NRA Blames Violent Movies And Video Games For Gun Deaths
In its first public statement after the shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, the National Rifle Association today blamed “blood-soaked films” and video games as a large part of the problem of gun violence in America. “And they call it entertainment,” said NRA VP Wayne LaPierre in a public statement. He referred to violent films as “the filthiest form of pornography.” He named Hollywood’s “corporate masters” and films such as 2000′s American Psycho and 1994’s Natural Born Killers as glorifying violence. LaPierre added that “there exists in this country, sadly, a callous, corrupt and corrupting shadow industry that sells and stows violence against its own people, through vicious, violent video games with names like Bulletstorm, Grand Theft Auto, Mortal Kombat and Splatterhouse.”
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LaPierre said that one way to prevent tragedies like the one in Newtown would be to promote gun use and increased security in schools. “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” The NRA says that former Rep. Asa Hutchinson will lead its “National School Shield” effort, which supports the deployment of armed guards in schools. With all of the money going to foreign aid and other initiatives, “can’t we afford to put a police officer in every school?” LaPierre asked. He chided the “national media machine”, which he predicted would say he believes that “more guns are the answer to everything.” He wondered: “Since when did the gun automatically become a bad word?” LaPierre was interrupted by a protester who had a banner that said “NRA Killing Our Kids.” He did not take questions after his comments. Mark Cuban, responding on Twitter, said the NRA comments are “what the Mayans had in mind when they said the world would come to an end today.”
Related: MPAA Says Industry Ready “To Do Our Part” In Wake Of School Shootings
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