NRA Sends Complimentary Bereavement Gun Baskets To Families Of Shooting Victims
NEWTOWN,
CT—As the nation continues to mourn the women and children who lost
their lives in last month’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School,
the National Rifle Association has reportedly joined the outpouring of
support for families of victims by sending each household a bereavement
gun basket. “On behalf of everyone here at the NRA, we extend our
deepest sympathies to your family during this difficult time, and hope
you enjoy this complimentary assortment of the finest semi-automatic
weapons and ammunition,” read the note accompanying each wicker basket,
which included a variety of magazine cartridges, shooting range
memberships, dried fruits, and high-powered firearms. “If there is any
other ammunition or handgun accessory we can send to you, please let us
know. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.” Sources said the NRA has
also offered to match any assault rifle purchase in the Newtown, CT
area.
National Rifle Association President David Keene rejected the
reported outline of suggestions Sunday and dismissed any ban on assault
weapons or high-capacity magazines as a non-starter.
"We don't think any of those things work," he said in appearance on CNN's "State of the Union." "You should absolutely be able to compromise on things that accomplish the purpose. Our objection to those things is that they interfere with people's rights without doing anything to solve the problem."
On Sunday, he called for a greater focus on mental health and said those who are mentally ill and potentially dangerous should be placed on a list of people prohibited from purchasing firearms. He did not raise the NRA's initial suggestion to place armed guards in schools across the country, which was not only met with widespread criticism but has also proven to be ineffective in prior mass shootings.
The NRA president predicted a difficult road ahead for those pursuing a ban on assault weapons and said he believed he had enough support to prevent such legislation from passing.
"They are not going to be able to get an assault weapons ban through Congress," Keene said, adding that even outlawing high-capacity magazines would be difficult. "The fact is that we live in a society where first of all, we have constitutional rights, and secondly, there are millions upon millions of Americans who value the rights that they have under the Second Amendment and who are involved in the shooting sports or use firearms for self-defense, and we think that they will be heard."
But while an assault weapons ban remains a divisive issue on Capitol Hill, several of its opponents have said they could get behind action on high-capacity magazines. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) called high-capacity magazines "a whole different issue," while Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), who has enjoyed a lifetime "A" rating from the NRA, said he would be "willing to listen to the possibility of the capacity of a magazine."
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas)
"Say some madman comes in. The first person he would probably try to take out was the resource officer. But if he doesn’t know which teacher has training, then he wouldn’t know which one had [a gun]," Niceley told TPM. "These guys are obviously cowards anyway and if someone starts shooting back, they’re going to take cover, maybe go ahead and commit suicide like most of them have."
NRA President David Keene Rejects Outline Of White House Gun Control Recommendations (VIDEO)
Posted: 01/13/2013 9:55 am EST | Updated: 01/13/2013 11:21 pm EST
"We don't think any of those things work," he said in appearance on CNN's "State of the Union." "You should absolutely be able to compromise on things that accomplish the purpose. Our objection to those things is that they interfere with people's rights without doing anything to solve the problem."
On Sunday, he called for a greater focus on mental health and said those who are mentally ill and potentially dangerous should be placed on a list of people prohibited from purchasing firearms. He did not raise the NRA's initial suggestion to place armed guards in schools across the country, which was not only met with widespread criticism but has also proven to be ineffective in prior mass shootings.
The NRA president predicted a difficult road ahead for those pursuing a ban on assault weapons and said he believed he had enough support to prevent such legislation from passing.
"They are not going to be able to get an assault weapons ban through Congress," Keene said, adding that even outlawing high-capacity magazines would be difficult. "The fact is that we live in a society where first of all, we have constitutional rights, and secondly, there are millions upon millions of Americans who value the rights that they have under the Second Amendment and who are involved in the shooting sports or use firearms for self-defense, and we think that they will be heard."
But while an assault weapons ban remains a divisive issue on Capitol Hill, several of its opponents have said they could get behind action on high-capacity magazines. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) called high-capacity magazines "a whole different issue," while Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.), who has enjoyed a lifetime "A" rating from the NRA, said he would be "willing to listen to the possibility of the capacity of a magazine."
