NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A Republican candidate for Tennessee governor claimed Tuesday that the “liberal media,” teachers unions and the “far-left lobby” have used students who survived Parkland, Florida’s deadly school shooting as “props to push their anti-gun agenda.”
Candidate Bill Lee sent out the comments in a news release after a governor’s race forum Tuesday in which the contenders were asked whether the Parkland survivors have had a positive or negative impact on the conversation around guns and gun control. The students have advocated for more gun restrictions.
Lee answered, “negative.” Fellow Republicans Randy Boyd and Beth Harwell and Democrats Karl Dean and Craig Fitzhugh said “positive.” Republican Diane Black did not attend.
“This is common sense: law abiding citizens should not be punished for the actions of criminals,” Lee, a construction company owner in Franklin, said in his statement. “These kids have been through a horrible tragedy. But I’ve been sickened by how the liberal media, the teacher’s unions and the far left lobby have used these kids as props to push their anti-gun agenda.”
The forum drew a couple other contrasts.