Candid Questions for the NRA

[kwakun 23]

Posted: December 15

Updated: Today at 9:49 AM

Bill Nemitz: Again, NRA has much to answer for

I have 20 questions for the National Rifle Association -- one for each of the schoolchildren massacred Friday in Newtown, Conn.:

1. Why, more than 24 hours after the horrific shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, had no NRA official uttered a single word of sympathy for the victims?

2. Why, over the same period, did your Twitter feed go silent?

3. Why, whenever the United States suffers yet another mass murder by a lone gunman bristling with semi-automatic weapons, do your supporters insist that "this is not the time" to debate this nation's NRA-fueled obsession with firearms?

4. If this isn't the time to talk about gun control, when is?

5. A recent "Gun of the Week" in the NRA publication American Rifleman was the DRD Paratus-16, described as "a quick break down semi-automatic rifle (that) can be assembled in less than a minute without the use of tools." Why is assembly time so important?

6. Uncle Henry's website currently lists more than 900 items under "firearms" -- including numerous handguns. Why does the NRA vehemently oppose any effort to require background checks on buyers of those weapons?

7. Why do you fight with equal ferocity against mandatory background checks at gun shows?

8. What is the purpose of a magazine that contains 100 rounds of ammunition?

9. Why, on your "NRA Store" website, do you feature a cloth baby bib with colorful blocks that spell "NRA?"

10. Why, on the same site, do you offer a "Camo Marshmallow Shooter" with "an easy-to-fill magazine tube (that) holds up to 25 marshmallows for rapid fire action?"

11. Have you no shame?

12. Currently there are an estimated 300 million guns in the United States -- almost one for every American and by far the highest concentration of privately owned weaponry in the world. In the NRA's view, how many guns in this country are too many?

13. After NBC's Bob Costas said pro-football player Jovan Belcher and Kasandra Perkins would still be alive had Belcher not owned a gun, NRA President Wayne LaPierre accused Costas of "trying to piggyback his agenda on the back of this national tragedy." What say you now, Mr. LaPierre?

14. Ralph Nader on Friday called the NRA "the enabler of mass murder." Can the NRA prove him wrong?

15. A tearful President Obama on Friday called for "meaningful action" to prevent future mass shootings. Will the NRA use those two words to urge its members to go out and stockpile more guns?

16. On the same day that a man with a Bushmaster semiautomatic rifle and two handguns killed 27 people in Newtown, a man with a knife attacked 22 children and one adult outside a primary school in China. If, as the NRA is so fond of saying, “guns don’t kill people – people kill people,” how do you explain the fact that in China, nobody died?

17. Has the NRA ever seen a piece of gun-control legislation it didn't consider a threat to the Second Amendment?

18. If Adam Lanza were a member of the NRA, would you posthumously denounce him?

19. Has any member of the NRA's senior staff ever visited the scene of a mass shooting?

20. What if they were your children?

Columnist Bill Nemitz can be contacted at 791-6323 or at:

bnemitz@mainetoday.com

Edited December 16, 2012 by kwakun

[scotinmass 588]

Excellent questions that will never be answered.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Why, more than 24 hours after the horrific shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School, had no NRA official uttered a single word of sympathy for the victims?

Because those wackos are more concerned about overcompensating for God failing to endow them with an ample, functioning appendage, than showing some empathy for innocent children.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

"Gun Free Zones" have claimed their most recent victims.

So let's talk about it, who cares about respecting the feelings of victims, let's use them for political purposes. OK

1. Allow ANY person the ability to carry concealed handguns anywhere without a permit or license. We do this in Vermont and these things DON'T happen in Vermont. And stop asking me why I carry a handgun to go grocery shopping at Pricechopper in Vermont. THIS is why!

Why would anyone NOT want to follow the example of the state with the lowest crime rate? The state which is safest for CHILDREN! (the anti gun people will now line up with their reasons why Vermont has low crime which have nothing to do with guns...and then STILL demand gun control!)

