NRA Press Release Re: Newtown

[Charles L. Cotton]

NRA NEWS RELEASE
National Rifle Association • 11250 Waples Mill Road • Fairfax, VA 22030


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 18, 2012

NRA STATEMENT

The National Rifle Association of America is made up of four million moms and dads, sons and daughters – and we were shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown.

Out of respect for the families, and as a matter of common decency, we have given time for mourning, prayer and a full investigation of the facts before commenting.

The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again.

The NRA is planning to hold a major news conference in the Washington, DC area on Friday, December 21.

Details will be released to the media at the appropriate time.

[CoffeeNut]

So what are the thoughts surrounding this? Is the NRA about to back an assault weapons ban? Kind of irritating that we now have to wait for 3 days before we hear what their contributions will be and we all know the media is going to go full on crazy with speculation in the meantime.

[TexasCajun]

Standard PR duck-and-cover. Since it's been noteworthy that the NRA Facebook page & Twitter account have been temporarily shut down, this is their way of saying no comment until the sting of Friday wears off a little. Personally, I favor the NRA's approach. I was utterly sickened by the parade of buffoons calling for immediate gun bans only a few hours into the whole ordeal. By remaining silent, the NRA is taking a high-road in allowing the friends and families of the victims to begin their grieving as opposed to the leftists who seemingly couldn't wait to use the bodies of dead children as a platform for their agenda.

[Rrash]

I applaud their patience in letting all the facts develop and giving all of us time to process this whole event. One of the most arrogant things we can do is to make uninformed decisions and foolish statements based off emotion that will affect everyone down the road. Its better to gather accurate data, draft a plan that addresses that information, and then have the courage and integrity to carry it out.

We don't need to look at this as gun rights - thats just part of it. We need to look at the safety of our schools, public places, and current mindset of our country.

[Oldgringo]

I applaud their patience in letting all the facts develop and giving all of us time to process this whole event. One of the most arrogant things we can do is to make uninformed decisions and foolish statements based off emotion that will affect everyone down the road. Its better to gather accurate data, draft a plan that addresses that information, and then have the courage and integrity to carry it out.

We don't need to look at this as gun rights - thats just part of it. We need to look at the safety of our schools, public places, and current mindset of our country.

There it is!

This is not the time and there is no place to come out with, "guns don't kill people, people kill people", or some such. Let it come down from a boil to a simmer. The facts are, our NRA is a little short on political capital at the moment....and we are gonna' need all we can get, and then some, to weather this storm.

[koconcept]

I am waiting till their press release to decide to join for life or not. I do think the NRA being silent is good though for a few reasons. One is the gun grabbing didnt even let them i dentify the dead before spouting off their ban all guns propaganda. Also I think the NRA learned their lesson when they went to colorado after columbine and heston had his "from my cold dead hands" While I liked heston it made gun owners look insensitive to the family's and survivors. The media however has tried to spin it the other way i see recently though and for that shame on them.

[Charles L. Cotton]

So what are the thoughts surrounding this? Is the NRA about to back an assault weapons ban? Kind of irritating that we now have to wait for 3 days before we hear what their contributions will be and we all know the media is going to go full on crazy with speculation in the meantime.

The NRA will never back an assault weapons ban. We haven't said anything out of respect for the families who have lost so much. Unlike the those who are more than willing to dance in the blood of innocent victims to promote a political agenda, the NRA is appropriately giving the families time to bury their children and to grieve.

Chas.

[77346]

The NRA will never back an assault weapons ban. We haven't said anything out of respect for the families who have lost so much. Unlike the those who are more than willing to dance in the blood of innocent victims to promote a political agenda, the NRA is appropriately giving the families time to bury their children and to grieve.

Chas.

So far I think the NRA has handled this correctly... no need to get in a shouting match with the anti's at this time; let the families and the nation mourn the victims. But there is a lot at stake... so I hope and pray that they handle this with the utmost professionalism on Friday's press conf.

[PBR]

well i hope it doesnt happen but im pretty sure it will happen -- actually there is no doubt in my mind a ban will happen like before -- im actually surprised a ban hasnt been done sooner -- i figure mags anything over 10 rds will be first then go after the guns ----- i just hope it doesnt turn out like th Australian gun ban -- they start going around taking everyones guns i see bad stuff happening

[gigag04]

My breath is baited.

