Comedian Mocks NRA’s ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ Focusing on Wayne LaPierre

An undercover comedian infiltrated the NRA’s annual convention in Houston this week. Jason Selvig is a member of the “Good Liars.” When it came time to honor CEO Wayne LaPierre, he took the stage and offered a sarcastic tribute.

“They all say that Wayne LaPierre isn’t doing enough to stop these mass shootings, and even implying that Wayne LaPierre has played a part in making it easier for these shooters to get guns, to get weapons,” Selvig said, referring to the NRA leader’s opposition to gun reform.

“You heard it after Las Vegas, you heard it after Pulse nightclub in Orlando. You heard it after Columbine, you heard it after Parkland, you heard it after Virginia Tech, you heard it after El Paso, you heard it after Buffalo. You kept hearing that Wayne LaPierre isn’t doing enough and frankly that’s not true,” Selvig said, rattling off locations of some of the nation’s most notorious mass shootings. “The NRA under Wayne LaPierre’s leadership has provided thoughts and prayers to the victims and their families. And maybe these mass shootings would stop happening if we all thought a little bit more, and we prayed a little bit more.”

If you watched “60 Minutes” Sunday evening, you understand the devastation caused by military assault rifles with a velocity nearly twice that of a semi-automatic pistol.

A first responder at the tragic mass shooting in a small Church in the Texas town of Sutherland Springs, in November of 2017, described the devastation. He said that many of the bodies were unrecognizable. They had been shot multiple times, some with 20 or more rounds. The carnage included men, women, and small children. When the bodies were counted, 26 innocent churchgoers were dead and their bodies were deformed by a high-velocity weapon of mass destruction.

All lobbies are evil and the NRA gun lobby is at the top of the list of criminals who buy votes to protect the profits of corporations. Their concern will never be the safety of the American people.

What I found most humorous is that several of the ignorant white attendees didn’t get it, and applauded Mr. Selvig. I often equate the insanity about guns in America with stupidity. We should all love our families and consider their safety more important than the profits of gun manufacturers and gun sellers. Many Americans love their guns more than their families.

The point of this story is simple. Until 1976, the NRA was a gun safety organization. It was transformed when the leaders of the NRA were offered money by the gun industry and began to promote gun sales over the safety of the American people. It became a lobby and is now one of the greatest dangers to the American people. The NRA literally promotes domestic violence.

One clear example of the changes within the NRA in the late 1970s involves common sense. They once offered a free pamphlet to keep guns safe in the home.

In this pamphlet, the NRA offered guidance for those who decided to keep guns in their homes. They advised these gun owners not only to keep their weapons unloaded but should also keep the weapon and the ammunition in separate, locked areas of the home.

Today the NRA says, “keep all weapons loaded.” In the 21st century, between 200 and 300 small children die from gaining access to a loaded weapon or are responsible for the deaths of another child or an adult every year.

The truth is, that death from gun violence sells more guns thanks to the propaganda of the NRA and right-wing politicians.

Nearly 45,000 Americans die each year from injuries caused by guns. Where is common sense in America?

Op-ed by James Turnage
Edited by Sheena Robertson

Sources:

DailyKos: NRA exec’s big fun tainted at convention as comedian pranks him with ‘thoughts and prayers’
The Guardian: Comedian infiltrates NRA event to mock Wayne LaPierre’s ‘thoughts and prayers’

Inset Image Courtesy of Don O’Brien’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Commons License

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