2. Train ALL teachers in the use of firearms and give them the option of carrying firearms in classrooms...just as we do with airline pilots. Incredible that we would trust the lives of our children with people unable to protect them. We do not disarm police or airline pilots.

Any other discussion is STUPID. The man in this case was willing and able to murder small children, his parents and then himself. Do you understand that? Do you understand that means he does not care about laws? He is not even on the human scale of emotions and thoughts.

You think some minor gun law will stop him? You think he is afraid of going to prison? Seriously? The ONLY thing that stopped this man was a BULLET from a GUN in his HEAD. The sooner you GET the bullet in his brain the less people he kills. Period.

When the police arrived (with guns)this brave man killed himself. Had the first teacher had the possibility of being armed, this never would have happened.

Keep putting out the "No Guns Here" sign. Great Idea.

In fact, I invite the people that think they need to throw out their rights to go outside and put a big sign in your yard, like the ones that we put in front of our children's schools..."No Guns In This House"

[kwakun 23]

"Gun Free Zones" have claimed their most recent victims.

So let's talk about it, who cares about respecting the feelings of victims, let's use them for political purposes. OK

1. Allow ANY person the ability to carry concealed handguns anywhere without a permit or license. We do this in Vermont and these things DON'T happen in Vermont. And stop asking me why I carry a handgun to go grocery shopping at Pricechopper in Vermont. THIS is why!

Why would anyone NOT want to follow the example of the state with the lowest crime rate? The state which is safest for CHILDREN! (the anti gun people will now line up with their reasons why Vermont has low crime which have nothing to do with guns...and then STILL demand gun control!)

2. Train ALL teachers in the use of firearms and give them the option of carrying firearms in classrooms...just as we do with airline pilots. Incredible that we would trust the lives of our children with people unable to protect them. We do not disarm police or airline pilots.

Any other discussion is STUPID. The man in this case was willing and able to murder small children, his parents and then himself. Do you understand that? Do you understand that means he does not care about laws? He is not even on the human scale of emotions and thoughts.

You think some minor gun law will stop him? You think he is afraid of going to prison? Seriously? The ONLY thing that stopped this man was a BULLET from a GUN in his HEAD. The sooner you GET the bullet in his brain the less people he kills. Period.

When the police arrived (with guns)this brave man killed himself. Had the first teacher had the possibility of being armed, this never would have happened.

Keep putting out the "No Guns Here" sign. Great Idea.

In fact, I invite the people that think they need to throw out their rights to go outside and put a big sign in your yard, like the ones that we put in front of our children's schools..."No Guns In This House"

With all due respect, are you responding to the article I posted or to another article?

In response to the bolded part, thanks for making that point because a background check is supposed to keep guns out of the hands of people in contempt of laws. If a person does not care about laws, we do not want him to have free and easy access to guns.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

With all due respect, are you responding to the article I posted or to another article?

In response to the bolded part, thanks for making that point because a background check is supposed to keep guns out of the hands of people in contempt of laws. If a person does not care about laws, we do not want him to have free and easy access to guns.

I am not sure I want anybody but those that have a demonstrated need for a firearm to have one, and only as long as that person can demonstrate that need continues. And further, that firearm should be suited solely to the activity for which the firearm is intended. For instance, a hunter only needs a single-shot, or repeating rifle or shotgun with a small capacity magazine, with a barrel at least long enough to kill game at a prudent range. He doesn't need a military style carbine with a fold-away wire stock and pistol grip firing hardball ammunition from an extended magazine with a high cyclic rate.

[scotinmass 588]

He doesn't need a military style carbine with a fold-away wire stock and pistol grip firing hardball ammunition from an extended magazine with a high cyclic rate.

But he feels so much sexier when he carries one.

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

What does the NRA have to do with the shooting in Connecticut ? That's like comparing the price of rice in China to the price of apples over here. They have zero in common. As far as Bob Costas goes, he's a hack and has always been one to my knowledge. He's about one step up from Bret Mussberger and that isn't saying much. When Bob gets a clue let us know.

