Des Moines Register Publishes Editorial Calling for NRA to Be Declared a Terrorist Organization
This morning on America's Newsroom, Lori Haas of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, discussed some of the recent developments in the national debate over gun control.
In addition to the controversy over the publishing of gun owners' names by a N.Y. newspaper, a recent editorial in the Des Moines Register has also raised eyebrows by calling for the NRA to be declared a terrorist organization. In the piece, which appeared on OtherWords.org and then was republished Dec. 29 by the newspaper, Donald Kaul wrote the following:
"Declare the NRA a terrorist organization and make membership illegal. Hey! We did it to the Communist Party, and the NRA has led to the deaths of more of us than American Commies ever did. (I would also raze the organization’s headquarters, clear the rubble and salt the earth, but that’s optional.)
Make ownership of unlicensed assault rifles a felony. If some people refused to give up their guns, that 'prying the guns from their cold, dead hands' thing works for me."
Pratt labeled the editorial "loony tunes," saying it amazes him that anyone could hold such a view.
"When you look at those who legally own firearms in this country, they're the choir boys of our society. These are the men and women who do not commit crime. Those who are licensed to carry, such as those in New York, commit many fewer crimes than police do," said Pratt.
Haas claimed that while she would not call the NRA a terrorist organization, it is a "greedy organization."
"They promote policies that sell more guns and that's the business they're in. They want to sell more guns, they want to make more money. And they, frankly, don't seem to care about the policies that lead to more deaths in this country. Those states with better gun laws have fewer deaths and those states with the weakest gun laws have the most gun deaths," she argued, adding that there is a way to have "responsible" gun laws, including background checks on all gun sales.
Watch the full discussion:
