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Keith Jehlen says the shooting at a Texas elementary school helps make him “sick,” but “you can’t blame the gun” that killed 19 children and two teachers. “We’ve always had guns in this country,” said the 68-year-old retired US Postal Service employee, who owns more than 50 firearms.
Jehlen was waiting in line to hear former President Donald Trump speak at a National Rifle Association conference being held just hours away from Uvalde, the town where the school massacre occurred earlier this week.
He grimaced as he reflected on the shooting, saying, “It made me sick to my stomach.”
However, guns are not the issue, according to Jehlen, who was dressed in camouflage track pants and a Trump hat. He contended that if the students at the school had been armed, the disaster could have been avoided.
“Killers aren’t afraid of the judge or the police,” he explained. “They should be afraid of the victim they are pursuing.”
The NRA event, which runs through Sunday, is taking place in a massive downtown convention centre, with anti-gun protesters gathered outside.
One protester’s sign read, “Blood on your hands.” Another said, “Guns = death.”
When Trump addressed the convention later in the day, he was met with thunderous applause. He read the names of the Uvalde shooting victims solemnly and urged Americans of all political stripes to “find common ground.”
Nonetheless, he became political, blasting “repulsive” Democrats for demonising “peaceful, law-abiding” NRA members who own firearms.
‘This is not Australia,’ says one.
Hundreds of firearms, from small handguns to AR-15s, the ubiquitous semi-automatic gun used by the gunman in Uvalde, were on display in booth after booth in the vast convention hall, all rendered inert with their firing pins removed.
Tactical gear, hunting gear, and clothing were displayed alongside gun accessories such as high-power scopes, suppressors, and 60-round magazines.
Rick Gammon, a retired law enforcement officer, stood in front of a wall of black tractor trailer rifles at the convention, declaring that any attempt to take firearms away from Americans would fail.
“You’ll never take away people’s guns. This isn’t Australia, is it? “Gammon, 51, said as he examined the Hellion rifles, a compact bullpup design that he noted would fit far behind his driver’s seat or in his car.
Following the April 1996 Port Arthur massacre, Australia enacted stricter new gun laws, including a general prohibition on the use of semi-automatic rifles, shotguns, and pump-action shotguns except for special uses.
America, which has far more frequent gun violence but has the right to bear arms enshrined in the Constitution, has repeatedly failed to act in the aftermath of mass shootings.
“I’d love to see universal background checks,” Gammon said, referring to a long-desired reform that enjoys widespread support in the United States. “However, it will not deter a determined criminal.”
