America’s premier arms lobby, the National Rifle Association, held its annual convention yesterday in Houston, rocked by controversy over the timing of the event, three days after 19 schoolchildren were killed in Uvalde, a few hours’ drive away. which prompted politicians and country music stars to cancel their appearance. If former President Donald Trump was to be present at this NRA high mass, the Republican Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, had planned to no longer go there. Instead, he was to give a press conference to Uvalde yesterday. Mr. Abott, a great defender of the right to possess a firearm and candidate for his re-election this year, was to speak all the same in front of the members of the NRA, in a pre-recorded video, specified one of his spokespersons to the Dallas Morning News newspaper. His deputy, Dan Patrick, will also not show up to avoid “adding more pain to the families,” he said in a statement.
The long-planned NRA convention comes just after an 18-year-old opened fire at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde on Tuesday, killing 19 children and two female teachers, and once again plunging the America in the nightmare of school shootings. A sign of discomfort, several country stars have also chosen not to come. Among them, the singer Don McLean, known for his song American Pie, who judged that it would be “disrespectful” for him to perform there. Artist Lee Greenwood, whose patriotic hit God Bless the USA punctuates Donald Trump’s meetings, also preferred to cancel his concert. Another notable absentee was the maker of the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle used by the shooter. But influential conservative state senator Ted Cruz was expected to attend, as was Mr Trump, who received tens of millions of dollars from the NRA during his two presidential campaigns. The NRA, which claims 5 million members, has also specified that because of the speech of the former head of state and to ensure his safety, firearms would be prohibited in the room.
“Pray for the victims”
According to the powerful lobby, the participants in the big meeting should “reflect” on what happened in Uvalde, and “pray for the victims”. The NRA, attacked by Joe Biden, had cleared itself of all responsibility for the killing, denouncing “the act of an isolated and disturbed criminal”. Outside the building, opponents had planned to demonstrate. Democrat Beto O’Rourke, who will face Greg Abbott in the gubernatorial election in November, will be there. In an unusual scene, a sign of growing tension over the issue of weapons, he interrupted the governor on Wednesday, in the middle of a press conference, accusing him of being responsible for the tragedy.
The way the police handled the situation was also criticized. According to a video and numerous testimonies, parents waited outside the school without the police, who were present, intervening, while the shooter, Salvador Ramos, was in the classroom. “One of the relatives said, ‘I was in the military, just give me a gun, I’ll go. I will not hesitate. I’ll go,’” said Daniel Myers, a 72-year-old pastor who was outside the school. Border Police units entered about an hour after the teenager entered the building and killed him. Contrary to what had been said, Salvador Ramos, who shot his grandmother before going to school, did not face any police before entering.
“New Sandy Hook”
The shooting, described as “new Sandy Hook” in the American press, in reference to the appalling massacre in a Connecticut elementary school in 2012, has awakened the traumas of America. The faces of the very young victims, aged 11, 10, 9 and years, broadcast repeatedly on television, and the testimonies of their collapsed relatives have moved the country, relaunching a wave of calls for better regulation of firearms.
Compulsory passage after each major shooting, this movement is unlikely to lead to action, given the lack of hope of Congress adopting an ambitious national law on the issue. President Joe Biden will travel to Uvalde tomorrow with his wife Jill Biden, to “share the mourning” of the inhabitants of this small town upset by one of the worst massacres by firearm in recent years in the country.
Source: AFP
America’s premier arms lobby, the National Rifle Association, held its annual convention yesterday in Houston, rocked by controversy over the timing of the event, three days after 19 schoolchildren were killed in Uvalde, a few hours’ drive away. which prompted politicians and country music stars to cancel their appearance. If former President Donald Trump…