12-21-2012, 02:56 PM
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/21/us/connect...index.html
(CNN) -- The National Rifle Association responded
Friday to a chorus of voices calling for gun control in the wake of last
week's horrific mass shooting in Connecticut by doubling down on its
own position: more guns, not fewer, provide true security.
After one of the worst
mass shootings in U.S. history -- 20 children and seven adults killed,
not including the gunman -- polls show that a slight majority of
Americans favor restrictions on guns. Conservative Democrats and even
some Republicans who have supported gun rights have said they are open
to discussing gun control.
But the NRA made its
position clear: The prominent gun rights organization will not budge an
inch toward discussion of gun control. To the contrary, the group
announced it will fund a team that will design a program to get armed
security personnel on school grounds across the country.
"You know, five years
ago, after the Virginia Tech tragedy, when I said we should put armed
security in every school, the media called me crazy," NRA Executive Vice
President Wayne LaPierre said.
But what if the gunman, Adam Lanza, had been confronted by a trained security guard?
"Will you at least admit it's possible that 26 innocent lives might have been spared?" LaPierre asked.
"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," he said.
LaPierre's position sets
the stage for a contentious battle between the NRA, one of the most
powerful lobbying groups in Washington, and the Obama administration,
which has promised quick action on"real reforms" to gun laws.
This week, President Barack Obama tapped Vice President Joe Biden to lead a task force
to start formulating those reforms and, with the White House's support,
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said she will introduce
legislation to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.
Gun owners fear new legislation could tread on their rights
The NRA had remained
silent in the wake of last week's school massacre as the debate on gun
control was shaped by these moves in Washington. That changed Friday
when it drew a line in the sand, providing its alternative vision for
protecting American children through armed security personnel at all
schools.
"Why is the idea of a
gun good when it's used to protect the president of our country or our
police, but bad when it's used to protect our children in our schools?"
LaPierre asked.
"We need to have every
single school in America immediately deploy a protection program proven
to work -- and by that I mean armed security," he said, reading from a
prepared statement.
The NRA executive
appeared aware that he was staking a bold position in front of a divided
public that recent polls suggest is leaning toward tightening gun laws.
In case he wasn't, protesters interrupted his address twice, shouting
anti-NRA slogans and bearing banners in front of his podium, including
one that said "NRA killing our kids."
LaPierre spoke exactly one week after the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. Across the nation, church bells rang in remembrance of the victims. The NRA was among those groups that observed a moment of silence at 9:30 a.m., the same time as last week's massacre.
Residents in Newtown and
across the country paused for a moment of silence in memory of the
victims. Many websites went dark momentarily to mark the moment.
Funerals for five of the
victims -- school psychologist Mary Sherlach, behavioral therapist
Rachel Marie D'Avino and students Grace Audrey McDonnell, Olivia Rose
Engel and Dylan Christopher Jack Hockley -- also took place Friday.
A slight majority of
Americans favor major restrictions on guns: 52%, up 5 points from a
survey taken in August after the July shooting inside a movie theater in
Aurora, Colorado, where 12 people died, according to a CNN/ORC International poll released Wednesday.
More than 195,000 people have signed an online White House petition supporting new gun control legislation.
Yet the NRA has support among many Americans who believe that taking steps to limit access to guns is not the answer.
One CNN reader summed up
the pro-gun argument this way: "We ... put undercover, plain clothed
air marshals on our planes to protect us when we fly. I fully support
the same in our schools to protect my children. Every school should have
one," Ali wrote.
"A cop in every school
is a much better solution than a holster on every teacher's belt. But it
doesn't go far enough. This is an attempt to contain the problem to
schools and avoid the broader discussion," another CNN commenter wrote.
Parents defend right to keep guns in the home
Others pointed to the
apparent contradiction among conservatives who want to reduce public
spending but also support the NRA's idea to arm schools. Who will pay
for the thousands of armed guards? several CNN readers asked.
Many suggested taxes on guns that could fund such a program.
Why own a military-style rifle
The NRA envisions a
"National School Shield Emergency Response Program" where qualified
police, military, security personnel and others organize to protect
schools.
Schools remain a target
for criminal gunmen because they are not protected by armed security the
way other important institutions are, LaPierre said.
Policies banning guns at
schools create a place that "insane killers" consider "the safest place
to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk," he said.
Former congressman Asa Hutchinson will lead the school security project.
Armed personnel will be part of the security model but not the only component, Hutchinson said.
"School safety is a
complex issue with no simple, single solution," he said. "But I believe
trained, qualified, armed security is one key component among many that
can provide the first line of deterrence as well as the last line of
defense."
NRA power and money go a long way in states
The NRA, with its
roughly 4.3 million members, is the standard bearer for protecting the
Second Amendment. It is also the source of hefty campaign donations.
During the 2012 election
cycle, the NRA donated $719,596 to candidates. Republicans received
$634,146 of that, according to the Center for Responsive Politics'
analysis of federal campaign data.
Some $85,450 went to Democrats, many of them in states that are considered more conservative when it comes to gun control laws.
The NRA's point man on
its school security study, Hutchinson, received $7,000 from the
organization for his 2000 congressional campaign, and $7,450 in 1998.
