NRA Convention Protest to focus on Giffords shooting

[jpak]

http://www.seattlepi.com/default/article/Protest-to-focus-on-Giffords-shooting-1356263.php

Gun control advocates plan to make the Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) shooting rampage the focus of their protest outside the National Rifle Association's annual convention, kicking off in Pittsburgh on Thursday.

Among those on hand at the protest in Pittsburgh will be several people who were in the Safeway parking lot in Tucson as alleged shooter Jared Lee Loughner unloaded dozens of bullets in just a few minutes, injuring Giffords and a dozen others, and killing six.

Patricia Maisch, the woman who helped wrestle ammunition away from Loughner will join protesters on Saturday, and hopes that the media attention being given to Giffords's Friday trip to watch her husband's shuttle launch will help draw attention to their battle for tighter gun laws. "I would hope that they would have the fortitude to try to find common ground. I'm not at odds with the NRA," Maisch told The Associated Press. "It's very discouraging that we have as many guns on the street that we do in the hands of people who shouldn't have them."

Organized by the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, the protesters have taken out ads in local newspapers and plan to have a billboard truck drive around the event with a message to NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre, the AP reported, asking him to sit down with them to discuss a loophole that the group says helps gun sellers avoid the federal background check system.

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[pipoman]

1. Yet...

asking him to sit down with them to discuss a loophole that the group says helps gun sellers avoid the federal background check system.

This doesn't have a single thing to do with the AZ shooter, or any other notorious recent shooter I can think of...

Same old shit, different day, I would bet the number of protesters could all fit on a short bus..

[gravity556]

2. Well, there's never a bad time post crisis to push an agenda..

As for loopholes, who fucking cares? Particularly when our very own BATFE is encouraging gun shop owners to ALLOW a sale that looks hinky. Of course, the BATFE isn't going to come in and pull the store's balls out of the fire But hey, by all means, that pesky "loophole" is priority 1.

[ThatPoetGuy]

3. It's what decent people do.

When human events cause a lot of people to see an issue and be aware of it, good people will try to use that attention to make the world a better place. It's what we did after Katrina, to encourage investing in the American infrastructure. It's what the widows of 9/11 did to try to bring justice, truth, and peace.

Whenever this happens -- whenever good people rise from tragedy trying to make a better world -- there will be people who don't want to see the world improve, who claim the heroes are exploiting a crisis to push an agenda.

[rfranklin]

4. No, no, no...we should arm as many citizens as possible!

More guns equals less violence...I heard it from the NRA.

[Remmah2]

5. Actually

The Second Amendment never suggested arming anyone. It was about preserving my right to determine if and how I should defend myself.

[rfranklin]

6. The reference was not to you or the Second Amendment...

it was a reference to the NRA which seems to want to arm every citizen.

[Remmah2]

7. Is the NRA providing firearms?

How are they arming people?

[DonP]

9. Want to share that quote with the class?

Or is that just your fervid imagination about what you think they say?

You know, if you want to post what they say or espouse, you can actually just go to the web site and find something then post it with a link if you think it's horrible.

Otherwise stop just making shit up, it really makes you look ignorant.

[rfranklin]

12. The NRA is a trade lobbying group....

Their membership is comprised of less than two percent of the population.

Their job is to promote the sales of guns. If you can't see that you are being wilfully ignorant.

[DonP]

14. No, that's the NSSF

I know it's hard to type when spittle covers the screen, but try and get it right. The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the Trade Lobbying Group. Theyhold the SHOT show every year as their trade show and only admit FFLs and industry employees.

The NRA is a member driven organizations with about 4.5 million members that pay $35 or so every year to belong. They also receive contributions from firearms retailers in "Round Up" programs that round purchases up to the next dollar amount as an NRA contribution. Their role is to promote the shooting sports and firearm safety. The fact that it includes selling guns is an obvious side effect. Nothing wrong with that for anyone with half a brain.

The NRA has two parts, the education and general membership that teaches gun safety and shooting skills to citizens, police and the US Military (SDM) on a volunteer basis and the NRA-ILA that is the official lobbying arm of the organization. The two parts are not allowed to share funds and the ILA lobbying component relies totally on donations to do its work. Their real power comes from the size of their voting bloc and the state associations with even more members.

At "only" 2% of the population they are still one of the top two (with the AARP) lobbying organizations in the country. When they talk, your congress critters, governor and state legislators probably listen.

I'm sure you'll have no problem getting a gun control organization of far more like minded gun control people started to neutralize them. Or ... you can do what you usually do, continue to whine about it to anybody who's dumb enough to listen.

65,000 attending the meeting and show this week. How many at the Brady Million Mom March rally next week?

[beevul]

24. And the anti-firearms lobby is how much of the population?

Speaking of ignorant...

[aikoaiko]

26. You've got quite an imagination. trade lobbying group... that's funny.

[Remmah2]

17. As quoted from the source.

"the NRA which seems to want to arm every citizen"

I didn't make it up.

[DonP]

21. I wasn't responding to you, sorry for any confusion

[Logical]

15. The NRA wants the citizens to have the ability To buy guns. Never have tried to make you buy them.

[rl6214]

11. Really, I'd like to see that. You'll cite it, right?

[DWC]

18. I am horrified at the loss and praise the heroes

I agree we all want the world to be a better place but we probably see that goal in a very different light.

IMHO, the world would have been a much better place if several good citizens had been exercising their 2nd amendment right to bear arms on the Safeway parking lot and stopped the carnage in its first few seconds.

This is my vision of a better world.

Semper Fi,

[gejohnston]

23. My vision of a better world

is that he would have gotten help or hospitalized for his schizophrenia before showing up or buying the pistol to begin with.

[DWC]

27. That works for me as well. n/t

[Straw Man]

28. Is Arbiter of Decency an appointed position?

No room in your worldview for decent people who believe in the right to keep and bear arms? Odd, because I know quite a few.

[Remmah2]

8. Good!

It's a First Amendment thing.

All amendments are equal and should be equal for all. What don't some people understand?

[rl6214]

10. And this had absolutely nothing to do with what happened in AZ

"asking him to sit down with them to discuss a loophole that the group says helps gun sellers avoid the federal background check system"

Maybe they should consider protesting the police that interacted with him before the shooting and did nothing.

What's your fucking point? You didn't make one as usual. Just another drive-by posting.

[PavePusher]

13. What "loophole" are they talking about?

They don't seem to identify it... hmmmmm....

[oneshooter]

16. It's the secret one only they can see. With their eyes closed of course! n/t

[ontime1969]

19. Bad Idea

Gabby is very much pro 2nd amendment. This is only using peoples emotions to promote their side of the argument. Besides, those without automatic vilification of NRA, know that the NRA is a good organization for the people who legally use and enjoy firearms.

[lawodevolution]

20. Morons. Unrec.

[oneshooter]

22. jpak, unrec n/t

[jpak]

25. tee hee

:hi:

[TPaine7]

29. The efforts to change gun laws have nothing to do with Giffords, as I tried to explain here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=118&topic_id=358676&mesg_id=358676

[RamboLiberal]

30. I was at the NRA convention today

I didn't see any protesters.