Will NRA's call to arms have lasting impact?

The pro-gun lobby suggests placing armed security guards in every American school. The idea was dismissed by many, however, and didn't seem to gain much policital support.

By Kim Peterson Dec 21, 2012 5:40PM
Image: Student in classroom (Digital Vision/Getty Images)The National Rifle Association says the answer to school shooting massacres is more guns in school. It's hardly a surprising position advocated by the largest gun-rights lobby in the country.

But what will the group's call mean? Will it have any impact beyond a day of heated debate? Is this a fundamental, significant moment in America's complicated relationship with guns or a throwaway grab for headlines?

Investors in gun stocks seemed underwhelmed. The share price for Sturm Ruger (RGR) barely budged and closed Friday down 0.4%. Smith and Wesson (SWHC) shares closed down 1.9%.

The country has seen a week of intense focus on gun control since 20-year-old Adam Lanza walked into a Connecticut elementary school on Dec. 14 and killed 20 children and six educators. America has struggled to understand the attack, to figure out what may have motivated Lanza, who also killed his mother and himself.

The NRA's top lobbyist, Wayne LaPierre, said guns were not to blame. He did blame the media, video games, movies and music videos. He described a "race to the bottom" in which companies compete to be more shocking and offensive. Violent films, he added, were "the filthiest form of pornography."

LaPierre suggested placing armed security guards in every American school. The gun-free zone in place in many schools "tells every killer that schools are the safest place" for mass shootings, he added.

He didn't specify how the program would be paid for, how guards would be trained, what procedures would be in place or how the scenario would be any different from Columbine High School, which had an armed guard when two gunmen killed numerous students in 1999, or Virginia Tech, which had its own armed police force when a student went on a deadly rampage in 2007.

His ideas didn't appear to address whether high-capacity assault weapons should be legal.

LaPierre's suggestions run counter to renewed calls for more gun control and stricter background checks since the shootings. President Obama has appointed Vice President Joe Biden to run a task force on the issue and deliver proposals by next month.

The NRA's highly anticipated announcement was quickly criticized from many sides. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said LaPierre's ideas were "a shameful evasion of the crisis facing our country."

There weren't many who vocally supported LaPierre's plan. Even on the conservative website The Corner, run by the National Review, commenters were far more critical of the proposal than they were supportive. "Any sort of policy that's based on extremely rare, isolated incidents is almost guaranteed to do more unintended harm than good, wrote one. "That goes for both the anti-gun and the pro-gun crowd trying to wave the bloody shirt."


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177Comments
Brood550
Dec 29, 2012 4:15PM
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Lobbyists need to be tried for treason and last time I checked treason was punishable by death.  They infect our government and buy our politicians.  If you have an idea for something a presentation before all of congress should be done not these behind closed door dealings.
argp
Dec 27, 2012 12:44PM
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NRA should talk reasonably. 2nd..Amendment should be amended. Gun owners can own

 guns with more responsibilty.All gun should have parmanent numbers like car's Vin numbers,so they can traced back to manufactures,sellers​ and owners,hence could be traced back in case horrific and irresonsible act. Make owners resposible if they donn't safe- guard their weapons of self defence, and hobby. Bar tenders are responsible if they have served more Drinks

and person gets into accident and somebody is killed. They should have all the rights they want with responsibilty.

NRA  is talking about trainning teachers how to stay with  guns in school. 

Best Way
Dec 26, 2012 12:07PM
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Well, if you think gun control works and you want to truly save lives how about the 45,000 agonizing deaths we permit with the automobile each year - I would suggest automobiles KILL people and therefore if we controlled the speed limit that surly must work too - how about say 30 mph max.  The "control " list could go on forever !!  Seriously I think armed guards is a reasonable idea.
Re-TOG Re-TOG (Re-TOG)
Dec 25, 2012 5:45PM
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There's that Mentality....A Police State.

