Statement from LaPierre on the recent shooting in South Carolina:
The National Rifle Association’s 4 million mothers, fathers, sons and daughters join the nation in horror, outrage, grief and earnest prayer for the families of Charleston, South Carolina.
While some try to exploit this tragedy for political gain, we must speak up for the safety of our nation’s church congregations. All the noise and anger directed at Second Amendment enthusiasts distracts us from addressing the most important, pressing and immediate question we face: How do we protect our church congregations right now, starting today, in a way that we know works?
The only way to answer that question is to face up to the truth. Politicians pass laws denying church congregations of their second amendment rights. They issue press releases bragging about them. They post signs advertising them.
And in so doing, they tell every insane killer in America that churches are their safest place to inflict maximum mayhem with minimum risk.[…]
How have our nation’s priorities gotten so far out of order? Think about it. We care about our money, so we protect our banks with armed guards. American airports, office buildings, power plants, courthouses — even sports stadiums — are all protected by armed security, but not churches.
Yet when it comes to the most innocent and vulnerable members of the American family — our church parishioners — we as a society leave them utterly defenseless, and the monsters and predators of this world know it and exploit it. That must change now!
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. Would you rather have your 911 call bring a good guy with a gun from a mile away … or in the pew next to you?
Now, I can imagine the shocking headlines you’ll print tomorrow morning: “More guns,” you’ll claim, “are the NRA’s answer to everything!” Your implication will be that guns are evil and have no place in society, much less in our churches. But since when did the word “gun” automatically become a bad word?
Note: These are the actual words of LaPierre after the Newtown Connecticut shootings where 20-year-old Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children and 6 adult staff members. I’ve lightly edited the original sickening statement, and changed references from schools to churches, and changed an “us” reference (meaning the NRA) to Second Amendment enthusiasts.