Former US President Donald Trump also rejected calls for tighter gun control in the US.
Houston:
Keith Zehlen says a shooting at an elementary school in Texas makes him “sick” but “you can’t blame the gun” that was used to murder 19 young children and two teachers.
“We’ve always had guns in this country,” said the 68-year-old retired US Postal Service employee. Considering that he personally owns over 50 firearms.
Jehlen stood in line to see former President Donald Trump speak at a National Rifle Association convention, which is controversially being held just hours from Uvalde, where the school massacre took place earlier in the week.
Reflecting on the shoot, he smiled and said: “It made me sick to my stomach.”
But guns aren’t the problem, said Zehlen, who was wearing camouflage shorts and a Trump hat. He argued that the disaster would have unfolded differently if the people in the school were armed.
“The killers are not afraid of the judge, they are not afraid of the police,” he said. “They must be afraid of the prey they are chasing.”
The NRA event – which runs until Sunday – is being held in a sprawling city convention center, with anti-gun protesters gathering outside.
“Blood is on your hands,” said a protester’s sign. “Guns = Death,” read another.
Trump met with loud applause from the crowd as he addressed the convention later in the day. He sadly read the names of the Uvalde shooting victims, and urged Americans, regardless of political affiliation, to “find common ground.”
But he turned political nonetheless, destroying “repulsive” Democrats to villainize “peaceful, law-abiding” NRA members who have guns.
– ‘This is not Australia’ –
In booth after booth in the Caverns convention hall, hundreds of firearms – all made inactive with their firing pins – were displayed, from small handguns to AR-15s, the ubiquitous semi-automatic weapon used by gunsmiths in Uvalde. was.
Tactical gear, hunting equipment and clothing shared space with gun accessories including high-powered scopes, suppressors and 60-round magazines.
Retired law enforcement officer Rick Gaiman gazed at a wall of black semi-automatic rifles at the conference, saying that any attempt to take firearms from Americans was doomed to thwart.
Gaiman, 51, said while looking at Helion rifles, “You’ll never snatch people’s guns. This isn’t Australia – a compact bullpup design that he noted fits snugly behind their driver’s seat or in their gun.” Will be safe at home.
Following the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996, Australia enacted strict new gun laws that included a general ban on the use of semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and pump-action shotguns except for specific purposes.
America – plagued by far more frequent gun violence, but with the right to bear arms enshrined in the Constitution – has repeatedly failed to act in the aftermath of mass shootings.
“I would love to see universal background checks,” Gaiman said, referring to a long-sought reform that has majority support in the United States. “But it’s not going to stop anyone bent on crime.”
– ‘A Tool Villain’ –
The convention is not only a gathering of gun enthusiasts, but also a place where they can test the “experience” of the weapons they are considering buying.
“Oh, I love it,” 31-year-old Lissie V told a gun manufacturer rep as she tested the weight and balance of the 9-millimeter pistol.
“You even put it in purple, and it caught my attention,” said the military veteran, who is in the market for a new pistol that she can hide in a holster under her skirt, because “in Texas as pants It’s too hot for that.”
But when asked about Uvalde, she was forced to think.
“Personally I think there should be more gun education,” she said, but with the 18-year-old being able to join the military, the veteran believes he should be able to buy assault rifles as well.
“They can recruit, right? If they can recruit, they can shoot a weapon,” she said.
Jim Maynard, gun owner and industry attorney, said there is “a lot of uncertainty” in America today, and people are saddened that he agrees with the decision not to postpone the NRA convention.
“Villainizing a device doesn’t solve the problem we’re having,” he said.
Those blaming guns for America’s violence crisis were just “propaganda” and should pay more attention to expanding mental health programs.
“There is zero outside protest to prevent the next shooting – and it will not stop a person from committing violence,” Maynard said.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)