NRA brags about money from mass murder of children; Piers Morgan stands tall with Alex Jones

In my last column
I suggested New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie could be the GOP
Winston Churchill for warning Republicans about the direction of
their party. Now, in one of the most crass, craven, ghoulish and
insensitive acts in lobbying history, the National Rifle Association is
gloating with glee about how much dues money it is raking in from the
mass murder of the children in Newtown.

Meanwhile, Piers Morgan
should be given a presidential medal of freedom for his leadership on
guns while the nut wing of the right calls for him to be deported.
The weird and bizarre performance by Alex Jones on Morgan’s show is a
great advertisement for banning military-style assault weapons, and a
great example of attitudes that Republicans and conservatives should
denounce and deplore.

{mosads}Can you believe that NRA is bragging about how good the mass murder of children has been for business? Jesus taught it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. What would Jesus think about a lobbying group being publicly joyous about its increase in dues-paying members because of the mass murder of children? Have they no shame?

I today call on the NRA to donate every penny of this money to groups helping the families of children, police and firefighters who were victims of violence committed with guns.

Let’s be clear. The red, white and blue of American patriotism should never be used by anyone in the service of the gold and green of profiteering from the murder of American children.

Meanwhile, let’s give a standing ovation to Morgan for his courage and clarity taking on the issue of gun violence. It is absurd, but very typical, for some on the right to falsely appropriate American patriotism by calling for Morgan to be deported, when he deserves to be applauded. Every advocate for lowering murders by limiting assault weapons should buy time on television to replay the Alex Jones segment so Americans can see what is being said in their name.

Pierce Morgan tried to ask Jones serious questions. Jones obviously did not know what he was talking about when he did not know the answer to basic factual questions, tried to B-S his way through his lack of knowledge, and, finally, resorted to insults and shouting.

Make no mistake. Liberals should have the courage and clarity to challenge the video game and entertainment industries, which some (myself included) are. Conservatives should have the courage to challenge the NRA. Everyone should have the common sense to support far greater efforts to deal with mental health issues. It is wrong to blame guns alone, but it is equally wrong to believe that military- style assault weapons are not part of the problem.

The NRA and Alex Jones believe in an inverted notion of John Kennedy’s call to patriotism. They seem to believe: “Ask what our country can do for me; ask what others can do for our country.”

The GOP should deplore these attitudes. They do not need Senate candidates calling for Second Amendment solutions that comes perilously close to a call for violence. They don’t need former Republican congressmen such as Joe Walsh of Illinois talking about the need to “spill blood” and daring to link himself with Jefferson.

As for the NRA, it is crass, craven and vile for any lobbying group to be publicly bragging that the mass murder of America’s children is good for their business.

Shame, shame, shame.