Pelosi's Daughter Lashes Out at NRA over 'Target Practice' Magazine Spread
The National Rifle Association is being flayed over a magazine spread that its critics claim is an incitement to violence.
One of the leaders of the social media outrage against the spread was Christine Pelosi, daughter of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“The NRA published a magazine headline ‘target practice’ with a photo of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Rep. Gabby Giffords. We must condemn this intentional, outrageous criminal incitement. We cannot allow this hate speech to stop common sense gun violence prevention,” she tweeted.
The NRA published a magazine headline “target practice” with a photo of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and former Rep Gabby Giffords. We must condemn this intentional, outrageous criminal incitement. We cannot allow this hate speech to stop common sense gun violence prevention.
— Christine Pelosi (@sfpelosi) February 23, 2019
As noted by The Hill, the subtitle of the American Rifleman magazine article read, “Congressional Democrats target gun owners for persecution with extreme firearm transfer bans.”
The article discussed an upcoming bill to enhance background checks for anyone buying a gun.
However, it was not the NRA’s stand that most inflamed its critics, it was the headline juxtaposed with a photo featuring Pelosi and Giffords.
Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter, Jamie, was among the victims of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting in 2918, also attacked the spread.
Magazine covers and titles are highly thought out. People get paid a lot of money on decisions like this. The decision in NRA magazine to have an article titled Target Practice next to photo of Pelosi and Giffords is intentional. This is incitement of violence and not OK! https://t.co/63mXCLn6UN
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) February 23, 2019
Someone sent me this image of the latest copy of NRA’s magazine, featuring a story with the words “Target Practice” next to a photo of Nancy Pelosi with Gabby Giffords. Maybe don’t do this @NRA. pic.twitter.com/u9fQhxwEyk
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) February 22, 2019
This is a call for violence by the @NRA against @GabbyGiffords, who was nearly killed by gunfire and @SpeakerPelosi, the most powerful legislator in America. The NRA should face legal consequences. But let’s put them out of business with boycotts and ballot boxes. #EnoughIsEnough pic.twitter.com/XFTAg5XJWI
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) February 23, 2019
Although the NRA did not enter the social media debate on the spread as of Sunday, others did push back.
The way I read it, it’s a call for an attack on legal and law abiding gun owners by Pelosi. Why do leftists want to make nice with criminals and persecute those who live peacefully?
— Wayne Grantham (@ColHogan) February 24, 2019
How can you claim this? Are you deliberately lying or did you just not read it?
The article is about legislation targeting gun owners, not the NRA targeting Democrats.
If your goal is to ensure that “outrage culture” is alive and well, continuing to divide us, congrats. https://t.co/KsnSdPWPb6
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) February 24, 2019
In a piece on its website, the NRA explained what it felt is wrong with two bills being advanced.
“H.R. 8 would impose so-called ‘universal background checks. But, this legislation doesn’t address how criminals actually acquire their firearms, it creates traps for law-abiding gun owners, and it’s been proven not to work,” the piece stated.
“While H.R. 8 is bad, H.R. 1112 is worse. Under that bill, gun sales from licensed dealers would be subject to the discretion of federal officials. Through either malice or incompetence, the legislation creates an unworkable system where gun buyers could be placed in an endless loop of background checks and would never actually receive the firearms they wish to purchase.”
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