There’s no defense quite like a good offense. But this one relies on a falsehood.
The National Rifle Association, under fire in many quarters for scuttling popular legislation to require near-universal background checks for gun purchases, is embarking on a new campaign to prove that it cares about preventing future shootings. The group is talking up the need to keep firearms away from mentally ill people — a cause that it frequently invokes.The gun lobby organization is putting out a print ad lamenting that mental health reform is “being held hostage” — the three words are creatively splayed out to look like a hostage note — by President Obama and Democrats. Reported this week by the Washington Examiner, the group intends to spend $55,000 on the ad campaign.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=88045