NRA Calls for 'Armed Security' Around Schools
"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," says NRA's Wayne LaPierre.
In an amazing morning press conference on Dec. 21, the National Rifle Association broke its weeklong silence following the horrific shooting of 26 people at a school in Newtown, Conn., and called for a surge of gun-carrying "good guys" around American schools.
NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre called for a new kind of American domestic security revolving around armed civilians, arguing that "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."
"We care about our president, so we protect him with armed Secret Service agents," LaPierre said. "Members of Congress work in offices surrounded by Capitol Police officers. Yet, when it comes to our most beloved, innocent, and vulnerable members of the American family, our children, we as a society leave them every day utterly defenseless, and the monsters and the predators of the world know it, and exploit it."
LaPierre's speech was a call to supporters to mobilize around a new vision of American domestic security, at a time when voices for gun control are steadily rising. Before the press conference, President Obama released a video (above) citing a petition by hundreds of Americans calling for swift action.
At the grassroots level, groups like Newtown United, a group of Newtown neighbors, are working to address major issues related to the tragedy, including gun control, violent media, mental health and legislation.
In stark contrast, LaPierre called for a great mobilization of gun-carrying "good guys," a term he used repeatedly but did not define, who could be more present and respond more quickly than police.
"If we truly cherish our kids, more than our money, more than our celebrities, more than our sports stadiums, we must give them the greatest level of protection possible," LaPierre said. "And that security is only available with properly trained, armed 'good guys'."
LaPierre, who was interrupted twice by protesters who held signs in front of TV cameras, made a direct call for local action.
"I call on every parent. I call on every teacher. I call on every school administrator, every law enforcement officer in this country, to join with us and help create a national schools shield safety program to protect our children with the only positive line of defense that’s tested and proven to work," he said.
In his speech, LaPierre also accused the media of selling "violence against its own people" through violent video games, music videos and "blood-soaked" films. He did not take questions from reporters, and did not acknowledge the protesters.
Atlant Schmidt
12:56 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
Gun nuts are, by definition, nuts.
And Wayne is the spokesnut for the nuttiest of them all. He disgusts me.
JP
9:21 am on Monday, December 24, 2012
Couldn't agree more!!
Rick Watrous
1:37 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
The NRA's call for armed guards at every school is absurd.
More guns are not the answer. What’s next? Armed guards at every playground, church, store and restaurant?
Used to be the NRA represented sportmen and hunters. Now they represent guns.
ForThePeople
5:03 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
I didn't understand the part about the NRA emergency response system. Are they suggesting that the schools call some NRA phone tree when they need somebody with a gun to take out a suspect? Isn't that what the police are for?
David Pittelli
12:15 am on Saturday, December 22, 2012
1) I agree schools shouldn't need to hire armed guards. The schools are already populated with adult employees, at least some of whom are not mentally ill or felons and could obtain, or already have, a license to carry a concealed weapon.
2) It is government that requires schools to be "gun free zones." Given that virtually all mass shootings occur in areas declared to be "gun free zones," I think it is imperative that the federal government instead ban "gun-free zones" except if they have manned metal detectors at all entrances or armed security guards to ensure the safety of the disarmed people inside said zones.
3) We already have people legally carrying guns in most places other than schools, so that's not "what's next," that's reality. And that's the reason most mass shooters go elsewhere, to schools and other places posted as "gun-free zones" so they can kill as many people as possible before any armed opposition can show up.
Reality Geezer
1:57 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
NRA--No Rational Answers--They do not represent sportsman, only interested in boosting profits for gun manufacturers.........................
David Pittelli
12:21 am on Saturday, December 22, 2012
Gun manufacturing is a small, fragmented and not very profitable industry. The NRA is not powerful because of the gunmakers' backing, it is powerful because it has 4 million members, and because somewhere around half the country agrees with most of its stands. Further, all this talk of gun and magazine bans is great for the gun business, as was the last (1994-2004) ban on "assault weapons" (really a cosmetic definition) and >10-round magazines. Many U.S. manufacturers would be happy to have Glock and other high-capacity imports out of the picture, and if all semiautomatics were outlawed they would do profitable business in revolvers.
Allan Herschlag
2:38 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
And again it’s what wasn’t said. He didn’t tell you they would support background checks at gun shows. Because they won’t. He didn’t tell you the NRA would support bans on ammunition clips that can hold huge numbers of bullets. Because they won’t He did blame the media. He did blame movies and video games. While he supports gun ownership without any stipulations and the right to carry and bear all arms anytime and anywhere, he would support a registry of those with mental defects. So much for their rights.
