Walking out of a funeral for one of the 27 victims of the Newtown Elementary School massacre, Rep. Chris Murphy (D-NY) was handed a copy of the remarks of NRA spokesperson Wayne LaPierre. The NRA vice president spoke in Washington today for the first time since the Newtown massacre. Murphy soon released remarks of his own — and they were sharp.
The U.S. Senator-elect called LaPierre’s words, “the most revolting, tone-deaf statement I’ve ever heard… while Newtown continues the horrifying work of burying twenty children and six adults, the NRA has the gall to say that the solution to this problem is more, not fewer guns.”
New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn called LaPierre’s remarks, “some of the most stupid, asinine, insensitive, ridiculous comments I have ever heard made in the public arena.”
“Instead of solutions to a problem they have helped create, NRA offered a paranoid, dystopian vision of a more dangerous and violent America,” arrived a tweet from the office of New York City Michael Bloomberg.
“It’s clear that their real priority is to help gun manufacturers sell more guns — not to protect our children or Americans’ rights. The extreme rhetoric of Wayne LaPierre and the NRA is disturbing and dangerous,” said Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).
“Conservatives preach no federal government and local control of schools until the NRA wants the federal government to mandate guns in schools?,” tweeted Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO).
American Federation of Teachers chief Randi Weingarten, called LaPierre’s idea for armed guards in schools, “both irresponsible and dangerous. No matter how much money the NRA spends or propaganda it tries to spread, one thing is clear — the NRA is not serious about confronting the epidemic of gun violence in our nation.”
Other reactions to LaPierre’s speech followed a similar pattern. Many people also remarked how surprised they were that anyone would be surprised the NRA would doubledown — even in the wake of the Newtown Elementary School massacre.
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[...] were characterized as “bizarre“, “disturbing“, “callous” and “dangerous”, “delusional” and “revolting” by observers from across the political [...]
And opportunistic. Let’s sell MORE guns in the wake of the Newtown tragedy! Members of the NRA should be ashamed to be associated with, and represented by, LaPierre.
It’s time gutless politicians stop fearing this totally out of touch group of lunatics.