The 143rd annual NRA Convention was held in Indianapolis in April 2014. (Photo: Star File )

National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre is a pawn of the gun lobby, which provides financial support to the NRA. The objective of the gun lobby is to maximize the sale of firearms in America by fighting any legislation that could hurt sales. The following is an excerpt from his speech to the NRA convention in Indianapolis in April: “We do not trust government because government has proven unworthy of our trust. We trust ourselves and we trust that we know in our hearts to be right. We trust our freedom. In this uncertain world, surrounded by lies and corruption everywhere you look, there is no greater freedom than the right to survive and protect our families with all the rifles, shotguns and handguns we want.”

On May 23, mediamatters.org reported the following quote by LaPierre. “Americans are buying guns because of reckless government actions and because the entire fabric of society is in jeopardy.” He goes on to say “it is why more and more Americans are buying firearms and ammunition. Not to cause trouble but because America is already in trouble. We know that sooner or later reckless government actions have consequences that when government corrupts the truth and breaks faith with the American people, the entire fabric of society, everything we believe in and count on, is then in jeopardy.”

His rhetoric is disturbing, especially in light of those in Congress and the Indiana legislature who take his campaign contributions and do his bidding.

One would think that our elected representatives in government would want to put as much distance as possible between themselves and LaPierre.

Edmund Smith

Hoosiers Concerned About Gun Violence