In the March 27th Forum story about local NRA members, Erik Clemenson stated that a rifle such as the AR-15 is "not a killing machine because the small, high-velocity bullet is designed to wound." Videos on YouTube demonstrate that this rifle can fire 90 rounds a minute using a 30-round magazine that can be switched in 4 seconds. How is this not a killing machine?
Also, trauma physician Heather Shur says, "The bullets fired by an AR-15 are different: They travel at a higher velocity and are far more lethal than routine bullets fired from a handgun. The high-velocity bullet causes a swath of tissue damage that extends several inches from its path. It does not have to actually hit an artery to damage it and cause catastrophic bleeding. Exit wounds can be the size of an orange." The bullets are definitely not designed to wound.
Former Senator, Rick Santorum, R-Pa., entered the fray saying students should not be demonstrating. Instead, he said that students should take a CPR class so they could help their wounded friends. The comments drew ridicule from physicians who assured Santorum that learning CPR wouldn't save victims of a mass shooting. If a gunshot victim has no pulse, compressing the victim's heart will only force more blood out of the wounds.
The NRA provides a third example of nonsensical responses to the shooting and the marches. NRA national spokeswoman Dana Loesch said: "Many in legacy media love mass shootings. Crying white mothers are ratings gold to you." Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the NRA, added a blistering attack on gun control advocates, accusing them of exploiting the tragedy to push their "socialist" agenda: "The elites don't care one whit about America's schoolchildren. Their goal is to eliminate the Second Amendment and our firearms freedoms so they can eradicate all individual freedoms... They hate the NRA, they hate the Second Amendment, they hate individual freedom."
Unrealistic claims that "news reporters love violence because it increases ratings" and "Democrats hate America" make it difficult if not impossible for people to work together to reduce gun violence in America.
From a business point of view, the NRA's support in electing Donald Trump may be coming back to haunt them. When a mass shooting occurred while Obama was president, the NRA would claim that the latest shooting would certainly cause Obama to restrict gun ownership so members went out and bought more guns and ammunition. Gun sales soared. Now, with gun enthusiasts having nothing to fear, gun sales have dropped to the point that Remington, one of America's oldest gun manufacturers, has filed for bankruptcy.
Haglund lives in Moorhead.
