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Indiana mom takes on NRA and gun control debate

December 23, 2012

The National Rifle Association held a press conference Friday, exactly one week after the school tragedy in Newtown. They offered to place armed guards at schools to protect teachers and administrators. Critics argue that doesn’t really address the issue of gun control.

Shannon Watts is a mom and she’s angry.

“Nothing happened after Virginia Tech, nothing happened after Gabby Giffords, nothing happened after Aurora,” Watts said. “It is enough. Something is going to happen now and it’s going to be led by moms.”

Watts started One Million Moms for Gun Control on Facebook. In five days, her Facebook page blew up into a nationwide movement of moms in 50 states who say they want a common sense approach to gun control.

“We have to put a limit on the amount of ammunition people can buy,” said Watts. “I can’t go buy unlimited amounts of fertilizer or Sudafed. But, I can buy an unlimited amount of ammunition. It isn’t common sense.”

Watts said she waited and wanted the head of the NRA to offer something meaningful to the gun control debate after the Newtown School shooting.

“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy,” said NRA Executive President Wayne LaPierre.

Watts couldn’t believe it.

“It couldn’t have been less meaningful,” Watts said. “It was actually a call to arms.”

LaPierre called for a comprehensive school shield program, “from armed security to building design and access control to information technology to student and teacher training.”

“We don’t want to have to put bulletproof backpacks on our children,” Watts said. “Put holsters around them and send them into some siloed school with bullet proof glass and armed guards.”

Watts said she doesn’t want to ban guns but she is calling for the reinstatement of the ban on assault weapons and related magazines. She also wants to close gun show loopholes that encourage private gun sales without background checks.

“He (LaPierre) is going to have a Tsunami of 84 million angry mothers coming at him and at Congress and we will not let this go,” Watt said.

Read more at http://fox59.com/2012/12/21/indiana-mom-takes-on-nra-and-gun-control-debate/#5YbbB3yPA1AhE76U.99

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