Former US President Donald Trump (2017-2021) accused the Democrats this Friday of “politicizing” the shooting at the school in Uvalde (Texas), who killed 19 children and two teachers, and lashed out at his “grotesque efforts” to control arms sales.
“Gun control policies pushed by the left would have done nothing to prevent the horror that took place. Absolutely nothing,” Trump said at the National Rifle Association’s (NRA) annual convention in Houston Texas).
(Also read: Texas shooting: police admit delays in intervention at Robb school)
The NRA, the most influential gun defense organization in the country, decided to go ahead with its meeting, which will take place between this Friday and Sunday at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, despite calls for it to be canceled. after the massacre, for which he exempted himself from any responsibility.
(You may be interested: Grandfather of the Texas murderer shows how his house was stained with blood)
The former president, who was applauded several times at the event, began his speech by lamenting the massacre, which he described as a “savage atrocity”, and read the names of the 21 victims with the sound of bells ringing in the background.
Trump placed all the blame on the shooter’s mental health, ignoring the role of weapons in the shooting. “The monster that committed this crime is pure evil, pure cruelty, pure hate,” he said.
On the contrary, the Republican believed that the solution to school massacres is to place metal detectors at school entrances and build doors that can be locked from the inside to prevent “access by intruders.”
“We must all come together, Republicans and Democrats, in every state and at every level of government, to finally strengthen our schools and protect our children… What we need now is a top-to-bottom overhaul of school safety.” across the country,” he added.
Trump also made a strong case in defense of the Second Amendment to the Constitution, which enshrines the right of Americans to own guns, and lashed out at Democrats for “using the tears of families” to call for more gun control.
“Every time a disturbed or insane person commits such a horrible crime, there is always a grotesque effort by some to use the suffering to further their extremist political agenda.“, he reproached.
(Also: USA: controversy over holding rifle convention despite massacre)
He also criticized the “blaming” of the tragedy on the “wonderful NRA” and paraphrased a saying that “the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”
Every time a disturbed person commits such a horrible crime, there is always a grotesque effort to use the suffering to further their extremist political agenda.
“The existence of evil in our world is no reason to disarm law-abiding citizensTrump told members of the National Rifle Association (NRA). “The existence of evil is one of the best reasons to arm law-abiding citizens.”
“When Joe Biden blamed the gun lobby, he was talking about Americans like you, and he was suggesting that Republicans are okay with allowing these school shootings to happen,” he said of the president’s speech Tuesday after the massacre.
For his part, Wayne LaPierre, leader of the NRA, stated at the opening of the conference: “These tragedies turn our stomachs”, but “restricting the most basic human rights that allow Americans to defend themselves is not the solution, it will never be. it was”.
(Keep reading: Texas Massacre: Four Police Contradictions About the Shooting)
Protests against guns
At the same time, Thousands of people gathered this Friday around the Houston Convention Center to protest against the celebration of the NRA annual conference.
According to the images transmitted by local media, the protesters came with signs with messages such as “Ban assault rifles now”, “When will you love your children more than firearms?” and “Assault rifles are for murder.”
Numerous posters contained messages critical of former President Trump (2017-2021).
The protesters also chanted slogans such as “shame” or “let’s throw him out in the elections”, in reference to the Texan governor, the also conservative Greg Abbott, who defends the right to arms in the United States.
Although Abbott announced this Friday that he was finally not going to participate in the NRA conference, a previously recorded video was shown during it, in which the conservative politician dedicated a few words to the attendees.
(Also: ‘I played dead’: boy narrates how he survived a shooting in Texas)
This Thursday, the country music artists Don McAlean, Larry Gatlin and Larry Stewart reported that they had canceled their performances scheduled for this weekend at the NRA meeting after the massacre that occurred in Uvalde.
Meanwhile, Texas police admitted Friday in Uvalde that they made a “wrong decision” by not entering Robb Elementary School earlier when the tragedy occurred.
Steven McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said they initially didn’t try to break down the door to the room where the attacker was holed up because they believed he was alone and no one was in danger.
INTERNATIONAL WRITING*
*With information from EFE and AFP
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