SLAMMED! NRA ad showing disabled cancer survivor urging people to stockpile guns amid coronavirus outbreak
The eternal debate over gun rights, which has also made an impact in the presidential election cycle this year, has been seen tilting in favor of the pro-people amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Hitting the panic button, people have started buying arms and ammunition across the US and the National Rifle Association (NRA) has found the situation encouraging.
In fact, the NRA published a video on March 21, where a disabled woman — who is also a breast cancer survivor — is seen speaking in favor of possessing a firearm. This was criticized by a Democratic member of the Senate who called it “sickening”.
The NRA was, however, little moved and counter alleged that the anti-gun politicians were trying to snatch people’s rights under the Second Amendment.
The four-minute-long video that the NRA shared showed the woman, Carletta Whiting, explaining why she needed to have a gun as she is worried that the government will eventually “lose control” of the worsening situation and fail to protect citizens’ rights and it will be their job at the end to defend themselves.
Chris Murphy, the senator from Connecticut, called the video “sickening” as he felt it was about asking gun-owners to not just stockpile food but even weapons.
In the video, the woman is actually seen saying that only stocking up food will be inadequate.
“Mainstream gun owners have left the NRA, so now they're reduced to telling people to stockpile assault weapons, instead of food, to get ready for the coming Coronavirus civil war,” Murphy tweeted. “So sickening,” he added.
'Sen. Murphy is either disingenuous or is obtuse'
Meanwhile, NRA’s Director of Media Relations Amy Hunter hit back at Murphy while speaking to Fox News. “Sen. Murphy is either being intentionally disingenuous or is obtuse,” she said. “Carletta Whiting is one of millions of Americans who feel vulnerable and who know that when crime happens, the police are minutes away — despite their best intentions,” she added, justifying the video. “Right now, anti-gun politicians are using the pandemic to try and strip Americans of their Second Amendment rights,” Hunter said. “Meanwhile, gun sales are increasing because good people are worried their government won't be able to protect them. This is when Americans rely on their Second Amendment rights the most.”
The NRA video also showcased other instances when various state governments sought to limit gun rights during crisis — like in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina.
“What's in my control is how I defend myself if things go from bad to worse,” Whiting said in the video and then fired a round from her AR-9 rifle.
The gun control debate has been a major one in the Democratic camp this election year. Former candidate Beto O’Rourke even proposed mandatory buyback of guns from those possessing them and after he endorsed frontrunner Joe Biden, the latter faced flak from a worker at an automobile plant in Detroit a few weeks ago who asked whether he was planning to take away their rights under the Second Amendment.
The coronavirus outbreak, which has claimed over 400 lives in the US so far, has certainly put the Democrats’ position on the sensitive issue under challenge.