Following a week of radio silence, NRA head Wayne LaPierre finally addressed last week’s tragic shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, making his views plain to the nation. The factors behind the shooting the shooting were many, LaPierre claimed, and included the perennial whipping boy of violent video games. In fact, the only thing that could have prevented the shooting was more guns in the hands of armed teachers or guards in schools. LaPierre’s case might have carried a little more water if it didn’t come just hours after yet another multiple shooting along a stretch of road in Blair County, Pennsylvania that left four people — including the apparent shooter — dead and three state troopers injured.
We don’t have many details on this shooting, and authorities have yet to release the identities of the victims or the shooter. Our hearts obviously go out to the families of those who lost loved ones to senseless violence today, just as they go out to those who lost loved ones to a disturbed individual with access to firearms last week.
We would eagerly await LaPierre’s next press conference addressing this latest tragedy but, after today, we’ve got a pretty good idea of what that will sound like, and frankly, we’re not interested in what video games this latest shooter played. That’s not a good enough answer to the question of how the NRA plans to address the issue of gun violence. As a matter of fact, it’s not an answer at all, and the American people — and especially the millions of responsible gun owners in this nation that LaPierre is supposed to be representing — deserve better.
(via WJAC TV)
- Here is our recap of pretty much the weakest argument made at a press conference ever
- Though LaPierre certainly isn’t alone
- These shootings and threats are out of control, is what we’re saying
