But those mistakes, and their ramifications in proposals to place more armed police and teachers in schools, were not mentioned in the speeches of Trump and other Republicans.
“Remember this: there are thousands of laws in books across the country that limit the possession or use of firearms, laws that have not prevented insane people from committing malicious acts against innocent people in peaceful communities.” he said.
Trump in his speech called for a series of measures that would largely reflect what other Republicans had proposed throughout the day: single-entry schools, with armed guards stationed there, and fire stairs only with exit. He also said some teachers should be able to carry firearms.
“The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good one with a gun,” the former president said, repeating a comeback that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz had used on stage less than an hour earlier.
But Trump also agreed with the political reality that gun rights advocates represent a basic constituency for Republicans, and for the former president in particular. “You are the backbone of our movement,” he said Friday.
Cruz, meanwhile, blamed a “cultural disease,” including orphaned children and video games, on the mass shootings. He said schools should have a single point of entry defended by several armed guards.
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem attacked gun safety advocates.
“Let me tell you the truth about the enemies of the Second Amendment. They are educated in the manner of Marx and Lenin,” he said.
And NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre said that “if we, as a nation, were able to legislate the heart and mind of criminals who commit these heinous acts, we would have done so long ago.” .
The Tale of Two Americas
In the country’s bitter gun division, the history of two Americas was vivid in central Houston as protesters waved signs and shouted at NRA members as they entered the George R. Brown Convention Center. their meeting and exhibition.
“NRA, go away,” a woman said over and over, her voice echoing through a mechanic under the scorching sun.
“Go away,” another woman shouted as she crossed the street to enter the act.
It’s been three years since the NRA last met for its convention (the last two years were canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic) and thousands of people have flocked to Houston to show the your support for the Second Amendment and go shopping. the spacious exhibition hall.
In celebration of its 150th anniversary, the NRA grew up for its Texas rally, with a poster outside the convention center promising “14 acres of guns and equipment.”
Guns of all shapes and sizes were on display, from antique pistols to automatic weapons, some decorated with camouflage and others with American flags. Hundreds of vendors set up stands over the weekend, selling ammunition and a variety of weapon paraphernalia.
Following the 1999 Columbine massacre, the NRA canceled its exposure during its meeting in nearby Denver. But this year, even though Uvalde was less than 300 miles away, the exhibition continued as planned, except for Daniel Defense, the company that made the weapon used in the shooting at the elementary school. Robb.
“We believe this week is not the right time to promote our products in Texas at the NRA meeting,” Steve Reed, vice president of marketing for Daniel Defense, told CNN.
A cart of popcorn, a potato stand in the oven, and several tables and chairs were hastily installed in the space originally reserved for Daniel Defense, a Georgia company.
Following the shooting, this was the only notable alteration to the extensive exhibition hall. But prominent country singers Lee Greenwood and Larry Gatlin were among the performers who also canceled their appearances.
“I didn’t think it was a good time to go down to Houston and party with them digging 21 cool graves in the valley of my beloved Texas,” Gatlin of the famous Gatlin Brothers told CNN.
Talks with several NRA members, some from Texas and others who were visiting Houston for the weekend event, found respectful expressions of sympathy for the loss of life at Uvalde School. However, person after person blamed mental health problems and other problems, not weapons, for the horrific shooting.
“It’s not that guns are bad. Guns are tools that can be used for good or evil, just like cars,” said Dr. Elizabeth Tom, who traveled to Texas from Elko, Nevada. at the convention. “Many more people die in car accidents, but no one says you have to have a waiting period to buy one or that all cars are bad because there are people who run over other people with them.”
A member of the NRA for about three decades, Tom said he did not believe further gun restrictions would prevent future massacres.
“I know this can be a little controversial and I certainly don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but if any of these teachers were armed, this could have ended much faster,” Tom told CNN. “We already have gun restrictions. Shooting someone is already illegal, so I’m not sure what else they want.”
Not all attendees shared this view.
Max Shirley, a member of the NRA in Round Rock, Texas, said he would support “reasonable steps” to stop the school shooting cycle. He said he believed the age limit for buying an automatic weapon should be raised to 21 and that the size of the clip for ammunition should be reduced.
“If the person you’re defending isn’t low or the threat doesn’t decrease after 10 rounds or 10 shots, then you have bigger problems,” Shirley told CNN. “Or you’re a bad shooter.”
“I can’t believe they’re still here after Uvalde”
Outside the convention center, thousands gathered for a protest organized by gun control groups Moms Demand Action and March for Our Lives, as well as local teachers’ unions, Black Lives Matter chapters and the Party. Harris County Democrat.
Many said they were furious that the NRA would continue its convention after a school shooting in the state a few days earlier.
“I can’t believe they’re still here after Uvalde,” said Anastacia Castro, a 20-year-old college student whose brother was shot dead last year. “They insult victims of armed violence like me when I’m here in the city.”
Milan Narayan, a 17-year-old student who directs a Student Demand Action chapter at his high school, where he said an accidental shooting took place last year, said he understood that the convention of the NRA had been booked well in advance.
“But you can’t be deaf. I mean, the kids are dead,” he said.
Protesters’ signs showed the harshness of the emotion that some of them said they felt after the Uvalde shooting, which took place in a state that has seen a series of mass shootings in recent years. including 26 people killed at a church in Sutherland Springs in 2017 and 22 killed at a Walmart in El Paso in 2019 by a gunman against Latinos.
A sign read, “I will vote for you because these 10-year-olds will never get there.” Another said, “My little sister is afraid to go to school.”
The focus of those protesting in Houston on Friday, in speeches and interviews, was guns. Many advocated a ban on the sale of assault rifles.
Former Texas MP Beto O’Rourke, the Democrat who challenges Abbott in the November midterm election and has called for “red flag” laws and a ban on the sale of AR-15, has tried to extend a branch of to those who attend the NRA convention across the street: You are not our enemies. We are not yours. We extend our hand, open and unarmed, in a gesture of peace and company, to welcome you to join us in making sure this doesn’t happen again in this country, “O’Rourke said during a speech at the protest on a football field far from the convention center. . O’Rourke made headlines the day after the shooting when he confronted Abbott and other officials during a press conference in Uvalde.
“But the time to respond and join us is now. We can’t wait any longer,” he said. “Those who will be the victims of the next mass shooting unless we act count on us right now. So please join us now or leave us behind.”
This story and title have been updated with additional details.
CNN’s David Wright contributed to this report.