NRA convention in Houston attracts both sides of gun debate
HOUSTON (CBSDFW.COM) - The city of Houston has become a focal point in the intense debate over gun restrictions.
The National Rifle Association's previously scheduled convention - canceled because of COVID - is now underway at the George R. Brown Convention Center in the city, and has attracted a number of protestors.
Just as the debate over guns has intensified, so has the controversy surrounding the NRA's convention itself.
Democrats had called on the NRA to postpone or cancel the event after the deadly mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, that claimed the lives of 19 students and two teachers and injured 17 others. But the convention is going on as planned. CBS 11 News spoke with gun owners and NRA members, and they said the event should not have been postponed or canceled.
Among the groups protesting -- Moms Demand Action, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Black Lives Matter Houston, and the Federation of Teachers of Houston. Democratic candidate for governor Beto O'Rourke will also attend the protests.
On Friday morning, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced that he cancelled his remarks at an NRA breakfast. He issued a statement that said, "After prayerful consideration and discussion with NRA officials, I have decided not to speak at the NRA breakfast this morning. While a strong supporter of the Second Amendment and an NRA member, I would not want my appearance today to bring any additional pain or grief to the families and all those suffering in Uvalde. This is a time to focus on the families, first and foremost."
Governor Greg Abbott will be making remarks on a video recording. He will meet with state and local officials in Uvalde Friday afternoon, to hear about the resources being provided to the shooting victims' families.
Senator Ted Cruz and former President Donald Trump will be speaking at the convention in-person.
Hip Rosado, an NRA member attending the convention, said, "I think we should respect the fact that innocent people got killed and try to do something about mental health, which is really the problem. It's not a gun problem."
Karen Hickman, who's attending the organized protest, disagreed. "To put it all on mental health, I don't think that's right because if you have a combination of mental health, why would you have people with mental health issues have easy access to guns? It's clear you're going to have to do both to make a difference."
There are however some signs of agreement. Both Rosado and Hickman said they don't believe people with mental health problems should have access to guns. They also both believe in expanding background checks to include private gun sales or transfers.
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