WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation's largest gun-rights lobby called Friday for armed police officers to be posted in every American school to stop the next killer "waiting in the wings."
The National Rifle Association broke its silence on last week's shooting rampage at a Connecticut elementary school that left 26 children and staff dead.
"The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," the group's top lobbyist, Wayne LaPierre, said at a Washington news conference.
LaPierre said "the next Adam Lanza," the man responsible for last week's mayhem, is planning an attack on another school.
"How many more copycats are waiting in the wings for their moment of fame from a national media machine that rewards them with wall-to-wall attention and a sense of identity that they crave, while provoking others to try to make their mark," LaPierre said. "A dozen more killers, a hundred more? How can we possibly even guess how many, given our nation's refusal to create an active national database of the mentally ill?"
He blamed video games, movies and music videos for exposing children to a violent culture day in and day out. "In a race to the bottom, many conglomerates compete with one another to shock, violate, and offend every standard of civilized society, by bringing an even more toxic mix of reckless behavior and criminal cruelty right into our homes," LaPierre said.
He refused to take any questions after speaking. Though security was tight, two protesters were able to interrupt LaPierre's speech, holding up signs that blamed the NRA for killing children. Both were escorted out, shouting that guns in schools are not the answer.
LaPierre announced that former Rep. Asa Hutchison, R-Ark., will lead an NRA program that will develop a model security plan for schools that relies on armed volunteers.
The 4.3 million-member NRA largely disappeared from public debate after the shootings in Newtown, Conn., choosing atypical silence as a strategy as the nation sought answers after the rampage. The NRA temporarily took down its Facebook page and kept quiet on Twitter.
Since the slayings, President Barack Obama has demanded "real action, right now" against U.S. gun violence and called on the NRA to join the effort. Moving quickly after several congressional gun-rights supporters said they would consider new legislation to control firearms, the president said this week he wants proposals to reduce gun violence that he can take to Congress by January.
Obama has already asked Congress to reinstate an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 and pass legislation that would stop people from purchasing firearms from private sellers without a background check. Obama also has indicated he wants Congress to pursue the possibility of limiting high-capacity magazines.
jcresident writes:
December 21, 2012
2:24 PM
My goodness, the NRA is starting to sound dumber than those who think stricter gun controls will stop all violence.
SovereignAxe writes:
December 21, 2012
3:30 PM
Well, what do you expect when you ask a civil rights group what to do about a security issue?
They're not security experts, they're not sociology experts, they're not pyschology experts, nor are they experts on mental health, crime, music, video games, or grade schools.
The purpose of the NRA is to advance marksmanship for civilians and lobby for the right to bear arms. What else should they do?
treestreetchick writes:
December 21, 2012
4:03 PM
And their motivation is to sell more guns so that we become a militant society?
And the taxpayers will now be providing national security in our own country with Federal tax dollars along with a war in a foreign country?
Imker writes:
December 21, 2012
4:44 PM
We are a militant society. Thirty thousand people were killed in the USA last year by firearms. Wal-Mart sells machine guns.
jcresident writes:
December 21, 2012
6:00 PM
According the the FBI UCR (the official stats), there were 8,583 homicides by the use of firearms last year, 244 were in TN. Lets not inflate the numbers, or try to ignore that they do occur. And yes, the NRA is a lobbying group, just like the ACLU, the NEA, and every other union in the country. The things that they say are to promote an idea, not something to seriously consider as policy for the country
Remove Money from Politics writes:
December 21, 2012
8:29 PM
According to the CDC (also official stats btw, government agency) there were 11,101 homicides by firearm and 19,766 suicides by firearm. That's probably where Imker got his numbers from, so they're technically correct.
The NRA would have been better served by not saying anything. Blaming pretty much everything (video games, media, music...) except the policies they helped create makes it pretty obvious they're trying to dodge the blame. Games don't kill people, mentally ill people with the means to do so kill people.
jcresident writes:
December 21, 2012
8:39 PM
For any group to include the 20k suicides in the homicide rate is intentionally misleading. And to imply that the 8-11k (whichever source you choose you use) homicides that used a firearm would have been prevented is naive. A percentage of these would for sure, as guns kill people more easily and quickly than other methods.
In any event, no gun control policy is going to make an impact, either positively of negatively . There are millions of guns already in circulation that simply is impossible to get rid of. The worst thing to do is overreact to a tragedy like this and spend crazy amounts of unneeded money because of a once in a decade type crime that is impossible to prevent
trishmullins writes:
December 21, 2012
9:43 PM
To Remove Money from Politics::
I believe the NRA did a great job with sharing their voice. I have always supported guns, own around twenty myself. The NRA was trying to prove that there are numerous things that could hold the blame for this massacre, not just gun laws. IF SOMEONE WANTED TO GET A GUN, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO. No problem. Tougher gun laws would not change the facts that guns are everywhere and you can buy them off someone without getting them registered. The NRA is not at fault for the lives lost. Adam Lanza is at fault. Not his mother. Not his father. Noone else is held responsible. Because of this tragedy, I have realized that my right to have arms could be at risk. I have joined the NRA, as well as plan to buy an M4 within the next month... before more laws are passed to limit my purchases.
Imker writes:
December 21, 2012
10:10 PM
Look, I'm not against people owning sensible weapons for hunting and self defense, but it seems the NRA is now the defacto lobbying organization for high power, military-style weapons. This lobby has gotten a lot more extreme than when I used to be a member. It's become part of the sickness, not the cure. It's basically advocating a militia mentality, which promises future violence. That's the way I see it. Heck, I'd rather face a grizzly with a high-end bear spray than a gun anyday. You have a proven statistical better chance of surviving the encounter. Probably would work against a crazy human as well.
truthful writes:
December 28, 2012
8:23 AM
Do all the gun bans and laws and see if it helps the good people the crazy people and drug dealer have got means of getting guns and they are going not be reg. and legal
mudman writes:
January 4, 2013
10:17 AM
Imker, seriously wal mart does not sell machine guns.
jmcpherson writes:
January 5, 2013
7:55 AM
We have a right to bear arms! If they ban guns, all the 'bad' people will have guns, and us law abiding citizens will not. Imagine if your a burgular....if you know who has guns, I bet you'd think twice of entering that home. Perhaps a mental health flag should pop up when we want to buy guns? I don't know, but banning guns is nothing but more trouble and by the way communism.
provided.