Earlier today, President Trump appeared at the annual NRA convention and delivered the kind of bloodthirsty, gun-fetishizing rhetoric we’ve come to expect from him. As a room full of his rabid followers and the lobbyists who helped elect him hooted and hollered, Trump reiterated his utterly asinine plan to arm teachers with guns, as if flooding classrooms with firearms will somehow lead to less violence. His fans ate it up.
Trump addresses Parkland shooting, says, "all of us agree that we must harden certain schools… We want armed guards… We strongly believe in allowing highly trained teachers to carry concealed weapons." pic.twitter.com/iSHC8fBmXF
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 4, 2018
TRUMP: "Tragically, there's no sign more inviting to a mass killer than a sign that declares 'this school is a gun-free zone. 'Come in and take us. You know they're cowards… there's no stronger deterrent for a sick individual than knowledge that attack will end their life." pic.twitter.com/GYwJ71gbjA
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) May 4, 2018
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Not surprisingly, Trump’s shameless remarks didn’t go unnoticed by survivors of the horrific school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Since the mass murder at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, many of the students have become outspoken activists for gun reform, drawing the ire of Republicans and gun nuts in the process.
One of the survivors, Kyra Parrow, zeroed in on Trump’s statement that 2nd Amendment rights are “under siege,” a blatant fearmongering tactic designed to make gun owners dig in their heels against even the most sensible and moderate of reforms.
Parrow asked a blunt, powerful question: “what about my friends’ right to live?” The answer, sadly, is that Republicans are far more concerned about gun manufacturer donations and the votes of gun-lovers than they do the lives of innocent children. Parrow is brave to call them out for it.
Trump tells NRA members: "Your Second Amendment rights are under siege, but they will never, ever be under siege as long as I am your president." #NRAAM2018
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) May 4, 2018
ok trump but what about my friends’ right to live when they were brutally murdered from gun violence on Valentine’s Day @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/GM2x3etr4D
— Kyra Parrow (@longlivekcx) May 4, 2018
Under the current atmosphere, with America suffering from a nihilistic epidemic of gun violence, few things are more tone deaf than the president attending an event explicitly designed to enshrine weapons of war. It’s deeply insensitive to the victims and their families, if not outright cruel. It shows that Trump cares far more about the votes of the 2nd Amendment bloc of the country than the people suffering and dying every day.