THESES ARE THE CONGRESS PEOPLE WE HAVE ELECTED INTO OFFICE.
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas)
"I
wish to God she had had an m-4 in her office, locked up so when she
heard gunfire, she pulls it out ... and takes him out and takes his head
off before he can kill those precious kids," Gohmert said of slain
principal Dawn Hochsprung on Fox News Sunday. He argued that shooters often choose schools because they know people will be unarmed.
Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R)
"If
people were armed, not just a police officer, but other school
officials that were trained and chose to have a weapon, certainly there
would be an opportunity to stop an individual trying to get into the
school," he told WTOP's "Ask the Governor" show Tuesday, warning that Washington may respond to such a policy with a "knee-jerk reaction."
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) & State Sen. Frank Niceley (R)
Gov. Haslam says he will consider a Tennessee plan to secretly arm and train some teachers, TPM reports. The legislation will be introduced by
State Sen. Frank Niceley (R) next month. "Say some madman comes in. The first person he would probably try to take out was the resource officer. But if he doesn’t know which teacher has training, then he wouldn’t know which one had [a gun]," Niceley told TPM. "These guys are obviously cowards anyway and if someone starts shooting back, they’re going to take cover, maybe go ahead and commit suicide like most of them have."
Oklahoma State Rep. Mark McCullough (R) & State Sen. Ralph Shortey (R)
State Rep. Mark McCullough (R) told the Tulsa World he plans to file legislation that would bring guns into schools, calling their absence "irresponsible."
“It is incredibly irresponsible to leave our schools undefended – to
allow mad men to kill dozens of innocents when we have a very simple
solution available to us to prevent it," he said. "I’ve been considering
this proposal for a long time. In light of the savagery on display in
Connecticut, I believe it’s an idea whose time has come."
Sen. Ralph Shortey (R) told the Tulsa World that teachers should carry concealed weapons at school events. "Allowing teachers and administrators with concealed-carry permits the ability to have weapons at school events would provide both a measure of security for students and a deterrent against attackers," he said.
Sen. Ralph Shortey (R) told the Tulsa World that teachers should carry concealed weapons at school events. "Allowing teachers and administrators with concealed-carry permits the ability to have weapons at school events would provide both a measure of security for students and a deterrent against attackers," he said.
Florida State Rep. Dennis Baxley (R)
Baxley, who once sponsored Florida's
controversial Stand Your Ground law, told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune that keeping guns out of schools makes them a target for attacks.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R)
At a Tea Party event Monday night, Perry praised a Texas school system that allows some staff to carry concealed weapons to work and encouraged local school districts to make their own policies.
Minnesota State Rep. Tony Cornish (R)
Cornish plans to introduce legislation that would allow teachers to arm themselves, according to the AP.
Oregon State Rep. Dennis Richardson (R)
In an email obtained by Gawker
and excerpted below, Richardson tells three superintendents that he
could have saved lives had he been armed and in Sandy Hook on Friday:
If I had been a teacher or the principal at the Sandy Hook Elementary School and if the school district did not preclude me
from having access to a firearm, either by concealed carry or locked in
my desk, most of the murdered children would still be alive, and the
gunman would still be dead, and not by suicide.
...
[O]ur children's safety depends on having a number of well-trained school employees on every campus who are prepared to defend our children and save their lives?
...
[O]ur children's safety depends on having a number of well-trained school employees on every campus who are prepared to defend our children and save their lives?
Former Education Secretary Bill Bennett"And I'm not so sure -- and I'm
sure I'll get mail for this -- I'm not so sure I wouldn't want one
person in a school armed, ready for this kind of thing," Bennett, who
served as education secretary under Ronald Reagan, told Meet the Press Sunday.
"The principal lunged at this guy. The school psychologist lunged at
the guy. It has to be someone who's trained, responsible. But, my god,
if you can prevent this kind of thing, I think you ought to."
