NRA Shuts Down It's Facebook Page and Twitter Accounts

It seems that the NRA would rather hide than defend their position on gun control regulations in the wake of the Sandy Hook School shootings, now that they are faced by a public that has become outraged over the senseless gun violence that is becoming more and more common.

 AdWeek- The National Rifle Association shut down a key Twitter account last summer in the aftermath of the Aurora, Colo. theater shootings. On Saturday, one day after the unthinkable shootings at a Newtown, Conn. elementary school, the NRA took a more drastic measure by deactivating its Facebook page after celebrating getting to 1.7 million fans on the social site earlier in the week.

While the group has not commented since Friday's tragedy, it appears to have staked out a strategy to take its brand out of the social media picture in the wake of a mass-shooting news event. Given its guns-rights cause, the social media buzz after such events seems to be an unenviable conversation for the org to partake in. The NRA's chief Twitter account, which has doubled in followers to 63,000 since the Aurora shootings, has been silent since tweeting out a holidays giveaway contest early Friday.

Meanwhile, Facebook news feeds and Twitter streams have been inundated with debate about whether the nation's politicians should enact federal gun-control legislation in reaction to the recent string of mass shootings. The conversation has ranged from typically political to thoughtful to downright ugly.

Gun Control Legislation: Frank Lautenberg Readies Bill In Wake Of Aurora Shooting

by Sam Stein - Huffington Post

WASHINGTON -- In the immediate aftermath of the shooting in Aurora, the debate over gun control policy has more or less centered on whether it's an appropriate time to even have a debate.

Senator Frank Lautenberg

But several lawmakers have demanded that the government not shy about tackling the legislative issue. Mayor Michael Bloomberg set the tone when he urged the two presidential candidates to outline their policies with respect to federal gun laws. And now, Sen. Frank Lautenberg's (D-N.J.) office is saying that he plans to reintroduce legislation that would curtail the ability of a shooter to fire at length without reloading.

"If reports are correct and a high-capacity gun magazine was used to commit these awful murders, Senator Lautenberg will absolutely renew his effort to limit the availability of this dangerous firearm attachment," Lautenberg's communications director Caley Gray told The Huffington Post.

Lautenberg, one of the most vocal gun control advocates in the Senate, introduced a bill to limit high-capacity magazines following the shooting of former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. The shooter in that instance fired his gun more than 30 times without having to reload. The bill went nowhere.

Early reports have suggested that the accused shooter in Aurora, James Holmes, also used a high-capacity magazine on his assault rifle. And that alone could breathe new political life into the New Jersey Democrat's legislative hopes.

Lautenberg on the Need for Gun Safety Reforms

Sunday, July 22, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC—U.S. Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) released the following statement today on the need for gun safety reforms:

“Far too many American families have felt the horror of gun violence. Our hearts are still heavy with sadness after the tragedy in Colorado, but we need to start today on efforts to prevent the next attack. We should begin by passing my legislation to ban the sale of high-capacity gun magazines,” Lautenberg said.  “No sportsman needs 100 rounds to shoot a duck, but allowing high-capacity magazines in the hands of killers like James Holmes and Jared Loughner puts law enforcement at a disadvantage and innocent lives at risk. The NRA should join with us and the rest of America on sensible gun safety reform to stop the violence."

Senator Lautenberg is a leader in Congress for responsible gun safety measures.  Last year, Lautenberg introduced common-sense legislation to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines.  Lautenberg also is the author of two bills aimed at closing significant loopholes in U.S. law—the “gun show loophole” and the “Terror Gap”—that make it easier for criminals and terrorists to obtain guns and explosives to carry out their crimes.  Additional information about Lautenberg’s common-sense gun safety reforms can be found here

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Senator Lautenberg authored the Domestic Violence Gun Ban, which bans the shipment, transport, sale or ownership of guns by individuals convicted of domestic violence. Since it was enacted in 1996, the law has succeeded in keeping guns out of the hands of spousal and child abusers on approximately 200,000 occasions.  

President Obama's Weekly Address 7/21/12: Remembering the Victims of the Aurora, Colorado Shooting

President Obama honors the victims of the tragedy in Colorado, those who knew and loved them, and those who are struggling to recover.