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NRA: 'Harden Our Schools,' Fear 'Socialist' Democrats

NRA breaks silence after Parkland, targets media, gun-control advocates
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 22, 2018 2:33 PM CST
NRA Targets Dems, Media, Even Trump in Wake of Shooting
National Rifle Association Executive Vice President and CEO Wayne LaPierre, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), at National Harbor, Md., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2018.   (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

"Many in legacy media love mass shootings," NBC News quotes NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch as saying Thursday at the Conservative Political Action Conference. "You love the ratings. Crying white mothers are ratings gold." A week after 17 people were killed at a school shooting in Florida, the NRA went on the defensive in speeches, videos, and statements targeting gun-control advocates, Democrats, the media, and even some ideas put forth by President Trump, the Washington Post reports. In his own speech at CPAC, NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre warned citizens to be "frightened" of any Democratic election victory. "What they want is more restrictions on the law-abiding," CNN quotes LaPierre as saying. "If they seize power ... our American freedoms could be lost and our country will be changed forever."

Following in Trump's footsteps, LaPierre called for more armed security in schools, including arming teachers. "Evil walks among us," he said, adding, "God help us if we don’t harden our schools." However, the president has also suggested increasing the age to purchase semi-automatic rifles from 18 to 21 in opposition to the NRA. An NRA spokesperson says such a law would deprive young people "of their constitutional right to self-protection." LaPierre spent most of his time at CPAC railing against what he says is a "socialist" agenda pushed by Democrats in the wake of the Parkland shooting. "Opportunists wasted not one second to exploit tragedy for political gain," he said. Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer responded: "The NRA is once again spewing pathetic, out of touch ideas, blaming everything but guns." (More NRA stories.)

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