The NRA's Newtown Task Force Isn't Here to Talk About Gun Control

[Robb]

A National Rifle Association-funded school safety task force today unveiled its proposals to avoid school shootings like Newtown, coloring within the lines of the outline floated late last year by the NRA's Wayne LaPierre at a press conference where he attempt to cast blame for that tragedy on the "national media machine" and lawmakers behind gun-free school zones, among a host of other things.

The biggest change from LaPierre's plan to the one offered today by former Rep. Asa Hutchinson today: Instead of placing armed volunteers in every school that wants one, the report suggests each school train and arm at least one staff member. That move would, in theory, cut down on the cost of the initiative, although it does little to address the larger doubts about how effective such a shield program would be.

(snip)

When asked why the task force didn't weigh in on the larger gun control debate, Hutchinson—who received an A-rating from the gun lobby in 2010—made no effort to hide the fact that the shield program is an attempt to shrink the larger conversation to focus exclusively on school shootings specifically, and not gun violence in society at large. "We want the debate focused on school safety," Hutchinson said. "I have not focused on the separate debate in Congress on firearms and how they should be dealt with."

On a somewhat related topic: More than 3,200 people have been killed by guns since Dec. 14, when Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 first-graders and six school staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary.

Read More: http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/04/02/nra_school_shield_program_asa_hutchinson_makes_it_clear_that_the_nra_s_response.html

[Erose999]

1. I'm sure school personnel can't wait for this program requiring them to have gun battles without a

raise in pay or an increase in benefits. I bet Wayne LaPrick's inbox is flooding with volunteers.

Fuck the NRA. Those cocknuckles can eat shit.

[Comrade_McKenzie]

2. Tell us how you really feel. +1000 nt