I've engaged in more dialogue over the last few days, mostly answering questions from friends who are on the fence about an AWB. There are good questions being asked of pro 2A people. We need different answers instead of guns don't kill people.

Looking forward to see what the NRA has planned would like to be involved.

[Lonest4r]

I think that an AWB is downright unfeasible at this point. There are many thousands of them already in citizens' homes. Are we going to be forced to have all of them retrofitted? Also, there is not enough federal money to enforce this type of legislation across the country. They talk about making the possession of "assault" weapons illegal, but all they would likely be able to enforce would be the manufacture and sale of new weapons. States could reasonably eliminate the possession prohibition through passing legislation decriminalizing it (look at how much trouble the Fed Gov has enforcing marijuana laws in states). Then, when things go downhill over the next four years, and assuming the republicans can pull together some sort of a unified front, any AWB could be reversed.

Truthfully, at this point an AWB would send the traffic of semi-automatic rifles off the grid and out of sight. It could theoretically make it easier for people who should not possess weapons to get ahold of them, since the would not change hands through FFls. If they really cared about stopping people from committing these senseless acts of violence, they would spend more time fixing the way we deal with psychological health in this country. People in this country need to step up as well, talk to your children, let them know you love them and raise them correctly. Husbands need to man up and be fathers, show them how to respect life and others.

[AEA]

The talking heads have surmised that the NRA will counter the Looser-In-Chief with the fact that the previous AWB was in place when the Columbine Massacre occurred and did nothing to help prevent it.

[G26ster]

My breath is baited.

I've engaged in more dialogue over the last few days, mostly answering questions from friends who are on the fence about an AWB. There are good questions being asked of pro 2A people. We need different answers instead of guns don't kill people.

Looking forward to see what the NRA has planned would like to be involved.

I think persons in positions such as yourself (LEO) can do a great deal to rationally and professionally set some things straight, for as we all know the media is driving the issue with misinformation, either through ignorance and/or intent. The media has put out so much misinformation since this terrible tragedy, that we need to calmly and rationally correct those gross misstatements when we have the opportunity. I agree with the NRA stepping away until the families can come to grips with this, but I question their Friday news conference as everyone knows, when you want something to go relatively unreported, put it out on Friday. That's what Washington does.

Here's a few suggested questions/comments for those on the fence:

1. Inform them that they're not Military Assault Weapons, being semi auto only. They are not military weapons, they are not heavy weapons, and they are not machine guns. The general public simply does not know because the only people in the news talking about this are not knowledgeable and/or misinformed. That includes media on both the left and right.
2. Ask them what the difference is in one 30 round magazine vs. three 10 round magazines, when even an average shooter can change magazines in mere seconds. If the shooter only had 10 round magazines, would any lives have been saved? Would another 10 seconds to reload between 3 magazines have mattered? It was over before help arrived. Armed, plain clothes security might have stopped it all.
3. Ask them if they think, or have heard/read, a Glock or Sig Sauer can fire faster than any other semi auto handgun, and then inform them they are incorrect, because all semi autos can only fire as fast as a person can pull the trigger. There's no difference between any of them.
4. If they own a big, heavy SUV or pickup truck, ask them if we will need to ban them the next time a drunk driver runs one into a small hatchback and kills a family of 4. I believe this probably happens with great frequency, but does not make national news. Should we concentrate on the vehicle or the drunk driver, and what to do to prevent drunk driving, or ban the vehicle?
5. Ask them if they know that there was no change in violent crime statistics during the last 10 year AWB.

There are many others, but the above is just for starters.

[AEA]

Where's the sound byte when you need it now........
The one where MaoBama said "I am not going to take away your guns"?

[Jumping Frog]

The NRA will never back an assault weapons ban. We haven't said anything out of respect for the families who have lost so much. Unlike the those who are more than willing to dance in the blood of innocent victims to promote a political agenda, the NRA is appropriately giving the families time to bury their children and to grieve.

We are facing a heck of a battle!

I thought my NRA-ILA donations were necessary for the election. Time to head over to the NRAILA.org website and help fund the war chest again!