Well we don't have to worry about the world ending because of the NRA. Given the chance to be a lead player on reform in the aftermath of Shady Hook they have instead decided to stand pat and play obstructionist, ensuring that absolutely nothing will be done. If you haven't heard the NRA's solution is to put armed marshals in all schools and blame the media instead of gun owners for mass shootings.
Pathetic. There should be a special place in hell for these people because of all the kids they have killed. Yes as surely as if they pulled the trigger themselves. And now, given the chance to act to save children in the future they instead will block any effort to do so. What a bunch of greedy horrible people.
The NRA and the GOP are one and the same thing. One is an arm for the other. But who's in control?
He could have come off as less aggressive and still asked the same hard questions.
However, let's don't play "Shoot the messenger." LaPierre wouldn't have said anything substantially different even with a more congenial questioner.
Even though I can't stand Republican politics, I'm not a Democratic apologist.
But this time it's different. Obama isn't seeking re-election. And this is a mass shooting that, because it involves kids, has created a lot more national emotion. This time many Democrats aren't going to hold back.
Erly, you know as well as I do that the NRA and the GOP are intertwined politically. On the issue of guns, the GOP takes its marching orders from the NRA. We'll see what gets proposed, but whatever it is it won't matter, because the GOP (and yes, a few Dems, too) is in the back pocket of the NRA and NOTHING will happen.
Yeah, Obama should have tried to do something during his first term. But in all honesty, it wouldn't have mattered, as the gun lobby would have blocked it anyway. Just like it's going to this time.
But anyway, what his presence did reiterate, and it was confirmed by Sen. Lindsay Graham, is that NOTHING is going to be done in Congress on guns. Zilch. Nada. The NRA won't allow it, and the GOP won't cross the NRA.
I imagine some Republicans will try to push the idea of security guards in schools (which, LaPierre confirmed, the NRA won't be spending a dime on). But where's the money going to come from? Won't happen.
More money on mental health. Won't happen.
My guess is there'll be some minor legislation on something trivial that will be touted as helping the problem. Maybe some kind of restriction on video games? But it won't help.
Then there'll be another mass shooting. And people will say something should be done. And nothing will happen.
And the NRA continues to try to scare gun owners (many of whom apparently don't pay attention to current events, like Supreme Court rulings) into believing that the government is going to take their guns.
The host of "Meet the Press" had a good line. The NRA's position is the equivalent of trying to take on lung cancer without addressing cigarettes.
Criticism of it has never bothered me. After all, I don't have any input on the cases they choose. And hey, sometimes the criticism is even right :)
I do not agree however that criticizing the NRA equates to criticizing all its members. NRA leadership undoubtedly does many things not all members agree with. I am a member of several organizations but do not consider criticism of them to be a personal affront.
How many guns do you have erly?
Look it wouldn't hurt to put guards on campus but its not the answer. There were armed officers at Columbine and Virginia Tech. We know how that turned out.
The NRA is so detached from reality that I think even its supporters were shocked this time. I hope a lot of those members let them know it too. Meanwhile the NRA did no favors for its friends in Congress by failing to propose anything realistic or meaningful.
OK Erly I have one for you. Why does the GOP oppose drugs? They don't kill people either. People kill themselves by using them.
Personally, I don't have a big problem with putting armed cops in elementary schools (they're already in most urban high schools and many junior highs), except that it's unnecessary and a tremendous waste of money. An interesting conceit of gun owners is that they always assume that they could take down a mad man with an AR15. Well, how about the Fort Hood shootings. Yeah, someone finally did take down Hassan, but not until after he had killed 13 people. And there were guns all around there as well as professionally trained soldiers. Why does anyone think a single guard with a single handgun would necessarily stop something like Sandy Hook? Probably the guard would just wind up dead.
But that aside, the big issue here is that the NRA had the chance to take the lead on a serious national issue. Instead they called a stunningly arrogant news conference at which they basically said we won't give an inch. No compromise AT ALL. No serious solutions AT ALL. I think even Republicans, judging by their silence, were stunned by the NRA's complete political tone deafness to the Sandy Hook shooting.
more cops in the schools sounds like bigger government to me, which means more government employees, more government run health care and whatever else it makes more of, except for sense
Most public buildings, in the sense of courts, jails, etc., already have armed guards and metal detectors. Some schools already have that as well.
But I really wouldn't want this country to become like an armed camp, with armed guards/police/military everywhere you go. That would be a steep price to pay to give gun nuts their 2nd Amendment "rights."
And yes, rjzip, the NRA and gun people have been great with coming up with all kinds of snappy slogans to promote gun rights/ownership. They sound good, but if you consider them more than superficially, they don't hold water.
Republicans, so far, are being quiet on the NRA's "solution." I imagine even they were stunned by the brazenness of it. But I'm sure they will fall in line once they get over it.
The NRA had a chance to do something to address a major problem. Instead they chose to be part of the problem themselves. Sad but predictable.
the politicians in washington are bought and paid for by the gun lobby. nothing will change until they're gone and out of power. we've all seen the power of the vote in the last year. if you want to really do something, work for change in washington. the nra and the gun fanatics are beyond help.