To learn what the NRA is all about follow the money. The money leads to gun manufacturers. And their interest is in selling guns.
This from the Wall Street Journal, December 19, 2012, writing about the new CEO of Smith and Wesson, their marketing approach and products he feels will increase their sales:
"...Mr. Debney has noted that the growth area in handguns is lighter-weight pistols, made partly of plastic and small enough to slip into a pocket or a purse...... Smith & Wesson introduced a pistol early this year called M&P Shield, which is about 6 inches long and less than an inch thick. The slogan: "Shield Yourself."
Mr. Debney told investors in September that old-style shotguns and bolt-action rifles were on the wane......" But semiautomatic rifles, known in the trade as "modern sporting rifles," were "very, very popular," ....."
For the rest of the article go to: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324461604578189590914067014.html
Reality Geezer
3:38 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
Teachers pension plan in CA is removing their investment in gun manufacturers.
A good way to show our displeasure with NRA.
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/12/18/cerberus-to-sell-gunmaker-freedom-group/
David Pittelli
12:23 am on Saturday, December 22, 2012
Unless a firm is raising capital for expansion by selling new shares of stock, you can't actually hurt a company by dumping its shares. You might reduce the value of executives' stock options, but even that effect would likely be short-lived.
Reality Geezer
8:55 am on Sunday, December 23, 2012
DP--I am converting my investment savings to socially responsible mutual funds. They exclude alcohol, tobacco, firearms companies from receiving capital. They also pay decent returns.
robo hiker
4:01 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
i support the right to arm bears
ForThePeople
5:02 pm on Friday, December 21, 2012
More proof that the right wing is crazy.
jessica
4:09 am on Saturday, December 22, 2012
Schools sound cool but hold off on library's for at two years.....thanks a bunch
robo hiker
5:27 am on Saturday, December 22, 2012
what could possibly go wrong with having armed guards at every school??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE0sDfukvso
judith
10:17 am on Saturday, December 22, 2012
Shame on the representative of the NRA.
Euge
11:13 am on Sunday, December 23, 2012
I just started a gun violence petition on the White House petitions site, We the People. Will you sign it? http://wh.gov/Q2v3
David Pittelli
11:44 am on Sunday, December 23, 2012
Why is the latest piece on this subject (The Last Thing We Need Is MORE Guns In Our Schools, Statehouses, By NH Labor News Network, 12/22) posted without the ability to comment? Was it an oversight, or are they afraid that their arguments do not stand up to scrutiny?
For example, they say that armed people at schools would not help because: "Columbine had armed security guards. The University of Virginia has armed campus police. Fort Hood is an active military base for pete’s sake."
But in fact: Columbine had one armed security guard. He was outside the building and remained there, instead of following the killers inside. This was apparently how cops used to be trained, to wait for backup. But a cop (or teacher) inside with a gun would have been more effective. The University of Virginia having armed police is as relevant as the fact that every town has armed police; the fact is, they were not in the building. And at Ford Hood, no one in the cafeteria was armed except for the murderer; military bases actually have pretty strict gun control. None of these examples are evidence that allowing teachers and principals to carry concealed guns in school, if they have a permit, and as they are allowed to do almost anywhere else, would not prove very helpful in deterring or ending mass shootings, which almost always happen in "gun-free zones.".
robo hiker
1:57 pm on Sunday, December 23, 2012
yes, more armed guards at schools across the country, what could possibly go wrong??
http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/mt/assets/science/192897-us-davis-police-lt-john-pike-dousing-seated-students-with-pepper-spray.jpg
David Pittelli
8:28 pm on Sunday, December 23, 2012
The man that attacked the midnight showing of Batman didn’t attack just any theater. There were ten to choose from. He didn’t attack the closest. It wasn’t about biggest or smallest. He attacked the one that was posted NO GUNS ALLOWED.
There were four mass killing attempts this week. Only one made the news because it helped the agreed upon media narrative.
Oregon. NOT a gun free zone. Shooter confronted by permit holder. Shooter commits suicide. Only a few casualties.
Texas. NOT a gun free zone. Shooter killed immediately by off duty cop. Only a few casualties.
Connecticut. GUN FREE ZONE. Shooters kills until the police arrive. Suicide. 26 dead.
China. GUN FREE COUNTRY. A guy with a KNIFE stabs 22 children.
And here is the nail in the coffin for Gun Free Zones. Over the last fifty years, with only one single exception (Gabby Giffords), every single mass shooting event with more than four casualties has taken place in a place where guns were supposedly not allowed.
http://larrycorreia.wordpress.com/2012/12/20/an-opinion-on-gun-control/