You really don't know much about cops, do you ??

allyouneedis
Dec 25, 2012 4:47PM
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What would happen if indeed, as suggested by many, we start arming teachers/school administrators with guns so that they could combat the killers of our innocent. Apparently, as the logic goes, these killers would no longer enter schools where they would be killed before they could do their harm.  Success!

  

But then I suspect that these criminals - whether in touch with reality or not - would look for other sites to make their horrific entrance.  They could, for example, look for places where children gather together.  Children are always going on field trips, often to museums.  So I suspect that the evil ones will eventually show up at such places.  So we now arm the museum personnel.  Success at last - no more museum shootings.

  

But then there are the parks with playgrounds.  How hard would it be for the evil doer to use his semi-automatic to kill many, and then him/her self.  So we arm the playgrounds.  Let’s no longer speak of success - not yet.


There are the sports venues where children play hockey, or soccer, or basketball or any myriad of athletic games.  Arm the parents, coaches - make the water boy the gun boy. 

  

And of course there are those indoor playgrounds at fast food restaurants.  We surely can arm the manager, or a couple of the minimum paid workers.


Have we covered everything?  Have we armed everyone yet?


Of course we could regulate the kind of guns our society is allowed to buy.  But then,

there goes freedom.

  

I cherish my freedom, along with the civilian police state I now so comfortably live in.

(Did I mention hospitals? Day care centers? Pediatrician offices? Churches?........)


Re-TOG Re-TOG (Re-TOG)
Dec 25, 2012 2:44PM
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WITH MUCH ....of the rhetoric and kneejerk reaction, that I've  seen prevalent.....

 

I really don't understand why planes are still allowed to fly...?......Since 9/11.

 

Or why we still have hi-speed car chases/crashes.?...F​or mostly a civil infraction, or someone has not paid their child support...

Why are monstrous trucks allowed to go over 55 mph or bully and kill people on hi-ways.?

Especially when highway conditions are treacherous....? Then it should be 45 or under...PERIOD.

