Parkland Survivors Call Out NRA for Banning Guns at Convention

Vice President Mike Pence will be speaking at an upcoming National Rifle Association convention in Dallas, and guns will be banned during his appearance to protect his safety.

According to the event page on the NRA’s website, the U.S. Secret service will be in charge of security at the event, and firearms, firearm accessories, and weapons of any kind are prohibited before and during his attendance. Survivors of the Parkland school shooting in Florida were quick to call out the NRA.

Cameron Kasky, the founder of the March for Our Lives movement, posted a photo on Twitter of the NRA notice outlining the rule against firearms during the convention and called the NRA a “hilarious parody of itself.”

The NRA has evolved into such a hilarious parody of itself. pic.twitter.com/6Pw6NTQAe6

— Cameron Kasky (@cameron_kasky) April 28, 2018

Matt Dietsch, the Chief Strategist for March for Our Lives, made a comment on Twitter as well. “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?” Dietsch wrote.

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.

— Matt Deitsch (@MattxRed) April 28, 2018

Fred Guttenberg, the father of 14-year-old Parkland victim Jaime Guttenburg, also had something to say about the convention gun ban. “I thought giving everyone a gun was to enhance safety,” Guttenberg wrote on Twitter. “Am I missing something?”

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? https://t.co/f4wgNhJ7RI

— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) April 28, 2018

The criticism likely stems from an idea pushed by NRA’s chief executive Wayne LaPierre: “The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” The NRA also urges more guns in schools and suggests that teachers should be armed.

Some argue that the decision is the protocol by the Secret Service and not hypocrisy on the NRA’s part. Some even take it as a stab against the Vice President.

So, you’re against ensuring the safety of our Vice President? Kind of sick.

— Tyler Yzaguirre (@realtyleryz) April 28, 2018

Cameron, can you read? We, the NRA, are not in charge of security, Secret Service is. They are prohibiting all weapons at the event, not us.

— Bryan Herbert (@KE6ZGP) April 30, 2018