Rick Santorum to students marching: Take CPR classes instead

“How about kids instead of looking to someone else to solve their problem, do something about maybe taking CPR classes or trying to deal with situations that when there is a violent shooter that you can actually respond to that," Santorum said during CNN's “State of the Union” program.

Santorum’s comments came a day after the “March for Our Lives” events that included protesters in the United States and worldwide. The rallies were a response to the deadly mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, last month, CNN reported.

“They took action to ask someone to pass a law,” Santorum said. “They didn't take action to say, ‘How do I, as an individual, deal with this problem? How am I going to do something about stopping bullying within my own community? What am I going to do to actually help respond to a shooter?’... Those are the kind of things where you can take it internally, and say, ‘Here's how I'm going to deal with this. Here's how I'm going to help the situation,’ instead of going and protesting and saying, ‘Oh, someone else needs to pass a law to protect me.’”

Commentator Van Jones, also appearing the “State of the Union” show Sunday, said his son was about to begin high school and should be focused on education, not his personal safety, CNN reported.

“I want him focused on algebra and other stuff,” Jones said. “If his main way to survive high school is learning CPR so when his friends get shot ... that to me, we've gone too far. I'm proud of these kids. I know you're proud of these kids too.”

Santorum said he agreed he was proud of the students, but still criticized their efforts.

“I think everyone should be responsible and deal with the problems that we have to confront in our lives,” Santorum said. “And ignoring those problems and saying they're not going to come to me and saying some phony gun law is gonna solve it. Phony gun laws don't solve these problems.”

Santorum’s comments drew sharp responses on Twitter: