Parkland students: NRA has been ‘basically threatening us’

Two students who survived last month’s high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., said Monday that the leadership of the National Rifle Association (NRA) has “basically threatened” them since they started speaking out about gun violence. 

“I think it just goes to prove exactly what they are. I don’t think NRA members are bad people at all. I think they’re responsible gun owners that want to become politically active and make their voices heard in this democracy,” David Hogg told CBS News.

“I think the problem comes in when it’s people at the top of this organization that don’t listen to their constituents, and continue to scare people into buying more guns, creating more violence so they can scare more people and sell more guns,” he added.

{mosads}Hogg and classmate Emma González appeared on CBS News on Monday to talk about their efforts to promote stricter gun laws and prevent school shootings.

When asked if the NRA has reached out to the Parkland students in the month since they rallied to stop school shootings, Hogg said the way they’ve reached out “is basically threatening us.”

“They’ve been instigating things,” González added. “And then we reply, they shy away. Like they can dish it out, but they can’t take it.”

The NRA hasn’t publicly criticized the Parkland students since the shooting, but during last week’s national day of school walkouts to protest gun violence, the organization shared a photo of a rifle with the caption “I’ll control my own guns, thank you.”

I’ll control my own guns, thank you. #2A #NRA pic.twitter.com/jqbZzwcWf6

— NRA (@NRA) March 14, 2018

Hogg, González and other Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students have been at the forefront of the discussion about gun violence following the Feb. 14 shooting at the high school that left 17 people dead. 

Since then, some lawmakers have expressed support for various legislation, including stronger background checks, an increased age limit on buying rifles and a ban on bump stocks.

So far, Congress has not passed any legislation. The Trump administration earlier this month unveiled a series of proposals on school safety and gun restrictions, including a push for states to provide firearms training for school staff members.

The proposal did not include any action on guns, but established a committee to assess best practices for preventing school shootings.