wolf 1972
Dec 25, 2012 11:52AM
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When a mentally ill, or criminal shoves a gun in the face of one of these moron liberals they will see the light. The  mentality of a liberal is they don't have any common sense. So when the liberal is dialing his phone and getting shot, I will protect myself with my 2nd amendment rights.
bnchy
Dec 25, 2012 11:37AM
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LaPierre was right on the money with everything he said. The gun controllers knee jerk reaction to a tragedy like Newtown is to blame the gun and attack the 2nd amendment which is the hight of illogic and stupidity. All gun control does is limit or take away the rights of law abiding citizens from being able to protect themselves and others from criminals and crazy people who WILL get ANY weapon they want to get their hands on. If you gun controllers want to live in your paradise then move to the inner cities of Chicago and WDC where they ALREADY have the exact laws you want! I'm sure you'll be safe there because no one there will have a gun since they are illegal, right? And, for those of you who think it is dangerous and irresponsible for their to be armed guards in schools, we need to look no further and follow the example of dear leader Obama, who send his kids to a school with 11(!!!) armed guards. 
wolf 1972
Dec 25, 2012 11:26AM
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Long live NRA and our second amendment. What is needed is to quit blaming the law abiding, and go after the mentally ill, and criminals. I also think many of these liberals should be checked out for mental stability. After all putting Obozo back in office, to give him 4 more years to bankrupt this country, the real problem is mindless liberals. This country isn't moving forward, its just trying to survive. I hope all the vacations at millions of taxpayers moneys, for a do nothing OBOZO is working for you liberal idiots, while the rest of us is struggling to pay our bills.
REGAL MAN500
Dec 25, 2012 11:14AM
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Listen to the far right:we need more guns and drugs in this country.
45dirtman
Dec 24, 2012 6:23PM
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What I would like to know is that with all the police agencies we have these days is that they didnt see this coming. Think about it they may not have known where it was going to happen but I bet someone somewhere laid this scenario out .Look at what they do to you before you fly and that was one incident. are you going to tell me they didn't see it coming. I thought we have an office of homeland security that just bought 1.5 billion yes billion rounds of ammo for NOAA and social security adm the department of agriculture and on and on. That alone would have paid for the gaurds.This administration are the biggest bunch of liars and BS artist ever They dropped the ball in protecting those kids and they should be held accountable by the people of Newtown not the NRA The NRA is trying to protect the Constitution while Obummer and all his crony's are trying to destroy it Wake up people before you have to salute Obummer with SE HEIL.
GREGORY CARVER
Dec 24, 2012 4:42PM
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A few well trained and willing school employees who are well armed would do a lot to provide security in schools. When I was armed as a police officer and again as a parole officer, I had to pass a psych evaluation and the same could be done with armed school staff. Let's not get trapped into blaming the instrument instead of the person. We need to take responsiblity for our actions as do those miscreants who do bad things. We do see similar tragedies in places like China where a deranged guy goes into a school and kills children with a blade. Clearly a nut can wreak havoc with an axe, molotove cocktail, automobile, you name it.
skvam
Dec 24, 2012 1:28PM
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The National Rifle Association is the shameless tool of gun manufacturers.  It violates Christian conscience, and will do anything to help those who arm murderers, drug cartels, and criminals with weapons.  Most butchery was done by legal guns.  How do we know the NRA lies?  Wayne LaPierre's lips move.  Rather than arm teachers, let's disarm the NRA.  Mayor Bloomberg, please fund along with all of us, the majority of patriotic America, a lobby group to take down the NRA murderers.  I will willingly and repeatedly contribute.
Larry Amorosi
Dec 24, 2012 7:42AM
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Just the facts.  lanza did his killing with 2 pistols that belonged to his scholl teacher mother.  the day prior to the killings lanza had a heated argument with some one at the  school.  the scholl boasts a sign "visitors welcome".  it also boasts a sign "gun free school zone".  his mother, as a trained and educated teacher cannot deny knowing her son had a mental problem.  his mother also had a rifle which he took to the school but did not use.  perhaps the nutzo knew a rifle could not be concealed as easy as a pistol.  add the facts about the argument and that lanzas mental condition was not unknown to many in the area, school personnel includede.  last but not least, any person of responsibility who buys a gun knows that it must be kept under lock and key when not in use at the range.  any educated person, such as a teacher with a whacko kid, is responsible for thier guns and thier use.  lets take a long hard look at a mother that was fully aware of her sons limitations and her responsibilites as a gun owner.  most important fact, the nra dids not have adamn thing to do with the killings, the mother and the scholl did.
A Working Man
Dec 23, 2012 11:31PM
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Hi, a similar shooting happened in Denmark 10 years ago after that they banned hand guns, there has not been a shooting over there since, you can not argue with Facts !
RetiredMo
Dec 23, 2012 9:16PM
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if we are going to ban let's ban alcohol since it has more devasting social impact on the public and while we are at it let's ban public unions since the are a waste of taxpayers money.
Re-TOG Re-TOG (Re-TOG)
Dec 23, 2012 5:13PM
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That is quite true........Montana.​......quite true
Re-TOG Re-TOG (Re-TOG)
Dec 23, 2012 2:50PM
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40 YEARS AGO........???  AN ARMED POLICEMAN IN OUR HALLS ????....ON DUTY ????

 

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM ?????

 

I've been a lot of PLACES too.......My friend.

Was that in this Country.??

 

O. B. L.
Dec 23, 2012 12:02PM
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Ask banks how many armed guards have gotten killed defending cash.

Most rent a cops can't hit a barn with a shotgun.  Let alone a perp with an M-4 with 20 dying kids around him. Why don't all you Rambos volunteer to "protect" your local school? 

bg70
Dec 23, 2012 10:47AM
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Schools currently waste and spend a lot of tax dollars but produce substandard graduates.  Why not have the teachers union pay for police protection?  
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