‘The conspiracy theory convention’: what happened at the NRA’s annual meeting?
Gun lobby members claim Texas school shooting was orchestrated to overshadow event
Several attendees at the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Texas have claimed that the mass school shooting in the state last week was deliberately orchestrated to overshadow the annual gathering of the gun lobby group.
“Why did it happen three days ago?” Jim Hollis, an NRA benefactor from St Louis, asked Politico. “I’m not sure that there are not forces someplace that somehow find troubled people and nurture and develop them and push them for their own agendas.”
Thousands of NRA members attended the convention in Houston, just 250 miles east of Uvalde, where 19 children and two teachers were gunned down 72 hours earlier.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Trump speech met with approval
During a speech at the convention, Donald Trump read out the names of the 19 murdered children and the two dead teachers – a move described by his opponents as “a hollow and deeply cynical piece of political theatre”, said ITV News.
The former US president also argued that “the existence of evil in our world is not a reason to disarm law-abiding citizens” but “one of the very best reasons to arm law-abiding citizens”. His speech was met with raucous approval inside the convention.
Trump was criticised for dancing to the song Hold On, I’m Comin’ by Sam and Dave after his speech. “Trump danced at the NRA convention,” tweeted Adam Parkhomenko, a Democratic strategist. “Their little bodies aren’t even in the ground. And he’s f*****g dancing.”
Attendees attributed the Texas shooting to a “broader breakdown in society wrought by the removal of God from public schools, the decline of two-parent households, a perceived leniency toward criminals, social media and an increase in mental illness”, said The Texas Tribune.
Anti-gun protesters fill park
Meanwhile, anti-gun protesters filled a park across the street from the convention centre, chanting “Shame!” and holding placards declaring “Protect children, not guns”.
Groups such as Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America handed out water and voter registration forms, reported The Guardian. Another group paraded with wooden crosses for each of the Uvalde victims and wheeled a child-size coffin.
A small child stood in the middle of the crowd with a handmade sign declaring “protect us” as a woman on the stage said that her son had died after being shot in a road rage incident in 2019. “I had to bury my baby on his 19th birthday,” she said. “I’m the one serving a life sentence, not the monster who killed my son.”
New calls for gun control
The shooting at the Robb Elementary School on 24 May has sparked new calls for gun-control measures. The US has now surpassed 200 mass shootings since the beginning of 2022.
The Times noted that “devastated onlookers” shouted for politicians to “do something” as President Joe Biden and the first lady visited a memorial outside the school in Uvalde. The couple then attended Mass at the local Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where protesters outside also shouted “do something!” as the president walked out. “We will,” he answered.
US vice-president Kamala Harris has called for a ban on assault weapons, reported CNN. Attending the funeral of Ruth Whitfield, 86, who was killed in a supermarket in Buffalo, New York state, on 14 May, Harris said it was time to say “enough is enough”.
In the wake of the Buffalo and Texas attacks, Harris said that “everybody’s got to stand up and agree that this should not be happening in our country and that we should have the courage to do something about it”.
However, the NRA, which claims to have five million members, remains a formidable lobbyist in US politics and some commentators doubt that Biden and Harris will be able to stand up to the gun lobby.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.
-
'It may not be surprising that creative work is used without permission'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
5 simple items to help make your airplane seat more comfortable
The Week Recommends Gel cushions and inflatable travel pillows make a world of difference
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
How safe are cruise ships in storms?
The Explainer The vessels are always prepared
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'
Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Why the New Mexico governor's gun ban backfired
Critics say the Constitution isn't the only reason to oppose a 30-day gun ban in the name of public health
By Harold Maass Published
-
US Republicans push to keep strict Covid border laws
Speed Read A judge ruled that the controversial Title 42 restrictions on asylum seekers should be scrapped
By Richard Windsor Published
-
Alex Jones ordered to pay nearly half a billion in Sandy Hook damages
Speed Read
By Rafi Schwartz Published
-
The debate over Biden's executive order on abortion
opinion The sharpest opinions on the debate from around the web
By Grayson Quay Published
-
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dies after being shot
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
The most expensive divorces in the world
Why Everyone’s Talking About Media magnate Rupert Murdoch is to divorce for the fourth time
By The Week Staff Published
-
Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson and a QAnon conspiracy theory
Why Everyone’s Talking About Rumour the actor has been executed not dampened by incident outside Manhattan restaurant
By The Week Staff Published