If the gun folks do not get out in front of it, bans will be put into effect.
No problem is solved by ignoring it. A line once spoken by John Wayne went something along the lines of 'This is a problem and picking at it will not make it much better'. The NRA had a golden opportunity to get out ahead of this problem, but I think they blew it.
They could have easily said they would move to restart gun training programs for Boy Scouts and that they would try to impress everyone that guns are a needed tool, but one that
must be handled correctly. This would have, in reality, accomplished little, but it would show the world the NRA was trying to offer their expertise to make the world a better place and that while they might be wrong in their thinking at least they were trying.
But instead they claim that more guns are the solution, and they want Congress to pay for it. This makes them look like they think the answer is to throw money at the problem.
And putting armed volunteers in schools? This would last a week or two before something went wrong. Hiring retired police officers might be a solution, but with the pension most retired police officers draw I doubt there would be many takers.
I, myself, have no answers, but then I am not expected to. The NRA could have taken the leadership position on this and controlled the conversation, but they did not and now likely never will.
I don't know who their
PR firm is, but they need to start casting about for a new one.