Parkland shooting survivors call out NRA on its hypocrisy over gun ban during Mike Pence's speech
The survivors of Parkland school shooting called out the pro-gun lobbying group, National Rifle Association's (NRA), over hypocrisy on Sunday after the organization confirmed that no firearms would be permitted during Vice President Mike Pence's upcoming address in Dallas.
NRA cited concerns about the Vice President's safety as one of the prime reasons for its decision. Pence is scheduled to speak at the annual NRA event on May 4, Friday, at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Arena, Dallas, Texas.
The White House also confirmed that President Donald Trump is also expected to make an appearance at the Texas NRA convention which will be held from May 3 to May 6, according to reports.
The NRA, ahead of the convention, told its members that the Secret Service will be involved in the security arrangement for the event and "firearms and firearm accessories, knives or weapons of any kind" will not be allowed inside the forum before and during Pence's appearance.
Reports state that other items will be barred during Pence's appearance include laser pointers, selfie sticks, aerosols, and backpacks.
However, the Parkland shooting survivors are calling out the NRA on its security measures considering that the organization advocates carrying weapons at all times and has on several occasions spoken against the idea of gun-free zone in the country.
Parkland shooting survivors escaped a massacre on February 14, unleashed by a 19-year-old former student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Florida — Nikolas Cruz — who opened fire on the campus, killing 17 people with his legally-bought AR-15 rifle. Most of the victims of the shooting were students and teachers.
The teenage survivors of the massacre initiated a nationwide anti-guns movement called "Never Again" against gun violence in the country. The group also condemned the NRA and all the lawmakers who take massive funding from the pro-gun lobbying organization.
A Parkland student, who assisted in organizing the March for Our Lives rally in Washington D.C., Matt Deitsch, took to Twitter to write: "Wait wait wait wait wait wait you’re telling me to make the VP safe there aren’t any weapons around but when it comes to children they want guns everywhere?"
"Can someone explain this to me? Because it sounds like the NRA wants to protect people who help them sell guns, not kids," Deitsch added.
While the father of a 14-year-old Parkland victim Jaime Guttenberg, Fred Guttenberg, wrote: "On so many levels, this is enlightening. According to the NRA, we should want everyone to have weapons when we are in public. But when they put on a convention, the weapons are a concern? I thought giving everyone a gun was to enhance safety. Am I missing something?"
Parkland student Cameron Kasky added to the discourse, saying that the NRA had "evolved into such a hilarious parody of itself" because of the weapons ban at the Texas event.
The NRA and President Trump had advocated arming more people on campus with weapons and giving them gun training in an effort to avoid another school mass shooting. The Parkland survivors, however, have slammed the suggestion, saying that bringing more guns into the discussion is not the solution to the problem.