According to Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the National Rifle Association (NRA), there is something that could have prevented the Navy Yard shooting that killed 12 people: more good guys with guns. The shooting occurred last Monday when former Navy Reservist Aaron Alexis opened fire at the Washington Navy Yard.
“There weren’t enough good guys with guns,” LaPierre said during an interview with Meet the Press. “When the good guys with guns got there, it stopped…All the outrage this week–the first two days of the elite media and the politicians trying to stir this toward firearms–the outrage ought to be placed on an unprotected naval base.”
LaPierre said that in addition to making sure the right people are armed to prevent such tragedies, that we also need to focus more on problems with the mental health system. The NRA expressed a similar sentiment during the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shootings last December.
“The outrage ought to be placed on an unprotected naval base, on a criminal justice system…that doesn’t even enforce the federal gun laws when we could dramatically cut violence, on a mental health system that is completely broken, on a check system that is a complete joke in terms of stopping the bad guys,” LaPierre said. “Let’s do whatever we can, let’s fix the broken system right now.”
Wayne LaPierre believes if you are not in jail or a mental institution you are a potential gun owner.
— Greg Zeszotarski (@cowguy001) September 23, 2013
@seanlamontlove – Of course, I wished trained personnel could have helped, but I don't think ambiguous "good guys" with guns is an answer.
— WhenRightIsWrong (@Right_All_Wrong) September 24, 2013
President Barack Obama questioned whether people care enough about such tragedies to change their views during a eulogy he delivered for those who lost their lives in the Navy Yard shootings.
Obama said that the issue isn’t “whether as Americans we care in moments of tragedy.” Instead, “The question is do we care enough? It ought to be a shock to all of us, as a nation and a people,” he said. “It ought to obsess us. It ought to lead to some sort of transformation.”
While many people would like to see changes in gun laws, quite a few people were bothered that Obama used that particular moment to bring up such changes.
Obama's eulogy for Navy Yard dead; "OK, I'm here to eulogize, but perhaps the victims families might like to hear my views on gun control."
— Mike Baker (@MBCompanyMan) September 23, 2013
Obama turning eulogy into anti-gun rant. Show some respect to victims. #NavyYardShooting
— Jim Pook (@jimpook) September 22, 2013
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