One Florida high school student turned gun legislation activist called out the National Rifle Association’s spokesperson by name on Sunday.
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Appearing on ABC’s “This Week,” Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg accused the NRA of acting like “they don’t own these politicians.” He added that the Republican Party could make changes to gun legislation if they wanted to, since they control both chambers of Congress as well as the executive branch. Still, he criticized the NRA as being in service to the gun lobby, rather than its own members.
“Look at [NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch]. Look at what she’s saying,” he said. “Is she actually saying anything, or is that just a tone to distract the American public and distract her NRA members from the fact that she’s not serving them? She is serving the gun manufacturers. She’s not serving the people of the NRA.”
Hogg went on to say that “99.9 percent” of NRA members were “amazing people that just want to be safe, responsible gun owners.”
Hogg is not the only high school student activists who is separating his thoughts on the NRA organization from the actions of its members.
High school student Cameron Kasky tweeted the following, which was shared by fellow student Emma González on her own Twitter account.
To those following our message, please remember the difference between the NRA as an organization and the members of the NRA. The vast majority of NRA members are decent people. Patriots. Our issue is not with them individually.#NeverAgain #MarchForOurLives
— Cameron Kasky🎄 (@cameron_kasky) February 23, 2018
When prompted, Kasky said that NRA members were simply trying to “defend their rights.”
They want to defend their rights. They will soon understand that we are not attacking those.
— Cameron Kasky🎄 (@cameron_kasky) February 23, 2018
Loesch appeared in the same episode, arguing that “5 million innocent, law-abiding gun owners” were being blamed for the failures of others.
Her sentiment mirrored a statement released by the organization following the loss of several corporate sponsorships. The statement sought to defend its members over “the cruel failures of both federal and local law enforcement.” This was written in reference to disturbing revelations that the FBI did not act even after it was warned of the suspected shooter’s intention to cause a mass casualty incident as well as revelations that at least four Broward County sheriff’s deputies, including the resource officer assigned to the school, did not enter to engage the shooter while the shooting was taking place.
RELATED: Florida shooting survivor Emma González now has more Twitter followers than the NRA