In a strongly worded five-minute video released this week, National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre is calling on Barack Obama and other politicians to help stop violent crime by focusing on prosecuting violent criminals—not further restricting law-abiding gun owners.
LaPierre’s video comes after increased calls for more restrictive federal gun-control laws by President Obama, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton and many gun-ban advocates in Congress.
“If you want to stop violent crime, and I know you do, take violent criminals off the street,” LaPierre said. “Prosecute them under the current federal gun laws, and make sure they don’t get to their next crime scene. That’s the way to save lives.”
LaPierre said that simply enforcing the federal gun laws on the books would help curb violent crime in Chicago and other big cities. Yet under the Obama administration, federal prosecutions for such crimes has dropped drastically—even in his hometown of Chicago.
“If the president held a press conference tomorrow morning and directed every federal jurisdiction to round up every felon with a gun, drug dealer with a gun and criminal gangbanger with a gun, law enforcement would have thousands of violent thugs in handcuffs and squad cars by sundown,” he said. “Instead, he waits for a crime that fits his agenda … and blames the NRA. Mr. President, we will not accept blame for your failure.”
LaPierre also said that politicians and the media who ignore these existing laws are putting more Americans at risk by leaving violent predators on the street. Americans who value their freedom should consider that in next November’s presidential election.
“We’ve lived through the Clinton administration’s utter lack of federal gun prosecutions, and the Obama administration is following suit, while the country suffers,” he said. “And we know that a second Clinton administration will just mean more of the same.”
LaPierre added that gun-banners—whether politicians or media—won’t silence the men and women of the NRA.
“No organization has been louder, clearer or more consistent on the urgent need to enforce the federal gun laws than the NRA,” he said. “And in the face of mounting political and media pressure to demean, shame and silence us … we will fight.
To watch the entire video, click here.
