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Parents Of School Shooting Victims Decry 'Moronic' GOP Platitudes

Two parents who lost children to campus gun violence had strong words of criticism on Sunday for the GOP’s continued dismissal of responding with tougher firearm control measures and more emphasis on preventing shootings.

Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas school shooting in Parkland, Florida, in February, joined Nicole Hockley, whose son Dylan was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, to speak with host George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week.”

Both parents voiced their disappointment with Republican politicians for ignoring the topic of gun control in the wake of the school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, on Friday in which 10 people died.

Guttenberg and Hockley spoke shortly after Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) appeared on the talk show and blamed the most recent school shooting on American culture, saying that “we have devalued life.”

“I think those are the most idiotic comments I’ve ever heard regarding gun safety,” Guttenberg said in response to Patrick.

“I’m here this weekend on what was supposed to be my daughter’s dance recital, where they are honoring my daughter’s memory instead of having my daughter dance,” he said. “For that man to be making those moronic comments? Unacceptable.”

“I am raging right now,” Guttenberg, who confronted Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) at a heated CNN town hall after the Parkland shooting, told Stephanopoulos.

Hockley said that focusing on arming teachers and changing the layout of school campuses ― two things Patrick has advocated in response to Friday’s shooting ― avoids the root of the problem.

″We’re simply focusing on the wrong thing here,” she said. She characterized the measures Patrick has been spotlighting as “mitigation,” not “prevention.”

“While I disagree with much of what the lieutenant governor said, I do agree that we have a problem where we devalue life. ... That this shooting is not receiving a significant amount of action, that’s devaluing life.”

Both parents agreed that the pervasive issue of campus gun violence isn’t just about guns ― but they argued that firearms, and access to them, has to be a central aspect of the conversation.

“This is not just about guns. It’s not just about school safety. It’s not just about mental health,” Guttenberg said.

But he added, “The problem is that when these shootings happen, the crowd that does not want to talk about guns wants to talk about everything else but guns.”

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Santa Fe High School student Dakota Shrader is comforted by her mother Susan Davidson following a shooting at the school on Friday, May 18, 2018, in Santa Fe, Texas. Shrader said her friend was shot in the incident.
Santa Fe High School student Dakota Shrader is comforted by her mother Susan Davidson following a shooting at the school on Friday, May 18, 2018, in Santa Fe, Texas. Shrader said her friend was shot in the incident.
Law enforcement officers are responding to Santa Fe High School following a shooting incident in this Harris County Sheriff office, Santa Fe, Texas, U.S., photo released on May 18, 2018. 
Law enforcement officers are responding to Santa Fe High School following a shooting incident in this Harris County Sheriff office, Santa Fe, Texas, U.S., photo released on May 18, 2018. 
A man hugs a woman outside the Alamo Gym where parents wait to reunite with their children following a shooting at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, on Friday, May 18, 2018.
A man hugs a woman outside the Alamo Gym where parents wait to reunite with their children following a shooting at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, on Friday, May 18, 2018.
ATF agents arrive on location at Santa Fe High School.
ATF agents arrive on location at Santa Fe High School.
A Life Flight helicopter takes off from Santa Fe High School.
A Life Flight helicopter takes off from Santa Fe High School.
ATF agents arrive on location at Santa Fe High School where a shooter killed at least 10 students on May 18, 2018 in Santa Fe, Texas.
ATF agents arrive on location at Santa Fe High School where a shooter killed at least 10 students on May 18, 2018 in Santa Fe, Texas.
Emergency crews gather in the parking lot of Santa Fe High School.
Emergency crews gather in the parking lot of Santa Fe High School.
Emergency medical personnel stage in the Santa Fe High School parking lot.
Emergency medical personnel stage in the Santa Fe High School parking lot.
An FBI agent is seen in the parking lot of Santa Fe High School.
An FBI agent is seen in the parking lot of Santa Fe High School.
Emergency crews and police gather in the parking lot of Santa Fe High School.
Emergency crews and police gather in the parking lot of Santa Fe High School.
Students exit Santa Fe High School.
Students exit Santa Fe High School.
Aerial view of Santa Fe High School.
Aerial view of Santa Fe High School.
Students are grouped together as they exit Santa Fe High School.
Students are grouped together as they exit Santa Fe High School.
Law enforcement vehicles outside of Santa Fe High School.
Law enforcement vehicles outside of Santa Fe High School.
Law enforcement behind Santa Fe High School.
Law enforcement behind Santa Fe High School.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.