In an exclusive interview with One America News’ Rick Amato, president of the National Rifle Association David Keene discusses the heated debate over gun control legislation.
“The question that they asked … was what do we do about guns? But we beg to differ,” Mr. Keene said about differing reactions to the Sandy Hook tragedy. “That’s not the question that the American people want answered. The question the American people want answered is how do we prevent these kinds of tragedies? How do we protect our children?”
He went on to suggest that the NRA, as well as those surveyed by Gallup, want more security in schools and better mental health evaluations, not more gun control.
“They know that guns, in fact, don’t jump off shelves and commit violence,” he said.
Mr. Keene said the self-reliance of the Second Amendment represents an America that the left resents.
“It has come to symbolize an America in which people rely on themselves,” he said.
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The NRA chief then recalled a sheriff in Wisconsin who said that it’s law enforcement’s job to help people after the fact, and it’s the citizen’s job to protect themselves and their loved ones in the moment.
“You’re the person in this country who is responsible for the protection of yourself and your family,” Mr. Keene said. “That’s not an America that a lot of people today like to think about. They want an America where everything is done and controlled by the government.”
He added that the left is pushing a ban on “assault weapons” merely because they look scary.
“I’m not making this up,” he said. “Diane Feinstein’s staff actually went through pictures of all the firearms and semi-automatic rifles available, and they picked out 157 of them that they didn’t like the looks of … So today they would ban a semi-automatic rifle with a visible pistol grip, but not the same rifle if it didn’t have a visible pistol grip.”
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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