After what they undoubtedly considered an appropriate length of silence following the massacre of 49 people by an asshole with an assault weapon, the NRA's chief lobbyist speaks. The op-ed in USA Today urges, "Destroy radical Islam, not the right of law-abiding Americans to protect themselves." Because being able to legally purchase a semi-automatic weapon designed solely to kill people, lots of people, is all about self-protection.
In the aftermath of this terrorist attack, President Obama and Hillary Clinton renewed calls for more gun control, including a ban on whole categories of semi-automatic firearms. They are desperate to create the illusion that they’re doing something to protect us because their policies can’t and won’t keep us safe. This transparent head-fake should scare every American, because it will do nothing to prevent the next attack.
The terrorist in Orlando had been investigated multiple times by the FBI. He had a government-approved security guard license with a contractor for the Department of Homeland Security. Yet his former co-workers reported violent and racist comments. Unfortunately, the Obama administration’s political correctness prevented anything from being done about it.
Isn't that rich? It's "political correctness" that allows a violent, racist and possibly unhinged person to have a gun—not the influence of the NRA in Congress. Not the tens of thousands of dollars they pump into the institution and not their bullying of candidates, the threats that the NRA will try to bury them if they don't toe the line. Never mind that the NRA has killed—multiple times—legislation that is designed to make it harder for would-be terrorists to legally purchase guns. Flawed legislation, yes—but something. Something pretty fucking obvious: Don't let people you wouldn't let on an airplane because of the danger they might pose to the public get a fucking gun that can kill dozens of people within seconds.
What would be a convenient head-fake for the NRA—this is Islamic terrorism!—is quickly being undermined by all the reports suggesting that the shooter was inspired by homophobia and likely his own conflicted sexual orientation, and not any ideology. Even if that weren't the case, trying to insist that this is about the fault of Democrats in responding to Islamic terrorism rings pretty damned hollow, since they're fighting tooth and nail against the idea that maybe terrorist suspects shouldn't have such easy access to guns.
So when every Republican politician from Donald Trump on down tries to deflect and say this is all about “radical Islam,” you know where they got their talking points. From the same place they get their marching orders: the NRA.