[Martyshk 137]

The next argument is going to be: "If only those kids had guns..." I swear, it's fvcking coming to this right now...

Why do we have to arm teachers? Are we really going to turn into a country where you run a chance of being shot over anything because pretty much everyone has a gun? OH WAIT, we are there already!!!

** this, and ** the arguments that more guns prevent gun violence...

Edited December 16, 2012 by Martyshk

[kwakun 23]

What does the NRA have to do with the shooting in Connecticut ?

LOL?

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

LOL?

Did the NRA stuff that kid full of drugs and tell him to whack a bunch of kids at an elementary school? No I don't think they did. I'm a lifetime member of the NRA and not once have I read in any of the news letters to start taking drugs and then go on a shooting spree. Same when I purchased my pickup. I didn't get a flyer from Ford Motor Co. suggesting I go get drunk and then run over a bunch of pedestrians.

Edited December 16, 2012 by Bad_Daddy

[Martyshk 137]

Did the NRA stuff that kid full of drugs and tell him to whack a bunch of kids at an elementary school? No I don't think they did. I'm a lifetime member of the NRA and not once have I read in any of the news letters to start taking drugs and then go on a shooting spree. Same when I purchased my pickup. I didn't get a flyer from Ford Motor Co. suggesting I go get drunk and then run over a bunch of pedestrians.

No, but NRA opposes a lot of laws that would make the whole gun control (i.e. guns getting into the hands of mentally ill people) easier, and that can be done without infringing on the 2nd amendment.

I'll give you an example... A relative of mine (whom I haven't spoke to for many years) has a gun. Not a problem in itself, but that relative is also on SSI disability for mental health issues. Yet, he has a gun, he drives a car, etc. So, I'm sure I'm not the only person who sees an issue with that predicament.

Edited December 16, 2012 by Martyshk

[scotinmass 588]

The next argument is going to be: "If only those kids had guns..." I swear, it's fvcking coming to this right now...

Why do we have to arm teachers? Are we really going to turn into a country where you run a chance of being shot over anything because pretty much everyone has a gun? OH WAIT, we are there already!!!

** this, and ** the arguments that more guns prevent gun violence...

Well apparently in Vermont there is no crime and this kind of thing never happens because there is no gun control and everyone carries guns so people are scared to use them. Obviously that means that school kids carry them too and crazy people won't take that chance.

[Martyshk 137]

Well apparently in Vermont there is no crime and this kind of thing never happens because there is no gun control and everyone carries guns so people are scared to use them. Obviously that means that school kids carry them too and crazy people won't take that chance.

You know, over the years I learned not to be affected by a$$holes who cut me off, not to give in to road rage and you know how that happened? Had a gun pulled on me for trying to pass someone (going 50 in the left lane in a 65mph zone)... To be quite fair, I had a gun too at the time, but I guess I have to go to Vermont to learn how to shoot and drive 60mph on the highway at the same time (passenger pulled a gun when I was passing the slow car on the right).

There has just been way too much of violence in the last few years... and to say that it's not related to the gun control is to be a complete a$$hole or to be in complete denial.

I'm pretty sure if you take any civilized country, any major city there - they'd have less victims of gun violence in a year then we did in Newtown...

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

No, but NRA opposes a lot of laws that would make the whole gun control (i.e. guns getting into the hands of mentally ill people) easier, and that can be done without infringing on the 2nd amendment.

I'll give you an example... A relative of mine (whom I haven't spoke to for many years) has a gun. Not a problem in itself, but that relative is also on SSI disability for mental health issues. Yet, he has a gun, he drives a car, etc. So, I'm sure I'm not the only person who sees an issue with that predicament.

Being on SSI for mental health issues and owning a gun should be a no no imo. That one would have me worried. Can he legally own a gun and be drawing SSI for that reason or is he skirting the law somehow?

Edited December 16, 2012 by Bad_Daddy