(CNN) -- The National Rifle Association responded
Friday to a chorus of voices calling for gun control in the wake of last
week's horrific mass shooting in Connecticut by doubling down on its
own position: more guns, not fewer, provide true security.
After one of the worst
mass shootings in U.S. history -- 20 children and seven adults killed,
not including the gunman -- polls show that a slight majority of
Americans favor restrictions on guns. Conservative Democrats and even
some Republicans who have supported gun rights have said they are open
to discussing gun control.
But the NRA made its
position clear: The prominent gun rights organization will not budge an
inch toward discussion of gun control. To the contrary, the group
announced it will fund a team that will design a program to get armed
security personnel on school grounds across the country.
"You know, five years
ago, after the Virginia Tech tragedy, when I said we should put armed
security in every school, the media called me crazy," NRA Executive Vice
President Wayne LaPierre said.
But what if the gunman, Adam Lanza, had been confronted by a trained security guard?
"Will you at least admit it's possible that 26 innocent lives might have been spared?" LaPierre asked.
"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," he said.
LaPierre's position sets
the stage for a contentious battle between the NRA, one of the most
powerful lobbying groups in Washington, and the Obama administration,
which has promised quick action on"real reforms" to gun laws.
This week, President Barack Obama tapped Vice President Joe Biden to lead a task force
to start formulating those reforms and, with the White House's support,
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, said she will introduce
legislation to reinstate the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004.
Gun owners fear new legislation could tread on their rights
The NRA had remained
silent in the wake of last week's school massacre as the debate on gun
control was shaped by these moves in Washington. That changed Friday
when it drew a line in the sand, providing its alternative vision for
protecting American children through armed security personnel at all
schools.
"Why is the idea of a
gun good when it's used to protect the president of our country or our
police, but bad when it's used to protect our children in our schools?"
LaPierre asked.
"We need to have every
single school in America immediately deploy a protection program proven
to work -- and by that I mean armed security," he said, reading from a
prepared statement.
The NRA executive
appeared aware that he was staking a bold position in front of a divided
public that recent polls suggest is leaning toward tightening gun laws.
In case he wasn't, protesters interrupted his address twice, shouting
anti-NRA slogans and bearing banners in front of his podium, including
one that said "NRA killing our kids."
LaPierre spoke exactly one week after the deadly shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. Across the nation, church bells rang in remembrance of the victims. The NRA was among those groups that observed a moment of silence at 9:30 a.m., the same time as last week's massacre.
Residents in Newtown and
across the country paused for a moment of silence in memory of the
victims. Many websites went dark momentarily to mark the moment.
Funerals for five of the
victims -- school psychologist Mary Sherlach, behavioral therapist
Rachel Marie D'Avino and students Grace Audrey McDonnell, Olivia Rose
Engel and Dylan Christopher Jack Hockley -- also took place Friday.
A slight majority of
Americans favor major restrictions on guns: 52%, up 5 points from a
survey taken in August after the July shooting inside a movie theater in
Aurora, Colorado, where 12 people died, according to a CNN/ORC International poll released Wednesday.
More than 195,000 people have signed an online White House petition supporting new gun control legislation.
Yet the NRA has support among many Americans who believe that taking steps to limit access to guns is not the answer.
One CNN reader summed up
the pro-gun argument this way: "We ... put undercover, plain clothed
air marshals on our planes to protect us when we fly. I fully support
the same in our schools to protect my children. Every school should have
one," Ali wrote.
"A cop in every school
is a much better solution than a holster on every teacher's belt. But it
doesn't go far enough. This is an attempt to contain the problem to
schools and avoid the broader discussion," another CNN commenter wrote.
Parents defend right to keep guns in the home
Others pointed to the
apparent contradiction among conservatives who want to reduce public
spending but also support the NRA's idea to arm schools. Who will pay
for the thousands of armed guards? several CNN readers asked.
Many suggested taxes on guns that could fund such a program.
Why own a military-style rifle
The NRA envisions a
"National School Shield Emergency Response Program" where qualified
police, military, security personnel and others organize to protect
schools.
Schools remain a target
for criminal gunmen because they are not protected by armed security the
way other important institutions are, LaPierre said.
Policies banning guns at
schools create a place that "insane killers" consider "the safest place
to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk," he said.
Former congressman Asa Hutchinson will lead the school security project.
Armed personnel will be part of the security model but not the only component, Hutchinson said.
"School safety is a
complex issue with no simple, single solution," he said. "But I believe
trained, qualified, armed security is one key component among many that
can provide the first line of deterrence as well as the last line of
defense."
NRA power and money go a long way in states
The NRA, with its
roughly 4.3 million members, is the standard bearer for protecting the
Second Amendment. It is also the source of hefty campaign donations.
During the 2012 election
cycle, the NRA donated $719,596 to candidates. Republicans received
$634,146 of that, according to the Center for Responsive Politics'
analysis of federal campaign data.
Some $85,450 went to Democrats, many of them in states that are considered more conservative when it comes to gun control laws.
The NRA's point man on
its school security study, Hutchinson, received $7,000 from the
organization for his 2000 congressional campaign, and $7,450 in 1998.
Let God lead the way!
Give a man a fish he eats for one day, teach him to fish he eats forever!
Give a man a fish he eats for one day, teach him to fish he eats forever!
