Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick says guns are 'part of who we are as a nation'

Two days after the nation's latest school shooting, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Sunday that guns are not the problem but "are part of who we are as a nation."

Instead, Patrick, offered a list of other options to curb gun violence: arming teachers, analyzing bullying and video games, staggering school start times and altering the layout of the state's 8,000 schools to limit the number of entrances and exits.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blames 'violent culture,' not guns for Santa Fe school shooting https://t.co/pQ7a0s4NuK pic.twitter.com/4txDDdL1tH

— Austin Statesman (@statesman) May 20, 2018

"But remember, we cannot sit back and say it's the gun," he told George Stephanopoulos on ABC's This Week. "It's us as a nation, George. On this Sunday morning when we all go to church and pray or go to the synagogue or the mosque or wherever we go, let's look inward at ourself as a nation."

Stephanopoulos fired back: "But when we look inward, sir, aren't we going to find that guns are more available here in greater numbers, in greater lethality than any other developed country in the world?"

Patrick agreed there are more firearms in the United States but said the reality is that "it is our Second Amendment, you know, it talks about a well-run militia, the Second Amendment. Our teachers are part of that well-run militia, by the way. It's guns that also stop crimes."

Texas Lt. Gov. @DanPatrick : 'Should we be surprised in this nation?' following deadly shooting in Texas, adding Americans have 'devalued life.''Whether it's through abortion, whether it's the break-up of families, through violent movies, and particularly violent video games.' pic.twitter.com/EBjcSRzcgN

— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) May 20, 2018

Patrick isn't the first to call for arming teachers. He said the state already allows for the measure, but it's up to local school districts, schools and parents to decide whether they will allow it.

More than 170 school districts in Texas have taken advantage of the law, which was enacted after the 2012 massacre at a school in Newtown, Conn.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: We need armed teachers and fewer school entrances https://t.co/Bpr136dfqU pic.twitter.com/C2xEGDukIY

— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) May 20, 2018

Patrick also repeated the suggestion he offered after Friday's shooting that killed 10 that school entrances be limited to one or two doors so authorities can better monitor the comings and goings of students, staff and strangers.

Fred Guttenberg, a father who lost his daughter Jamie in the Valentine's Day school shooting in Parkland, Fla., was outraged. Guttenberg, who followed Patrick's appearance on ABC, called the comments "idiotic" and said Patrick should be removed from office.

"Let me be clear, he should be removed from office for his failure to want to protect the citizens of Texas," Guttenberg said. "To hear him continue to make the argument after 10 people died in his state that guns are not the issue is simply a crock."

From my interview this morning on @GStephanopoulos https://t.co/C6QvAVeB1K

— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) May 20, 2018

Also on Sunday, the National Rifle Association's incoming president, Oliver North, appeared on Fox News to talk about the shooting and gun rights.

He suggested schools add multiple metal detectors and that the core of the issue was tied to desensitizing violence. He also appeared to link school shootings to students who take prescriptions such as Ritalin.

"The problem that we've got is we're trying like the dickens to treat the symptom without treating the disease. And the disease, in this case, isn't the Second Amendment, the disease is youngsters who are steeped in a culture of violence," North said. "They've been drugged in many cases. Nearly all of these perpetrators are male."

He added, "If you look at what has happened to young people, many of these young boys have been on Ritalin since they were in kindergarten."

Incoming NRA President Oliver North discussing the cause of school shootings: 'If you look at what has happened to young people, many of these young boys have been on Ritalin since they were in kindergarten.' pic.twitter.com/Vkn0hIstNJ

— Axios (@axios) May 20, 2018

Later, North noted while there's "no way" to prevent a firearm from getting in a building, schools should do more to make it harder for a would-be shooter.

"If that means five metal detectors getting in and out of the high school, you get five metal detectors," he said.

While the attack at Santa Fe High School is at least the 20th school shooting of 2018, shooters over the years have targeted everything from nightclubs, churches, concerts to movie theaters.

Gun-control activists such as Nicole Hockley, founder of the Sandy Hook Promise, have pointed out that the increased security inside schools might be a step in the right direction but won't stop these massacres or address the larger issue.

"This isn't just about school shootings. This is about shootings everywhere," said Hockley, whose son, Dylan, was killed in the school shooting in Newtown. "This is happening in every community, every day. And there are actions that we can take. And prayers are very important. Talking about this is very important. Looking at issues around violence is important."