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Put armed police in every school, NRA urges

By David Nakamura and Tom Hamburger,December 21, 2012

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Democrats who support stricter gun control have been reluctant to push measures like those Obama advocates, in part because the NRA’s fierce opposition to new rules after an assault weapons ban expired in 2004 has been cited as a factor in several moderate Democrats being voted out of office.

This time might be different. Citing polling data, Democrats contend there is a growing gulf between the NRA’s 4 million members and its leaders in Washington. Members generally support a ban on military-style assault weapons, said Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), a Vietnam War veteran and avid hunter who is spearheading the Democratic response on Capitol Hill.

Several congressional Democrats, as well as big-city mayors, quickly denounced the NRA proposal. New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (I), co-chairman of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns campaign, said LaPierre was offering “a paranoid, dystopian vision of a more dangerous and violent America where everyone is armed and no place is safe.”

Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers, called the NRA’s proposal “irresponsible and dangerous” and accused the group of not seriously addressing gun violence.

“Schools must be safe sanctuaries, not armed fortresses,” she said in a statement.

Critics seized on LaPierre’s denunciation of violent video games — he played a clip from a game called “Kindergarten Killers” in which even students have guns — and noted that an armed guard at Columbine High School in Colorado was unable to prevent the killings there in 1999.

LaPierre was interrupted twice during his statement by anti-gun protesters, including one who held a sign reading: “NRA Killing Our Kids.” After pausing briefly during the second interruption, he shook his head but continued reading his prepared text after the protester was forcibly removed.

Highlighting the complicated politics of the gun control debate, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who has been talked about as a future GOP presidential nominee, said Friday that armed guards would not make classrooms safer. Meanwhile, Rep. Gene Green, a moderate Democrat from Texas who has a top rating from the NRA, said he was pleased that the group had offered suggestions.

NRA officials are scheduled to appear on the Sunday morning televised talk shows to continue making their case in public.

Peter Wallsten, Sean Sullivan and Susan Svrluga contributed to this report.

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