“It’s been less than a week since the funerals for the 17 families so tragically affected by the Parkland, FL school shooting. Because of that and out of respect for the victims involved I have refrained from commenting on this devastating event.

It continues to trouble me that once again so many of my political opponents seek to politicize this latest tragedy at a time we should be grieving for the lost lives.

Unfortunately, we have reached a point in our public discourse where staged protest, trespass and crashing congressional offices has taken the place of rational debate. Indeed, organizers of such events desire to merely shout down their opponents in a spectacle designed for maximum media attention.

If the latest round of protests were truly about the influence of campaign cash, these front groups would be protesting those congressional Democrats in the Minnesota delegation who have taken far more money from the NRA than my campaign has. But naturally, they are not. Instead, they are exploiting a tragedy for partisan gain.

More important, these frequent and staged disruptions looking for the latest vehicle do a disservice to every relevant issue of the day—from health care reform to tax policy to immigration. But especially something as tragic as a school shooting.

And they get us nowhere.

Out of respect for the families involved, we need a serious approach on school violence and I look forward to the debate on real solutions which will keep our kids safe.”