NRA speakers remain firm on gun rights after shooting
Mental health issues highlighted in speech from ex-Pres. Trump
HOUSTON — One by one, they took the stage at the National Rifle Association’s annual convention and denounced the massacre of 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school across the state. And one by one, they insisted that changing U.S. gun laws or further restricting access to firearms was not the answer.
“We must not react to evil and tragedy by abandoning the Constitution or infringing on the rights of our law-abiding citizens,” said Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, who was among the Republican leaders who lined up to speak before the gun rights lobbying group Friday as hundreds of protesters angry about gun violence demonstrated outside.
Former President Donald Trump, in his remarks, called for “drastically” changing the nation’s approach to mental health and “a top-to-bottom security overhaul at schools across this country,” while dismissing calls for further firearm restrictions.
“The existence of evil in our world is not a reason to disarm law-abiding citizens,” he said. “The existence of evil is one of the very best reasons to arm law-abiding citizens.”
The gathering came just three days after the shooting in Uvalde and after revelations that students trapped inside a classroom with the gunman repeatedly called 911 during the attack — one pleading “Please send the police now” — as officers waited in the hallway for more than 45 minutes.
The NRA had said that convention attendees would “reflect on” the shooting at the event and “pray for the victims, recognize our patriotic members and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure.”
Wayne LaPierre, the group’s chief executive, began with remarks bemoaning “Twenty-one beautiful lives ruthlessly and indiscriminately extinguished by a criminal monster.”
Still, he said that “restricting the fundamental human rights of law-abiding Americans to defend themselves is not the answer. It never has been.”Later, several hundred people in the auditorium stood and bowed their heads in a moment of silence for the victims of the Uvalde school shooting. There were many empty seats.
Trump told the group that every school building should have a single point of entry, strong exterior fencing, metal detectors and hardened classroom doors and every school should have a police officer or armed guard on duty at all times.
According to a district safety plan, Uvalde schools have a wide range of safety measures in place. The district had four police officers and four support counselors, according to the plan, which appears to be dated from the 201920 school year. It also had software to monitor social media for threats and software to screen school visitors.
Some scheduled speakers and performers backed out of the event, including several Texas lawmakers and “American Pie” singer Don McLean, who said “it would be disrespectful” to go ahead with his act after the country’s latest mass shooting. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Friday morning that he had decided not to speak at an event breakfast after “prayerful consideration and discussion with NRA officials.”
“While a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and an NRA member, I would not want my appearance today to bring any additional pain or grief to the families and all those suffering in Uvalde,” he wrote in a statement.
Outside the convention hall, protesters gathered in a park where police set up metal barriers — some holding crosses with photos of the Uvalde shooting victims. “Murderers!” some yelled in Spanish. “Shame on you!” others shouted at attendees.