The National Rifle Association said Friday the country should institute a program to arm and train guards in schools as the best way to keep children safe from gun violence.
NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre said, "I call on Congress today to act immediately, to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every school — and to do it now, to make sure that blanket of safety is in place when our children return to school in January."
His statement came in response to last week's massacre of 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
His words brought immediate opposition. Rep. Steve Israel, D-Huntington:“The statement given this morning by NRA President Wayne LaPierre was tragically out of touch. We do not need an arms race in our schools. We need common-sense initiatives like limits on high-capacity assault magazines and closing the gun show loophole. It's time for common ground, not more guns on school playgrounds.”
What do you think? Should schools be protected by armed guards? Would that make children and staff safer? Tell us in the comments.
