COUNTRY ON MAKING SURE
THAT WE HELP THE PEOPLE IN
UVALDE HEAL.
>> Lawrence: YOU KNOW,
CONGRESSMAN, A LOT OF THE PEOPLE
LOCALLY ESPECIALLY THE STATE OF
TEXAS, ALTHOUGH THIS IS UVALDE,
IT’S A PART OF OUR HOME.
AND TEXANS ARE GRIEVING.
THE COUNTRY IS GRIEVING.
AND THEY ALSO WANT ANSWERS FROM
OUR ELECTED LEADERS.
THEY DON’T WANT PARTISANSHIP.
WHAT DO YOU THINK NEEDS TO BE
DONE TO KEEP THESE SCHOOLS SAFE?
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE EVIL.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO SECURE THESE
SCHOOLS?
>> WE HAVE TO DO A REALLY GOOD
JOB OF JUST GETTING TOGETHER AND
TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
FIGURING OUT WHERE WE CAN MEET
HALFWAY ON THIS BETWEEN THE LEFT
AND THE RIGHT.
I THINK WE ALL SHOULD BE IN
SUPPORT OF TRYING TO HARDEN
THESE PLACES AND MAKING SURE
THAT WE PROVIDE THE RESOURCES SO
THAT THESE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW,
CAN KEEP THEIR DOORS LOCKED AND
MAYBE HAVE DOORS THAT OPEN FROM
THE INSIDE WHERE YOU’RE BUZZED
IN.
SO THERE’S A CONTROLLED POINT OF
ENTRY.
SO WE KNOW WHO IS COMING IN AND
OUT OF THESE SCHOOLS AND AT
LEAST GET SOME KIND OF EARLY
WARNING IF SOMETHING IS
HAPPENING.
SO I’M ALL IN FAVOR OF SPENDING
THE MONEY THAT WE NEED TO SPEND
TO REINFORCE THAT AND TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE CAN MAKE OUR
SCHOOLS SAFE FOR OUR KIDS.
YOU KNOW, IT’S BEEN MENTIONED A
LOT THAT WE DO THIS ALL OVER THE
COUNTRY FOR OTHER VENUES.
WE DON’T ALWAYS DO IT FOR OUR
SCHOOLS.
I KNOW IT’S DIFFICULT.
WE HAVE SO MANY SCHOOLS.
THAT’S A LOT OF RESOURCES TO PUT
INTO OUR LOCAL AND PUBLIC
SCHOOLS.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE
DOING THAT BECAUSE WE CAN’T HAVE
THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN.
IT’S JUST UNTHINKABLE AND
UNBELIEVABLE.
AND UNACCEPTABLE.
>> Lawrence: YOU KNOW,
CONGRESSMAN, SO OFTEN WE HAVE
THESE CONVERSATIONS AND WE WANT
TO PRESENT THESE BIG IDEAS TO
PREVENT THE NEXT TRAGEDY.
AND THEN THE NEXT WEEK, PEOPLE
FORGET AND THEY MOVE ON TO THE
NEXT NEWS STORY.
SO WHILE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IT
RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, NOT TO GET
INTO THE PARTISANSHIP WHAT DO
YOU THINK IT’S GOING TO TAKE TO
TAKE THIS MATTER SERIOUSLY?
WHAT IS THE HURDLE PREVENTING
GETTING THE NECESSARY RESOURCES
FOR THESE SCHOOLS SO THEY CAN BE
SECURE?
>> I THINK SOMETHING LIKE THIS,
YOU KNOW, ADVANCES THAT BECAUSE
IT’S HARD TO FORGET SOMETHING
LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, WE HAVE SHOOTINGS ALL
THE TIME AND THEY’RE ALL
UNFORTUNATE AND I WISH NONE OF
THEM HAPPENED.
BUT WHEN YOU SEE SOMETHING LIKE
THIS, IT’S EXTRA HORRIFIC.
AND I THINK THAT THIS WILL --
AND I KNOW ON MY PART, THIS WILL
ALLOW ME TO, YOU KNOW, TO TALK
TO MY COLLEAGUES ON THE OTHER
SIDE OF THE AISLE AND SAY LOOK,
YOU KNOW, I’M A STAUNCH DEFENDER
OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT AND I’M
GOING TO REMAIN THAT WAY.
BUT WHAT CAN WE DO?
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HARDEN THESE
PLACES AND TO MAKE SCHOOLS
SAFER?
WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE’RE PROVIDING THE MENTAL
HEALTH RESOURCES THAT WE NEED.
AND WE’RE PREPARING OUR KIDS FOR
STUFF LIKE THIS.
LIKE I SAID, I’M ALL ABOUT WHAT
CAN WE DO TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE
THAT’S BEEN DONE TO THE CULTURE
OF THIS COUNTRY.
I THINK WE NEED TO GET GOD AND
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY BACK INTO
OUR LIVES IN A BIG WAY AND
THERE’S BEEN A BIG PUSH FOR A
LONG TIME FROM SOME OF THOSE ON
THE LEFT AND SOME OF THOSE THAT,
YOU KNOW, AT THE HIGHER LEVEL
THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR
EDUCATING OUR KIDS ON KEEPING
THAT STUFF OUT OF THE SCHOOLS.
AND THAT’S THE WRONG ANSWER.
WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE THAT WITHIN
OUR SCHOOLS.
>> Lawrence: BEFORE I LET YOU
GO, CONGRESSMAN, TEXAS GOVERNOR
GREG ABBOTT, OUR GOVERNOR, IS
EXPECTED TO MAKE REMARKS HERE
AND TRAVEL.
WHAT DOES HE NEED TO SAY?
WHAT TONE DOES HE NEED TO STRIKE
FOR THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS?
>> HE JUST NEEDS TO LET PEOPLE
KNOW THAT WE’RE ALL TOGETHER ON
THIS.
THAT THIS IS ONE TEAM, ONE FIGHT
WHEN IT COMES TO FIGURING OUT
WHAT HAPPENED HERE AND HOW TO
AVOID THIS.
AND JUST EMPATHIZE WITH THE
FAMILIES AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S
BEEN SAID BEFORE, IT’S NOT THE
TIME FOR POLITICS RIGHT NOW, YOU
KNOW.
AND I THINK THAT -- I THINK THAT
GOVERNOR ABBOTT KNOWS THAT.
I THINK THAT HE’LL BE REASSURING
TO THE PEOPLE IN UVALDE AND TO
THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.
AND I THINK THAT’S WHAT WE NEED
RIGHT NOW.
WE NEED SOMEBODY WHO SHOWS SOME
SYMPATHY FOR WHAT THE PEOPLE IN
UVALDE ARE GOING THROUGH.
AND CAN JUST PROVIDE THAT
LEADERSHIP AND THAT SUPPORT THAT
WE NEED FROM OUR LEADERS RIGHT
NOW.