The National Rifle Association (NRA) has announced that guns will be barred when Vice President Mike Pence delivers a speech at its upcoming leadership conference in Dallas, and survivors of the Parkland school shooting are calling them out on it.
“Due to the attendance of the Vice President of the United States, the U.S. Secret Service will be responsible for event security at the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum. As a result, firearms and firearm accessories, knives or weapons of any kind will be prohibited in the forum prior to and during his attendance,” the NRA wrote on the website for the event, which is scheduled to take place next month.
Survivors of the February 14 Parkland, Florida school shooting wasted no time calling out the organization out for hypocrisy, taking to Twitter to voice their frustrations against the NRA’s apparent double standard.
Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the Parkland massacre, reiterated one of the NRA’s own talking points to highlight the organization’s insincerity.
“I thought giving everyone a gun was to enhance safety. Am I missing something?” he tweeted, referring to the “good guys with guns” theory often touted by the NRA.
The NRA has evolved into such a hilarious parody of itself. pic.twitter.com/6Pw6NTQAe6
— Cameron Kasky (@cameron_kasky) April 28, 2018
On so many levels, this is enlightening. According to the NRA, we should want everyone to have weapons when we are in public. But when they put on a convention, the weapons are a concern? I thought giving everyone a gun was to enhance safety. Am I missing something? https://t.co/f4wgNhJ7RI
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) April 28, 2018
Some NRA members who plan to attend the conference also questioned the policy, while others advocated for background checks to better monitor who can and cannot have access to guns at the event. The NRA opposes expanding firearm background check systems.
Retweeted jane (@moderatemama):@fred_guttenberg Check out NRA members' response to the no gun policy. These are from a TX gun forum. Some outraged, others seemingly advocating for better background checks. Unreal. @cameron_kasky pic.twitter.com/u5tZq5BseH
— Michael Esposito (@meesposito) April 28, 2018
Obviously protecting the VP and NRA officials is far more important than protecting the lives of "ordinary" citizens from the increased potential for gun violence when any social situation is overflowing with lethal weapons.
— Edward C Weber (@bigskyrad) April 28, 2018
While the NRA bans guns for Pence’s speech, it has consistently advocated for arming teachers in schools, a talking point President Donald Trump agrees with, despite the fact that research shows that more guns in schools does not prevent school shootings.