Washington – 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.”
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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.
Why not make it harder for the bad guys to get guns?
Does he propose armed guards in the schools or armed teachers and principals?
Predictable response of the official mouthpiece of the gun industry.
First they fight to ensure that military-grade weapons are widely availabe to enable the murder of children, and then propose that more military-grade weapons be sold to combat the first wave of weaponry.
Yes, that’s just what we need – turn our schools into battlefields.
How about every school gets a moat a drawbridge with crocodiles and a division of marines, or just don’t let visitors into the school past a designated locked waiting room.
Thank G-D. I was worried he would cave in and say something stupid to appease the media.
I strongly agree
Finally, a voice of sanity on the issue. The best thing would be to allow and encourage some teachers, especially male teachers, to carry concealed weapons while at work.
Having an armed guard with a gun will not stop a madman wearing a vest and carrying an assualt rifle. the fact is lanzas mother kept assualt rifles in the house. Ban them is the only way.
What this na’ar is proposing sounds like the ostrich theory, also known as, ‘ah svoraa fin ah baas hayaana’!
NYC public schools have armed and unarmed school safety officers in schools since 1973. School safety officers perform hundreds of daily checks on students and teachers using profiling (no kidding).
why dont they just blame Israel for sandy hook as Michael Harris ( former republican candidate for governor of Arizona has done).If ever it was time to worry about anti semitisim – google michael harris GOP
An excellent idea. Mamash.
Since the slaughter at Columbine High School in 1999, I’ve been proposing that every school in the USA (both public and private) have armed guards in the schools. Nobody should be permitted to enter a school building (including students), without going through a rigorous screening to check for weapons. The screening should include metal detectors. The Israelis have armed guards at every school in EY, and one never hears about shootouts in Israeli schools. I’m sorry folks, but the days when people used to go to sleep with their doors unlocked, are long gone. There are many disturbed people on the loose. While it would be nice to legislate a solution, that could take time. In the meantime, millions of school age children in the USA, will be returning to their classrooms unprotected after the winter break. After 9/11/01, there were armed National Guard troops placed at every commercial airport. The same could be done, with placing them in schools. I’m sure that the usual crank postings will attack this suggestion, but at this point, this is the most viable solution, to a long neglected problem.
Why only allow concealed weapons? Allow people to carry combat guns around their neck like they are in war. And why stop their – just give guns to every citizen…
Yes I am being sarcastic. Its madness.
I guess this what the Mayan apocalypse is all about – the end of the world as we know it, logic being replaced by total madness.
M any of you miss the point. The killer will always have the option to use a gun, legal or illegal. There will always be a black market for guns. The black market for drugs is on every street corner. During prohibition alcohol was on every street. Norway has very strict gun laws and when this nut went on a shooting rampage it took hours to stop him. No one had a gun to stop him. I am not a lover of guns but I recognise the rights of individuals to own one. Its interesting to note countries like China North Korea and Cuba prohibit guns to its citizen.
What can we say? Arm the little school childrens future by having a guard at every Elementary school with a Big Gun. It will appease the gun fanatics and everyone will be living in a solemn embrace with the NRA’s aperature for guilt when it comes to thinking that good can defeat evil.
So that is it. The NRA offered no ideas at their press conference today. Now that they have decided to not be serious about making the country safer, we no longer need consider them or their opinions. Let us work together without and against them.
NRA to America, “Drop Dead”
To #21 -Mr. Anonymous- First of all, I support Dayan’s suggestion about having armed personnel in the schools to protect the students. At no time, did he suggest that the teachers be armed. Secondly, his proposal for National Guard personnel in the schools, was just a temporary one, until additional security personnel can be trained and hired. It should be noted that 33% of America’s public schools already have armed guards in them. Also, Dayan suggested metal detector screenings for all schools. You may mock his suggestion, but all Israeli schools have armed guards. Regarding your remark about the Kent State shootings of 1970, by the Ohio National Guard, your statement was totally off base. The National Guard was actiavated after 9/11/01, and hundreds have already made the supreme sacrifice in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, hundreds if not thousands, have saved Americans following floods, tornados, earthquakes, and other disasters. You should not paint all of the National Guard troops with the same brush, because of the depravity of a few!
The Nuts with Rifles Assocaition is the lobbyist for mass murderers. They are רודפים
Some of these comments really take the cake!
I wore my gun several times last week. Wow, imagine that! I didn’t shoot a single person. And yes, I felt very safe when I ran to the market at almost midnight by myself.
People who don’t shoot or have a concealed weapons permit just don’t get it. We happen to be the most law abiding citizens around.
I thank G-d I live in a state where I can carry. By the way, registration is the first step to taking guns away from citizens. Our Founding Fathers really knew what they were talking about when they made the second amendment. Do your own research, don’t rely on the lies the anti-gun crowd puts out there. Best place to start is with John Lott’s book, “More Guns, Less Crime”.
To all the libs here:
When we finally become almost totally communist and no law abiding citizen can carry a gun -what are you going to say when the next criminal shoots s/o in a bank robbery? Bad boy -How dare you break our million laws for gun control. If you want gun control – how about you libs having some crime control? Oh right, the idea never crossed your minds. (What minds?)