The NRA's changing stances

[Lois]

The NRA used to support criminal background checks too.  Now they are opposed, because hey, criminals have a right to own guns too!


From the article:

    Eleven days after the massacre, Wayne LaPierre – a lifelong political operative who had steadied the National Rifle Association through many crises – stood before an American flag and soberly addressed the nation about firearms and student safety: "We believe in absolutely gun-free, zero-tolerance, totally safe schools. That means no guns in America's schools, period," LaPierre said, carving out a "rare exception" for professional law enforcement. LaPierre even proposed making the mere mention of the word "guns" in schools a crime: "Such behavior in our schools should be prosecuted just as certainly as such behavior in our airports is prosecuted," LaPierre said.

    This speech wasn't delivered in an alternate universe. The date was May 1st, 1999, at the NRA's national convention in Denver. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's rampage at Columbine High School in nearby Littleton, Colorado, had just killed 13 students and teachers, shocking the conscience of the nation.

    The disconnect between the NRA chief's conciliatory address on that day 14 years ago and his combative press conference in the aftermath of the slaughter of 20 first-graders in Newtown, Connecticut, could hardly be more jarring. In his now-infamous December 21st tirade, LaPierre ripped the gun-free zones he once championed as an invitation to the "monsters and predators of this world," advertising to "every insane killer in America that schools are their safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk."


Continue -
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-nra-vs-america-20130131#ixzz2JZXCS9uF

[DanteDC]

Wow the nra want it to be like borderlands. I predict they will become teidore.

[joan1984]

Seems Mr. LaPierre has looked at the history, and he has evolved.

The NRA continues to support the existing instant background check, and wants the availability of common sense records enhanced, to include the records now legal for reporting by health care providers and Hospitals brought to full compliance. Seems a
number, maybe an overwhelming number of Hospitals and Doctors do not report mental health related Patient records, saying their understanding of HIPAA rules prevents such reports. This is a enforcement issue, requires no new legislation. Perhaps a penalty for not reporting needs to be enforced, and clarification of how HIPPA permits disclosure  would be helpful, again, no legislation required.

If States do not currently report the information requested in the FBI Instant Background Check procedure, then actions to enforce such compliance is indicated.

The NRA endorses enforcement of existing firearm related laws, or removal of laws not being currently enforced, not new legislation in addition to laws not being enforced. For instance, if a person is turned down in the FBI Instant Background Check, that person who attempted to purchase a firearm needs to be held to account for the attempt when they know, or should know, that such a purchase is not their right.

Those who are felons or have warrants should be called in to their probation or parole officers, or the court as may be indicated. Warrants should be served. Persons knowingly attempting purchase while unqualified, their right to gun ownership being suspended due to a legal reason, are committing a crime, and need to pay for that transgression.

All weapons sold at gun shows must conform to the State regulations. The same with Internet purchases, which are not shipped to the buyer, or sold for cash with no record, but are shipped and transferred thru Gun Dealers, who then are required to perform the standard FBI Instant Background Check. Reports of large numbers of unrecorded sales are not true, even if once such sales were less regulated.

Reasonable regulations for background checks are already in place, and the buyer, or gun dealer seller, are not attempting to evade. If there need be some specific State action to cover particular situations in personal firearm transfer, father to son, or other then the citizens of the State involved and their officials should see such issues addressed.

The NRA used to support criminal background checks too.  Now they are opposed, because hey, criminals have a right to own guns too!


From the article:

   Eleven days after the massacre, Wayne LaPierre – a lifelong political operative who had steadied the National Rifle Association through many crises – stood before an American flag and soberly addressed the nation about firearms and student safety: "We believe in absolutely gun-free, zero-tolerance, totally safe schools. That means no guns in America's schools, period," LaPierre said, carving out a "rare exception" for professional law enforcement. LaPierre even proposed making the mere mention of the word "guns" in schools a crime: "Such behavior in our schools should be prosecuted just as certainly as such behavior in our airports is prosecuted," LaPierre said.

    This speech wasn't delivered in an alternate universe. The date was May 1st, 1999, at the NRA's national convention in Denver. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's rampage at Columbine High School in nearby Littleton, Colorado, had just killed 13 students and teachers, shocking the conscience of the nation.

    The disconnect between the NRA chief's conciliatory address on that day 14 years ago and his combative press conference in the aftermath of the slaughter of 20 first-graders in Newtown, Connecticut, could hardly be more jarring. In his now-infamous December 21st tirade, LaPierre ripped the gun-free zones he once championed as an invitation to the "monsters and predators of this world," advertising to "every insane killer in America that schools are their safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk."


Continue -
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-nra-vs-america-20130131#ixzz2JZXCS9uF