NRA blames 'political correctness,' Obama for Orlando shooting


After two days of silence, the National Rifle Association has come out in blame of "political correctness" for the biggest mass shooting in American history. Writing in a USA Today op-ed Tuesday, the executive director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action Chris Cox doubled down on gun rights and blamed the Obama administration for letting the shooter slip through the hands of the FBI.
"[Obama and Hillary Clinton] 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," Cox wrote.
He added that while the shooter's co-workers reported him for "violent and racist comments…unfortunately, the Obama administration's political correctness prevented anything from being done about it."
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Cox stressed that gun control laws don't deter terrorists, and that strict laws in California and France did not prevent massacres. "It's time for us to admit that radical Islam is a hate crime waiting to happen. The only way to defeat them is to destroy them — not destroy the right of law-abiding Americans to defend ourselves," he said.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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