Wayne LaPierre: ‘How Many Bostonians Wished They Had A Gun Two Weeks …

NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre sparked controversy on Saturday when he asked, “How many Bostonians wished they had a gun two weeks ago?”

The comments came in the middle of his speech at the annual NRA members meeting in Houston, Texas.

LaPierre explained that during the Boston lockdown that took place while police were chasing the bombing suspects, “frightened citizens [were] sheltered in place with no means to defend themselves.”

He said:

“Imagine living in a large metropolitan area where lawful firearms ownership is heavily regulated and discouraged. Imagine waking up to a phone call from the police, warning that a terrorist event is occurring outside and ordering you to stay inside your home.”

“DISGUSTING. Shameful,” one Twitter user remarked. “SERIOUSLY, BRO?” asked another.

As NBC’s Kasie Hunt points out, this is the first time that the NRA has linked the Boston Marathon bombings to guns.

LaPierre then accused gun control advocates of exploiting tragedies like the Sandy Hook school shooting.

“They use tragedy to try to blame us, to shame us into compromising our freedom for their political agenda,” he said. “No matter what it takes, we will never give up or compromise our constitutional freedom, not one single inch!”

Also speaking at the NRA convention were Second Vice President Allan Cors and chief lobbyist Chris Cox, who offered simliar rhetoric.

“Our gun rights are never safe,” said Cors.

Here’s the full transcript of LaPierre’s remarks. Below is a clip from his speech.

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• Dallas Morning News

  a href=”http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2013/04/and-speaking-of-cowards-the-senate-gun-vote-is-an-appalling-for-hardliners-and-hypocrites.html/” target=”_blank””And Speaking Of Cowards, The Senate Gun Vote Is An Appalling Victory For Hardliners And Hypocrites”/a

• Hartford Courant

  a href=”http://www.courant.com/news/opinion/editorials/hc-ed-congress-chickens-out-on-gun-background-chec-20130417,0,6608900.story” target=”_blank””Cowards In Congress Fold On Background Checks”/a

• Sacramento Bee

  a href=”http://www.sacbee.com/2013/04/18/5350869/senate-thumbs-nose-at-public-with.html#storylink=cpy” target=”_blank””Senate Thumbs Nose At Public With Gun Vote”/a

• Sun-Sentinel (Fla.)

  a href=”http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/editorials/sfl-gun-control-reform-failure-a-shame-20130418,0,5537882.story” target=”_blank”“Failed Gun Control Reform A Shame: Are You Listening Marco Rubio?” /a

• Connecticut Post

  a href=”http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Another-failure-in-Washington-4442606.php#ixzz2QpMumIWx” target=”_blank””Another Failure In Washington”/a

• The Washington Post

  a href=”http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-senates-cowardly-act-on-gun-control/2013/04/17/d8b4b108-a7aa-11e2-b029-8fb7e977ef71_story.html” target=”_blank””The Senate Misfires On Gun Control”/a

• USA Today

  a href=”http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/04/17/gun-background-checks-senate-editorials-debates/2090863/” target=”_blank””Senate Fails Newtown, Common Sense: Our View”/a

• The New York Times

  a href=”http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/18/opinion/the-senate-fails-americans-on-gun-bills.html?hp” target=”_blank””The Senate Fails Americans”/a

• New York Daily News

  a href=”http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion#ixzz2Qq2ALZee” target=”_blank””Shame In The Senate”/a

• Minneapolis Star Tribune

  a href=”http://www.startribune.com/opinion/editorials/203498301.html” target=”_blank””Senate Inaction On Guns Is Shameful”/a

• Kansas City Star

  a href=”http://www.kansascity.com/2013/04/17/4187494/cowardice-on-gun-safety.html#storylink=cpy” target=”_blank””Cowardly U.S. Senate Thwarts Will Of Public On Gun Safety”/a

• Chicago Tribune

  a href=”http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-guns-20130418,0,839417.story” target=”_blank””A Vote For Violence”/a

• Chicago Sun-Times

  a href=”http://www.suntimes.com/opinions/19543775-474/editorial-a-shameful-day-on-gun-laws-reform.html” target=”_blank””A ‘Shameful Day’ On Gun Laws Reform”/a

• Newsday

  a href=”http://www.newsday.com/opinion/editorial-vote-on-background-checks-reveals-cowards-of-senate-1.5092590″ target=”_blank””Vote On Background Checks Reveals Cowards Of Senate”/a

• The Baltimore Sun

  a href=”http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-senate-gun-bill-20130418,0,4711777.story#ixzz2QqAwzzyI” target=”_blank””In Senate Gun Control Vote, Tyranny Of The Minority”/a

• Asbury Park Press

  a href=”http://www.app.com/article/20130418/NJOPINION01/304180022/NRA-wins-battle-not-war?gcheck=1nclick_check=1″ target=”_blank””NRA Wins Battle, But Not The War”/a

• Los Angeles Times

  a href=”http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-0418-guns-20130418,0,2453493.story” target=”_blank””What Now On Gun Control?”/a

• San Francisco Chronicle

  a href=”http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Shame-of-the-Senate-4442910.php#ixzz2QpF2krGR” target=”_blank””Shame Of The Senate”/a

• San Jose Mercury News

  a href=”http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_23046651/mercury-news-editorial-congress-failure-pass-background-check” target=”_blank””Congress’ Failure To Pass Background Check Bill A Betrayal Of Newtown Victims, American People”/a

• Star-Ledger (N.J.)

  a href=”http://blog.nj.com/njv_editorial_page/2013/04/the_shameful_senate_vote_on_gu.html” target=”_blank””The strongShameful /strongSenate Vote On Gun Control”/a