Washington – An effort led by Vice President Joe Biden to find ways to reduce gun violence after the Connecticut school massacre so far has not included talking to the National Rifle Association, the president of the gun rights group said on Friday.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
NRA President David Keene said neither Biden nor his staff has contacted the organization since President Barack Obama unveiled the effort on December 19.
Keene said he was not surprised, given Biden’s past support for new gun control laws. “He’s not even a friendly antagonist,” Keene told Reuters in an interview.
The lack of communication between the White House and the largest U.S. lobbying group for gun owners is a sign that the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, has so far failed to change long-held stances on gun politics. In that tragedy, a young man shot his mother with her own gun before killing 20 children and six adults at the Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Biden and up to four Cabinet officers are holding a series of meetings with outside groups to discuss possible gun legislation. The first was with law enforcement officials, another with mayors.
The White House has said other meetings will take place with gun safety groups and gun owners, among others, but it has not said whether the NRA will be invited. The White House had no comment on Friday.
Asked about the organization’s influence, Obama struck an optimistic note on Dec 19. “The NRA is an organization that has members who are mothers and fathers,” he said. “I would expect that they’ve been impacted by this as well, and hopefully, they’ll do some self-reflection.”
Two days later, NRA executive Wayne LaPierre said at a press conference that new gun laws were not the answer, calling instead for some form of armed guards in every school.
Keene told Reuters: “I’m willing to talk to anybody. I’m willing to sit down with anybody up there.” He added, though, that he would not agree to “gut” gun rights.
“I’m going to want to have a conversation about how we protect our children,” he said. “That’s a serious conversation. Offering sort of feel-good bills doesn’t strike me as serious.”
Biden’s group is due to offer its recommendations in January.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll on Thursday found that support remains high for preserving specific gun ownership privileges, such as concealed-weapon permits, as well as for some restrictions, such as background checks for every purchase.
Of course it doesn’t all they want to do is take away more freedom that we have. They don’t care about NRA.
If more of you gun nuts would be forced to visit Yad Vashem none of you would be gung ho on these weapons, no Jew except in E.Y. should have all these weapons, and as a survivor I am appalled and depressed by the nonsense expressed that weapons could have saved any of us except those in the forests of Russia the partisans and in the hills of Serbia where Jews fought with Tito’s partisans and in the hills of Italy with the Garibaldi division, the rest is total stupidity and lack of knowledge of history. The weapons make you big man, me very important and hero
The phoniness in the gun possession is apparent in Israel where the avoidance of IDF service is a proud fact. Give me an example against who you will use your weapons
Excellent. So does anyone on this committee know anything about guns or shooting?
inviting the NRA would be like inviting HAMAS to a Peace conference.
There is really no purpose to invite NRA for discussions. Their “innovative ideas” on how to protect the public has been the same for the past 40 years. Same ideas have not worked so this committee is looking for experts with new approach.
Hope and change will do well I think. Lets fix this gun issue a little bit and make the world safer. You do not need a semi automatic Machine Gun and multi round ammo clips. Go Obama-Biden.
They already publicized their ideas, and it’s not even a laughing matter. Why give them another platform for their demagogy.
It’s like inviting a criminal to an anti crime panel.
Maybe Israel should give guns its arab citizens. Can anyone imagine 2 million arabs with machine guns inside Israel? Oh but they need it to protect themselfes from some lunies who have legal guns. Right? Rush said so . The only way to prevent an other Baruch Goldstein to kill 30 some arabs when they are praying is To give every one a gun Right?
To all those enlightened-yiden that think that only thugs should have the guns
You have no clue what you are talking about!
Since you grew up in your little incubator and saw the world through a glass and had 20 nurses caring for you 24/7
One day when a drunk idiot will be breaking into your house with a knife – you will regret every silly comment you posted here and that you didn’t buy your gun when you had a chance!
Yes we should it make it a little harder to buy gun:
A doctor’s approval
A required safety course
(now you need 10$ and an application in your local police department)
It’s a country of freedom because we can protect our freedom!