March 14, 2018 2

NRA Responds to U. S. Protests with AR-15 Rifle Picture

Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews

Washington, 14 Mar (PL) As thousands of students in the United States today demand concrete action against gun violence, the powerful and controversial National Rifle Association (NRA) published an image of the type of weapon used in a recent massive shooting.

“I’ll control my own weapons, thank you,” reads a Twitter publication of the main lobby in favor of these artifacts in the country.

That message is written on a picture of an AR-15 rifle, similar to the one used a month ago by the murderer who left 17 dead and as many injured in a secondary school in the city of Parkland, Florida.

Next to the image is added the label #2A, referring to the Second Constitutional Amendment of the United States, which establishes the right of citizens of this country to bear arms.

The tweet generated numerous reactions, including from supporters of the NRA’s viewpoint, who argue that advocating for greater arms control is tantamount to violating the amendment, or that mental illness is the cause of mass shootings.

But many Internet users criticized the organization for its rejection of any regulation that would make access to these devices more stringent.

“It is completely possible to have control of weapons and possess them at the same time. That’s common sense,” wrote one Twitter user, while another said the NRA is no longer a security group for hunting and weapons possession, but “a cowardly shriek for gun and ammunition manufacturers”.

Another of the responses to the lobby’s tweeting image pointed out that it always leaves out the most significant part of the second amendment, which speaks of the need for “a well-regulated militia”.

The same Internet user called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity loaders, universal background checks and raising the legal minimum age for acquiring a firearm.

Measures like these are being demanded by survivors of the February 14 shooting and by students who left their classrooms today for a 17-minute strike and other actions in honor of the victims of the massacre.

The NRA has reiterated its opposition to such proposals and has been the target of frequent criticism for that position and for its influence on the country’s politicians, especially Republicans, such as President Donald Trump, in whose campaign the organization invested millions of dollars.

“Hey, hey, NRA, how many kids did you kill today?” (NRA, how many children you killed today) screamed students who rallied this Wednesday in front of the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan, New York.

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U. S. Students On National Gun Control Strike

Translated and edited by Walter Lippmann for CubaNews

Washington, 14 Mar (PL) Students from many U. S. cities will go on strike today to demand changes in the country’s gun control laws when the first month of the massive shooting in a secondary school in Parkland, Florida comes to an end.

Students from more than 3,100 schools and universities signed up to participate in this Wednesday’s initiative, during which they will leave classrooms for 17 minutes to show solidarity for the 17 deadly victims of the massacre in the southern territory.

The organizers of the event, called by a youth branch of the Women’s March, called for the participation of students from all schools, from elementary schools to universities, as well as parents and teachers.

Although the action is national in scope, student groups and educational institutions are expected to hold a variety of additional events at the local level, including assemblies, class discussions and memorial services.

According to USA Today, students at some schools such as University High School in Tucson, Arizona, will recite the names of the dead in Parkland and make plans to flood local lawmakers with lawsuits against guns.

“My colleagues and I feel that there is no moment more important than this to make it clear that we have had enough armed violence. For too long, it has made us feel insecure in our communities and in our classrooms,” said Dej Dej Foxx, a teenager from that school.

The action of this day follows other demonstrations in the days following the shooting in Parkland, which generated great activism among the survivors of the massacre, who called on politicians in the country to turn their backs on the National Rifle Association.

This Wednesday contrasts the stance of many educational institutions that support planned demonstrations and even encourage students to be active protagonists, with others that warned students with disciplinary actions if they interrupt classes.

This is the case for adolescents in some parts of New Jersey and southeast Texas, who were alerted last month that if they participated in the strike, they would face a three-day suspension.

According to Curtis Rhodes, superintendent of the Needville Independent School District, about 40 miles southwest of the Texas city of Houston, disruptions would not be tolerated because’ a school is a place to learn’, and he said they will impose disciplinary punishments’ regardless of whether it is one, 50 or 500 involved’.

Meanwhile, some districts in the country, such as one in South Carolina, said they will prevent the media from going to school during the protest, in order to discourage youth participation.

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