National Rifle Association pushes for armed guards in every school

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http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC121224-0000043/NRAs-Wayne-LaPierre-doubles-down-on-schools-gun-plan-as-anger-rises

In the wake of the Newtown shooting, which left 27 victims dead, including 20 children aged six and seven, there have been mounting calls for greater gun controls, including a ban on military-style assault weapons, a cap on high-capacity magazines and tightened background checks on private gun sellers.

President Barack Obama has said he will make firearm legislation a "central issue" of his second term in office. Meanwhile, polls show that a slight majority of Americans now favour restrictions on guns.

"If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," Mr Wayne LaPierre, the National Rifle Association's (NRA) Chief Executive and Executive Vice- President, said in an interview on NBC's Meet the Press.

"I think the American people think it's crazy not to do it. It's the one thing that would keep people safe."

His comments attracted widespread criticism, even from many pro-gun Republicans and conservatives.

The NRA's hardline stance, which has come under more pressure in recent days than in any of the years following the Columbine school massacre of 1999, amid what appears to be a shift in the national conversation, was criticised by lawmakers.

Citing Mr LaPierre's comment that "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun", Mr Charles Schumer, a Democratic Senator from New York said: "What about stopping the bad guy from getting a gun in the first place?"

In an attempt to put further pressure on the NRA, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence released a plea on Sunday from Andrei Nikitchyuk, whose eight-year-old son survived the Sandy Hook massacre, calling on gun owners to back tighter controls

The statement read: "Nothing will bring our children back or ease the pain we all feel, but we can do something to make this nation safer. We can make this the nation we all want. So today I want to speak specifically to all responsible gun owners and NRA members with the message to join us. Join us because you know in your heart that we are better than this."