Today, the National Rifle Association had a press conference to address last week’s school shooting in Newtown, Conn. Wayne LaPierre, the NRA’s executive vice president, was twice interrupted by protestors from CodePink. The complete transcript of the press conference can be found here. Some highlights include his blaming real-life gun violence on video games, movies, music videos and the media. A solution? Armed security at schools. “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,” LaPierre said. (And the crossfire is always so enjoyable!) He didn’t say how schools — some of which have been eliminating basics like gym and art classes for years — would pay for such security. Maybe he wants the teachers to go on DonorsChoose.org, where they now plead for donations to buy often basic classroom supplies, and beg for bullets instead. (I recommend that you browse DonorsChoose; be prepared to get a whole bunch of construction-paper thank-you cards when you fund a project.)
Every time a representative of the NRA speaks, I think of the Family Guy episode that suggested that the Second Amendment has been misinterpreted.
That option seems about as sensible as what the NRA has to say!
UPDATED TO ADD: I guess LaPierre is a gundamentalist.
Good for CodePink!
Family Guy must have it wrong. I always thought it was the right to arm bears.
The right to arm bears, lol!!!
Didn’t the NRA offer to fund such programs at schools? I only heard snippets of his “speech” on Brian Lehrer this morning and it was infuriating.
Even if all of those things DID foster this level of violence, how is the answer to make sure that more people have guns vs making sure LESS people have guns?
Nope, he didn’t offer to pay. He said, “With all the foreign aid the United States does, with all the money in the federal budget, can’t we afford to put a police officer in every single school?” and “I call on Congress today, to act immediately to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every single school in this nation.” No one ever offers to pay for shit in my experience! They always want someone else to pay.
Lovely. Sad but perhaps not surprising. Thankfully it seems his speech wasn’t well received by many as far as I can tell, except maybe their current already overzealous supporter base…but that could just be the news sources I read…it’s always so hard to tell.
Even before the NRA gave this press conference, a number of their congressional supporters have reversed their gun control stance. All we can hope for now is that the sheer insanity displayed by LaPierre will finally ensure legislation is enacted.
I went to a school with it’s own police officer. We also had a small police office on the very bottom floor of the school, but my high school was also located in downtown Nashville.
We also had lockdowns if a silly businessman forgot his briefcase on the stairs of the building next door. Our school doors were perma-locked except for 30 minutes each morning. When you left the building you could only be buzzed back in through one single door.
I know that’s not possible for every school, much less feasible. Though I was pretty stunned to find out not all schools have such security measures in place.
As a gamer, I can definitely say I’m appalled at more blame going onto video games.
I watched LaPierre’s speech, and I can’t believe he helped his cause one bit. He looked and sounded deranged, taunting the press with video games they’d “neglected” to write about.
There is a police officer at my daughter’s middle school. Not sure if he is armed, but he is paid by the town to be there. Even if he was armed, how would he be able to stop a mentally ill person hell-bent on killing, who’s own mother couldn’t stop him with her own guns? Yes, arm more people, makes so much sense. Ugh. Can I start a campaign to get my own island? No guns, just one guillotine (mainly because I like saying “off with their head”.) XXX
I feel like in a lot of these incidents (not school incidents, but shootings in general) it’s often a security guard that gets shot and killed first.
I want to come live on your island if you’ll have me.
I found out the officer in Gwensday Addams’ school is paid by the county and indeed armed. And you’re right, that’s the first person a wacko would go for — take out your most dangerous enemy first.
You’re welcome to my island! You can design the official flag and jewelry which of course will have a guillotine included! I’ll even let you say “off with their head” once in awhile if I’m weary. (; You’re also welcome to be part of my tribe during the zombie apocalypse! (Anyone else, if I don’t know and love you, bye bye, you’re zombie food.)
PS keep getting errors when I try to post, boo!
Trying to fix the commenting problem! I think it’s the verification plug-in 🙁
I’d take it off but I get soooo much spam.
My husband teaches 5th grade at an elem school here in Texas (aka Gunville) and the kids’ parents are asking him if he is looking forward to being able to carry a gun to class. It’s funny because he is the biggest pacifist one could ever know. I ordered him one of the Kenneth Cole “No guns” t-shirts–He can’t wait to wear it it school after break!
Hah! I quoted the exact same line from Family Guy when my friends/family and I were talking about the Newtown shooting.
I’m sorry, but “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun” is just the same as “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”. That is not the solution.
Thank you for mentioning DonorsChoose.Org. I just gave a small amount that finished a project to teach students about budgeting and personal finance. I didn’t know that site existed before you brought it up.
Happy to have been of service!