Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz made a blitz of stops in Macon and Atlanta on Tuesday to rev up young voters and deliver an urgent message about gun violence after the deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia.
The Minnesota governor implored students at Georgia Tech and an eatery just off campus to mobilize behind Vice President Kamala Harris and her promise to crack down on gun violence.
Democrats have renewed pledges to expand background checks and ban assault rifles after the Sept. 4 shooting in Winder that left two teachers and two students dead.
“Freedom means our children go to school without fear of being shot dead in their classrooms,” Walz told dozens of students at Rocky Mountain Pizza. “And, for many of you, I have to tell you, it wasn’t always this way. And it doesn’t have to be.”
He also condemned Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance for responding to the shooting at the Barrow County school by lamenting “this is a fact of life” and calling for increased security measures.
“The people of Georgia just saw children going to school at the start of the school year and saw them gunned down, and their teachers gunned down,” said Walz, a former high school educator and football coach.
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
“That is not just a fact of life, as we were told by the other side. It’s not just to get over it. We have the capacity to make a difference in this.”
On Monday, Vance didn’t directly address gun policy or the mass shooting in his remarks to the Georgia Faith and Freedom Coalition dinner in Atlanta. But he cautioned against “ridiculous and inflammatory political rhetoric,” which he said could have contributed to two apparent attempts on Trump’s life.
‘I’m really grateful’
Harris and former President Donald Trump are narrowing their focus on Georgia and a half-dozen other competitive states as Election Day nears.
The stops, Walz’s first solo trip to Georgia since accepting the nomination, were partly to kick off a new campaign initiative aimed at turning out younger voters. Early voting in Georgia starts on Oct. 15 and both campaigns are intensifying their get-out-the-vote efforts.
In Macon, Walz visited the famed H&H restaurant, a downtown hole-in-the-wall diner known for its ties to the Allman Brothers Band and other Southern rock sensations.
Upon entering the place, its walls full of memorabilia and photos featuring acts with local connections, Walz said, “I’ll have to say, there are some perks of being on this ticket. It’s like stopping at this restaurant, which I’ve heard about, known about … I’m really grateful.”
Walz spoke briefly to the invitation-only crowd about Georgia’s pivotal role in the race for the White House.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
“Once again, this presidential election is running right through this restaurant,” Walz said. “The words that are spoken here, that hopefulness, that joy. When we carry signs and we talk about politicking, it’s about a future.”
Lucy O’Neal, whose late mother, Louise E. Ruff “Mama Louise” Hudson, co-founded the Forsyth Street establishment in 1959, was on hand to greet Walz, who she supports.
“You couldn’t help but to love him,” O’Neal, 76, said of Walz. “I feel so good about everything that’s going on in here today.”
He caused a stir in Atlanta, too. At Georgia Tech, a pair of student leaders told him the story of George P. Burdell, the legendary fictitious student whose name graces a store at the campus center.
A few hours later, he was at a coffee shop on the outskirts of the Atlanta University Center emphasizing how close November could be.
“It’s going to be close. I wish that wasn’t true. It doesn’t seem like it should, after we watch that debate, and it’s still close. That is just mind boggling, but that’s the way our country is right now.”
