NRA: 'The Only Thing That Stops a Bad Guy with a Gun Is a Good Guy with a Gun'

After remaining silent on the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting for a week, in order to show respect to victims and families of victims of that terrible crime, the NRA broke its silence today. 

NRA Executive Director Wayne LaPierre began his comments thus: “The National Rifle Association’s 4 million mothers, fathers, sons, and daughters join the nation in horror, outrage, grief, and earnest prayer for the families of Newtown, Connecticut.” 

He then took off the gloves and pointed out the sheer hypocrisy of the mainstream media and the Democrat Party — both for politicizing this tragedy and for creating (and supporting) the gun-free zones that made it possible to begin with.

Here is some of what he said:

While some have tried to exploit tragedy for political gain, we have remained respectfully silent. [But] now we must speak.

…Politicians pass laws for Gun-Free School Zones. They issue press releases bragging about them. They post signs advertising them. And in so doing, they tell every insane killer in America that schools are their safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk.

How have our nation’s priorities gotten so far out of order? Think about it. We care more about our money, so we protect our banks with armed guards. American airports, office buildings, power plants, courthouses — even sports stadiums — are all protected by armed security.

We care about the President, so we protect him with armed Secret Service agents.

…Yet when it comes to the most beloved, innocent and vulnerable members of the American family — our children — we as a society leave them utterly helpless, and the monsters and predators of this world know it and exploit it. That must change now!

…They’re our kids. They’re our responsibility. And it’s not just our duty to protect them — it’s our right to protect them.

What if, when Adam Lanza started shooting his way into Sandy Hook Elementary, he had been confronted by qualified, armed security? 

Will you at least admit the possibility that 26 innocent lives might have been spared? Is that so abhorrent to you that you would rather continue to risk the alternative?

…How many more copycats are waiting in the wings for their moment of fame?

The NRA is going to bring all of its knowledge, dedication and resources to develop a model National School Shield Emergency Response Program for every school that wants this. [This will include] armed security…and teacher training.

…The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.