HomePro-gun 'lobby' holds annual conference in Texas days after the Uvalde massacre

Pro-gun ‘lobby’ holds annual conference in Texas days after the Uvalde massacre

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Several high-profile guests dropped out of the controversial and powerful gun lobby group’s annual gathering, which took place only days after one of the bloodiest school killings in a decade.

On Friday, the National Rifle Association (NRA) began its annual convention in Houston, just days after 19 children and two teachers were slaughtered at a Texas elementary school.

Outside the event, protestors gathered to demand an end to the pro-gun lobby’s stronghold on US politics.

“Its bad optics, its probably also bad politics. It is incomprehensible,” Stefan Simons, a DW correspondent in Texas, explained why the convention was not canceled. “For those parents, and the people in Uvalde we talked to… a lot of people are having trouble understanding why the NRA thought it was still a good idea to go forward with this.”

This would not be the first time the NRA has shown insensitivity to the location of its convention. They hosted their annual summit in Denver, Colorado, in 1999, just two weeks after the shooting at Columbine High School in the same state.

Thousands of gun aficionados descended to the conference, which was the first in 2019 and filled a big convention hall packed with booths of gun and gear makers, walls of semi-automatic rifles, and hunting supplies, despite the optics.

Speakers’ remarks

Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and chief executive officer of the NRA, reacted to calls for gun regulation following the horrific massacre in Uvalde.

“Restricting the fundamental human right of law-abiding Americans to defend themselves is not the answer. It never has been,” he told the appreciative audience.

There have been too many mass shootings in Texas, according to Senator Ted Cruz, and “we must act decisively to stop them.” He claimed, however, that restrictions on guns would not help, “what stops armed bad guys are armed good guys.”

Donald Trump, the former president of the United States, was also scheduled to speak to the crowd.

Because of security concerns raised by the ex-president, attendees were prohibited from bringing “firearms, firearm accessories, knives, and other items” to the firearms convention.

The NRA said of the shooting in Texas in a statement released ahead of the meeting: “We recognize this was the act of a lone, deranged criminal. As we gather in Houston, we will reflect on these events…and pledge to redouble our commitment to making our schools secure.”

Politicians and performers withdraw

Governor Greg Abbott issued a pre-recorded video statement, while consistently dismissing calls for stricter gun legislation. He had been slated to speak, but he was instead traveling to the slaughter site in Uvalde. Dan Patrick, his deputy, canceled his visit as well, saying that while he backed the NRA, he did not want to “bring any additional pain or grief to the families and all those suffering in Uvalde.”

Senator John Cornyn of Texas and Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas both spoke out, although none mentioned the school massacre.

Don McLean, the singer of “American Pie,” and numerous other country music musicians were among the high-profile guests who pulled out of the event. Daniel Defense, which manufactured the weapon used in the Uvalde massacre, has also withdrawn from the convention.

Although the organization’s website says it has 5 million members, persistent infighting and internal scandals, as well as federal lawsuits, have resulted in both that number and the organization’s revenue falling in recent years.

Image Credit: Getty

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