GOP lawmaker: ‘We must listen carefully to our students’ on guns

Republican Rep. Mia Love (Utah) called on her colleagues in Congress to “listen carefully to our students” who are speaking out against gun violence following recent school shootings.

“We must all address the issues that foster violent thoughts, and I look forward to continued coordination with state and local leaders as well as my colleagues in Congress to improve student safety. Most importantly, we must listen carefully to our students as they express the real problems they face,” Love wrote in a Friday op-ed for Deseret News.

“They have a story to tell, and our deeper understanding can very well save their lives,” Love said. 

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Love, an ardent supporter of gun rights who holds a concealed-carry permit herself, told readers that she shares “this nation’s deep concern about safety in our schools” and that “I’m listening.”

“This is a complex issue with many contributing factors, and it’s important that we look at everything that is contributing to these devastating events. It’s equally important that legislative solutions are informed and truly enhance school safety,” Love said, signaling her openness to several of the legislative pushes by lawmakers in response to the school shooting epidemic. 

On Saturday, an estimated hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the nation’s capital for a rally urging Congress to act to prevent mass shootings at schools, a response to the Parkland, Fla., high school shooting that left 17 people dead last month.

While Love said arming teachers in classrooms, an approach suggested by President Trump, may not be a viable solution, she said she would support a ban on lethal gun modification accessories such as bump stocks. 

Love has been endorsed for her Utah district by the National Rifle Association, which has given her an “A” grade for her support of gun rights.