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Gun control advocate reacts to the NRA's press conference in the aftermath of the Newtown shooting
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Thanks for staying with us I'm Laura Ingraham in for Bill O'Reilly and -- unresolved problem segment tonight.
It's been now one week since twenty year old Adam -- -- went on a shooting Rampage that left 28 people dead.
Including twentieth little children.
The mask respond a fierce debate over gun control but the leading gun rights group the NRA has been largely silent until today.
They came out swinging today in them against the media in a press conference which was occasionally interrupted by protesters.
-- face -- on moral failings.
The media demonize lawful gun owners.
Amplify their cries for more laws.
And -- the national media with misinformation.
And dis honest thinking.
That only delay.
Meaningful action and all but guaranteed that the next atrocity.
Is only a news cycle away the only way.
To stop a monster from killing our kids is to be personally involved and invested in a plan of absolute protection.
The only thing that stops up bad guy with a gun.
Is a good guy with a gun.
With us -- to respond Josh Horowitz he's the executive director of the coalition to stop.
Gun violence.
Josh good to see what's your reaction to what -- Wayne Lapierre said to -- Well first I think it's great we're having this discussion it's a discussion that's long -- -- it's really too bad that takes this type tragedy get this type of attention to the issue.
That being said I thought the NRA was a little too -- in addressing this issue.
But also talking about this issue of -- school security guards.
I think that's something that's done at the local level every day I know my school district I'm on the PTA we have -- disaster plans to do -- -- shooter drills.
This is something that the NRA just doesn't need to be involved with we had excellent.
-- That's a conversation right and I think he's trying to exhort people to think about like you army all different ideas and and look I'm probably more on -- RA side -- your side -- -- but I think everybody gets into the conversation and offers opinions and without.
Each side being demonize I think there was there's been a lot of demonization I think he's right about that a lot of people.
Feel like -- were on the receiving end of all the scrutiny criticism and -- -- law abiding person and -- you know.
And people on guns and practice gun safety they should be lauded not demonize.
Like I think we want to have a conversation today about what what the American people have been talking to us about what -- been talking to congress about.
Which is things like.
How do we get rid of these assault weapons on the street.
Why is that we don't tell me telling viewers what an assault weapon -- in this case it's a bushmaster rifle to carbine rifle it's short barrels it has a detachable magazine can take up to a underground magazine.
And has -- -- program.
And that allows it to keep your your barrel on the target it's designed it's very similar to what our troops carry in the battlefield is designed to kill people.
And unfortunately that's exactly what it -- Most murders are not committed however in the United States you have the facts on that -- with an assault style weapons and it may look very scary and they do a lot of damage but.
In fact most killers do not use assault weapons and even in mass killings most the time they're not assault weapon -- -- people here assault weapon.
I think they think it's fully automatic -- semi -- weapon with military style.
Features plus the pistol grip which keeps it and it really makes it ended -- -- different types of features but that's one of the -- -- right.
And of course that the most most voters are done with handguns and 38 revolver and a and a and a pistol but let's remember the last mass shootings last.
Three we've had to have all had the same type of weapon and -- ar fifteen style weapons how I'm not however -- it was a different type of weapon right but in a -- around them in the Portland mall so that you -- if you wanna kill a lot of people have their effect.
What happened during the assault weapon ban that was in place for ten years 94 to 2000 we actually for you -- 2004 -- we did not have a measurable impact on the incidence of these types of mass shootings is not that is that not the case.
Well no actually it it really did I mean I shouldn't have been up since the -- expiration of the assault weapons ban and it during this falcons fan -- was could be the use of assault weapons and crime went down.
So yeah there was definitely an -- fact.
-- whereas a safer country than it's ever -- really in the last.
Many decades we -- safer today violent crime is down across the board is -- not.
Well violent crime is down conduct is up and that's something that's interest and of course -- injury is way up and one of the reasons you know one of the reasons you don't see as many.
Murders right because as you do as he did in the past and just a small amount but through the the reason it's been -- -- it that sort of held steady really.
Is because our surgeons are better some places where you see a lot of shooting what what's happened is that we save more lives in the past -- the reason you get more people getting shot.
A little less people getting killed but it's still you know we still have the reason gun deaths overall are up.
It's because you know suicides are also part of that equation and what.
About us Connecticut is that I'm from Connecticut hey I'm Matt native of Connecticut and now I'm a mom sent -- -- -- children who are about the age of the children who -- it's and I've been so disturbed by this whole story on many levels.
But in Connecticut -- the fifth strictest -- gun control state and the country I know that from all my years a living there.
Yet this happened in Connecticut and in fact -- the restrictions on gun buying.
Would not of applied to Adam -- because even if he had Asperger's that's reported to have had Asperger's that would have not disqualified him from purchasing.
A gun in the state of Connecticut so.
What would have BP he wasn't what he wants -- -- he could not about the handguns except except for the except for the actually aid but all the mental that on a mental illness point that would not of right -- a lot of information we don't know all the facts but to get to be that's my point I don't know all the facts that we all act quite like you know what congress have.
To be prevented from purchase of -- you have to be civilly committed board declared mental the fact of which.
I don't think that was the case we're learning about that but it's interesting about the laws I think Connecticut does have a -- he's been put a two week -- And bushmaster makes that they call state compliant guns to slip under that plan.
And that's I was mother got one of those weapons and so I think what we talked going back to lead in the second under federal law.
We really need to have a comprehensive approach assault weapons and also to background checks there's no reason you should Billy -- -- gun show over the Internet.
Device comes out about I think that it's purple territory that people can probably agree on if people -- demonizing one another and this debate I helps out -- -- to.
I helped -- and it's good to -- job.
