South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) is disgusted that thousands of students are protesting gun violence around the nation and described kids walking out of classrooms as “shameful.”
McMaster made his comments on the state’s public television network ETV on Wednesday and speculated that the students were merely “being used as a tool by a left-wing group to further their own agenda,” even though he offered no evidence of that claim.
“It sounds like a protest to me. It’s not a memorial, it’s certainly not a prayer service, it’s a political statement by a left-wing group and it’s shameful,” McMaster said.
McMaster then suggested that students pray instead of protesting as if God would solve all their problems, not legislation from Congress, or new gun control laws.
Watch some of his comments below:
Contrary to the governor’s comments, the nationwide walkout was actually organized by student survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting that killed 17 of their own.
One of those students, David Hogg, who has appeared in the media numerous times since that fateful day, responded to the governor:
“Those future voters will not reelect you and outlive you too,” Hogg tweeted. He then added: “can’t wait to see what the history books our generation writes will have to say about people like you.”
Regardless of this one governor’s comments, the message thousands of students sent was “Enough is enough.” This is the new generation. They may not be able to vote yet, but they will one day. And, you better believe that they’re not betting on prayer to solve the issue surrounding guns.
