NRA Is An Embarrassnent For The USA

In response to the tragic death of 20 young children and 6 school staff one week ago, the U.S. National Rifle Association (NRA) issued a statement yesterday. While many people were hoping that the NRA would come out and support the U.S. government’s call for stricter gun controls, the NRA’s inappropriate position was to have armed police officers in every school in the country. NRA executive vice-president Wayne LaPierre stated "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." How’s that for perpetuating the wild-west problem-solving mentality of the NRA?

I doubt if those behind the creation of the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the law that enables citizens to have arms, ever intended an interpretation that some people have today. It is one thing to have a small handgun for personal protection versus the need to have an assault style rifle with high-capacity magazines. Whether you agree with the law or not, it is reasonable to conclude that no society should ever allow its citizens to have weapons that are tantamount to a one-person army.

Few people will disagree with the fact that there is an unhealthy addiction to violence oriented entertainment. Some television and computer games are filled so much with graphic details of killings that many people are no longer disturbed by these visuals, some even craving more of them. The growing problem of dealing with issues of mental health is also a contributing factor.

The NRA’s response to this tragedy is both disturbing and without merit. Their call for more guns indicates that they simply want to continue to be part of the problem and not part of the solution. Americans can only hope that their government proceed with the changes needed dismissing the NRA as an organization out of touch with reality, unconcerned with the well-being of the broader population.