NRA says public wants armed guards in every school
WASHINGTON (AP) - The National Rifle Association on Sunday forcefully stuck to its call for placing armed police officers and security guards in every school as the best way to avoid shootings such as the recent massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.
Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the largest gun rights lobbying organization, said the NRA would push Congress to pay for more school security guards and would coordinate efforts to put former military and police offers in schools as volunteer guards.
"If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," LaPierre said in a broadcast interview. "I think the American people think it's crazy not to do it. It's the one thing that would keep people safe.
LaPierre also contended that any new efforts by Congress to regulate guns or ammunition would not prevent mass shootings.
His comments on NBC's "Meet the Press" reinforced the position that the NRA took on Friday when it broke its weeklong silence on the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
That stand has described by some lawmakers as tone-deaf.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., says LaPierre blames everything but guns for a series of mass shootings in recent years.
"Trying to prevent shootings in schools without talking about guns is like trying to prevent lung cancer without talking about cigarettes," Schumer said.
The NRA plans to develop a school emergency response program that would include volunteers from the group's 4.3 million members to help guard children, and has named former Rep. Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark., as national director of the program.
Hutchinson said local districts should make decisions about armed guards in schools.
"I've made it clear that it should not be a mandatory law, that every school has this. There should be local choice, but absolutely, I believe that protecting our children with an armed guard who is trained is an important part of the equation," he told ABC's "This Week."
Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the largest gun rights lobbying organization, said the NRA would push Congress to pay for more school security guards and would coordinate efforts to put former military and police offers in schools as volunteer guards.
"If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," LaPierre said in a broadcast interview. "I think the American people think it's crazy not to do it. It's the one thing that would keep people safe.
LaPierre also contended that any new efforts by Congress to regulate guns or ammunition would not prevent mass shootings.
His comments on NBC's "Meet the Press" reinforced the position that the NRA took on Friday when it broke its weeklong silence on the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
That stand has described by some lawmakers as tone-deaf.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., says LaPierre blames everything but guns for a series of mass shootings in recent years.
"Trying to prevent shootings in schools without talking about guns is like trying to prevent lung cancer without talking about cigarettes," Schumer said.
The NRA plans to develop a school emergency response program that would include volunteers from the group's 4.3 million members to help guard children, and has named former Rep. Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark., as national director of the program.
Hutchinson said local districts should make decisions about armed guards in schools.
"I've made it clear that it should not be a mandatory law, that every school has this. There should be local choice, but absolutely, I believe that protecting our children with an armed guard who is trained is an important part of the equation," he told ABC's "This Week."
If you are anti-second amendment then you are pro-rape and in which case.... you disgust me.
The smartest thing I have heard yet. A sign saying gun free zone is useless. My other suggestion. Privatize the school industry. It would solve many of our financial and safety problems.
This is the first reasonable suggestion to truly protect the most vulnerable of our population. Obumbles has asked for a "taskforce" to come up with an idea, which in essence means stave off any effort to address an obvious safety issue while spending millions to do nothing.
Yes,let's give police a blank check to shoot our children."Sorry Mrs.Smith an armed guard thought your son's cell phone was a gun and now he's dead".You do realize an armed guard was at Columbine and he had one of them in their sights,right?The NRA are a bunch of nuts and I love guns.Our gun deaths are on par with Venezuela and some real dumps in Africa,yet you and the NRA feel we should throw more guns at the problem,instead of keeping mentally ill people away from guns. my girlfriend watched her best friend die in "The Stockton Massacre" because a mentally ill racist with an AK decided to shoot up a school filled with Asians and their deaths are on the hands of goons like the NRA.You know you're a bad organization when Bush SR resigns.
 @RelaxThereIsNoGod  Cops are not going to shoot our kids. And no guns allowed has been proven not to work. The mall shooting in Portland was stopped by a CHL holder and his gun. What is your suggestion to protect our kids at school? We already tried the no gun approach. It has failed miserably.
 @givupongod  @RelaxThereIsNoGod working 99.9% of the time is pretty far away from failing miserably.
So you're suggesting we protect our children how exactly?? Blaming anyone but the shooter is such a standard theme for liberal minds. Once some jackass acquires a gun, machete, baseball bat, explosive device....it's too damn late to treat their "illness". Your technique of blaming the NRA and having no real answer though....classic