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National Rifle Association President David Keene on the debate over gun control and increasing security at schools.
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Our first guest says it's unlikely the Obama administration will be able to push through a ban on assault weapons or a ban on large capacity ammunition magazines.
And the White House task force on gun violence.
As he's.
Failed to address the concerns of gun owners joining us now is David -- he's the president of the National Rifle Association David good to have you -- this.
This has been a remarkable day in the presentation by Joseph Biden -- the president the statements by the president himself and in a press conference.
Hastily called saying that taking guns away from people as of about the Second Amendment your reaction.
Well it is about the Second Amendment is about American freedom you know this is a president.
Who has spent his life as an opponent of Second Amendment Rights in this country he promised before the election.
In private that after the election he was going to do something.
You've got this whole public relations operation financed by Mayor Bloomberg of New York.
There was ready to swing into action and with new town gave them.
Was an excuse to do what they've wanted to do for some time.
Which is to launch a full -- attacked on the Second Amendment and that's what they're doing regardless of what the president claims.
You know Lou we had a represented with the meetings was with the Vice President Biden.
Before those meetings every -- was assured that we we the administration -- these with an open mind we got to the meeting.
And the first one of the first things the vice president said was -- -- the president had very strong feelings.
And firearms and they were gonna proceed regardless of what anybody else thought they stated their view we knew with their view is gonna be.
And you know the problem was that these meetings were asking the wrong questions they were saying what can we do about guns when they should have been saying.
What can we do to protect our children and that's a very different question.
It's one of the very important questions land we're about any issue whatsoever.
The reality is that and is -- -- NRA said.
Immediately following the the the sandy -- shootings.
And the idea of putting armed guards and police.
-- you want to describe them.
And whatever role they take in public schools he was greeted by chorus of oats from every quarter of the national liberal media.
When -- -- I don't thousands upon thousands of public schools and private in this country.
Have armed.
Teachers principals guards security guards policeman.
About what it's -- it was 3000 schools I'm sorry guards it is about 23000 right schools in this country right -- -- you know its interest in -- -- to -- we actually have what we have our primate.
There were putting up this number.
These are the number of public schools with armed personnel -- 28300.
Are around the country.
Bad you know issues ended the U reaction of the Obama administration was you know my -- the NRA has lost its mind to even suggest such that.
-- -- well it's interesting because just by coincidence I was in Israel.
When the new town shooting took place in the next morning I was touring a facility where they put where they trained security guards for their schools.
They put those guards and after a spate of school shootings in the 1970s and its work.
In this country after column by and President Clinton.
Got funding for the cops in school programs which pays for many of those 48000 police in other localities private firms school boards and even volunteers provide security.
-- why I was at such a Smart idea.
When the Israelis did it as such are reasonable idea when Bill Clinton endorsed -- and insane idea when we suggested that the fact is that America's parents.
What's their kids protected while -- there are -- real basic problems here Lou one.
Is the breakdown.
Of our mental health system.
Almost all of these shooters are people who should not be allowed.
To be two to possess any firearms we've been urging for years.
The people who've been adjudicated to be potentially dangerous -- put on the list of prohibited purchasers that -- me.
-- David then because what you're suggesting there is then that the NRA will support.
A much more rigorous background checks that will reach to the mental state.
Those are who are seeking authority for our weapon our our handguns have been -- I keep.
We've been advocating -- for twenty years.
The people who have been adjudicated to be mentally incompetent and potentially dangerous be included on the databases are -- that adjudicated by a big word and aside from being a Latin derivative it's cumbersome because it doesn't really go to the issue.
There are well well no if I may.
In the NRA understands very well.
There are people who are mentally ill who have not been adjudicated.
Quote unquote as such.
About are certainly people who should not be near -- -- are -- we have cannot agree.
I agree completely -- we had a mental health care system that does its job.
We would know who those people are but the fact of the matter is we have we have torn apart and destroyed our mental health care system in this country.
And when you say we by the way those are reviving the -- believe the correct word we.
Republicans -- Democrats and -- -- -- one of the things I wanna get to hear in this debate if I'm.
Is I would like to see is.
Trying to approach the resolution of this issue.
Intelligently.
And at the same time it do it without.
You know demonizing one another are castigating aren't big rating.
Other institutions professionals from Everett may be we have a very serious issue.
We have what -- -- this country who desperately need mental health treatment.
And you know that they're not getting.
They're not getting it there in every state in this country.
There are more severely mentally ill people in our prisons than an all public and private now metal hospitals.
16%.
It's estimated of all prisoners are severely mentally ill in 5% of them are actively dangerous.
Wanna get me we're not sending you know everything that those problems when given the percentage of those that we that we call ourselves a mania at the civilian population.
And the -- as I'm sitting here smiling about it we don't have good information about it.
We've got to talk about that is part of the solution -- -- we're young we're excuse me David and then -- give you the last were.
But we've got to go beyond words like adjudicated.
We've got to talk about this serious responsibility of -- ownership.
We've got to talk about the very important issue keeping mentally ill people away from those far.
-- -- -- -- -- -- Really we've been talking about that for years and it's one of our goals is one of the things that we should be doing we should be.
Not arguing about what the gun looks like that can fall into the hands of somebody who's a violent schizophrenic we should be talking about how to keep any gun.
Out of that person's hands.
And we ought to be talking about measures that protect our kids.
Not simply ideological arguments about I don't like guns -- ought to abolish over -- that sort of thing we ought to be dealing with real problems.
And not simply with political rhetoric and I'm afraid.
That's that's with the president and as for those folks are doing you're doing with rhetoric and not with the reality.
