The Florida high school shooting has awoken the gun reforms debate while the National Rifle Association (NRA) is being used as a “punching bag.” The NRA America is a non-governmental organization advocating for gun rights; a reason that would sway Democrats and other Americans advocating for strict gun laws to attack the NRA following the greasily Florida high school attack last week.
Leaders of NRA are accusing the gun control advocates of exploiting the Florida school shooting tragedy to make political moves on making gun laws stricter.
Conservative Political Action Conference
The NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre while at the Conservative Political Action Conference at Oxon Hill in Maryland near the nation’s capital, made his first public remarks since the shooting. He stated on Thursday that the NRA members mourn the shooting victims. Despite the condolence message, he went on to accuse gun control proponents of attempting to use the tragedy for political gains. His sentiments struck a defiant tone towards calls for safer school environments and strict gun laws.
Wayne asserted that the gun law advocates hated the NRA and the Second Amendment as well as individual freedom.
The conference was just before Donald Trump held a listening session with state and local leaders on gun safety while at the White House. The President remarked that he had spoken to NRA leaders and showed hopefulness that the NRA would support his calls for raising the federal minimum age for owning a gun. It would be moved from 18 years to 21 years of age. The NRA would also back the President’s call to enhance background checks and prohibiting the sale of bump stock devices.
Despite Trump’s sentiments, the NRA leaders have not yet come out clearly on whether they support the federal government in raising the minimum age for people to purchase guns. In fact, a day earlier (Wednesday) the NRA issued a statement saying it opposes the move to review the age limit on adults allowed to purchase a gun.
Lapierre’s Parting Remarks
LaPierre stated that evil walks among them and that God should protect them if they fail to harden their schools and protect their children. He asserted that the whole idea for gun control advocates to assume that owning a gun means less safe was completely ridiculous.
He informed the conservatives attending the conference that gun control advocates’ solution was to make them less free. He blamed the shootings on poor school security and advocating for gun control was a way of sweeping the problem “under the carpet.”
