President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence plan to speak at upcoming National Rifle Association convention.
Trump fans will be relieved. After the horrific high school massacre in Parkland, Florida last February, Trump hinted that his thoughts were shifting and he might actually support gun control.
He advocated raising the legal minimum age to purchase a gun to 21, he joked about ignoring constitutional rights and taking people’s guns away from them. He bragged about standing up to the NRA.
Those feelings were temporary. Within days of his shock words, Trump was seen meeting with NRA officials.
The convention is going to be held Friday in Dallas, Texas. The last giant NRA meet-up was five years ago, also in Texas. 81,000 people attended.
This year, the convention is going to be plagued by protests. The mood surrounding gun ownership in the U.S. has changed radically since then. The Parkland survivors have become the face of gun control, their influence seems to be growing rather than diminished
“It’s ironic that they (the NRA) feel they need to ban guns to protect themselves especially after their main philosophy has been more guns = more protection yet they don’t think they need to protect our kids in the same way,” David Hogg, the 17-year-old leader of the pack, said.
Manuel Oliver, a Florida man who lost his son in the Parkland shooting, plans to protest the convention.
“He decided to be in the wrong room with the wrong audience, especially if he’s looking for votes and support,” Oliver said.
A friend of Oliver’s added: “This will be a real battleground… He needs to go because he’s seeing the other side gaining territory. This is really a reflection of the division in this country.”
Trump and Pence won’t be dissuaded. The protesters will get tons of airtime via liberal media outlets, but they won’t be able to stop the president from supporting the NRA.
(Source: Los Angeles Times)