This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

NRA Calls for 'Armed Security' Around Schools

'The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun,' the NRA's Wayne LaPierre said.

In a Friday morning press conference, the National Rifle Association broke its weeklong silence following the horrific shooting of 26 people at a school in Newtown, CT, and called for a surge of gun-carrying "good guys" around American schools.

NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre called for a new kind of American domestic security revolving around armed civilians, arguing that "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."

"We care about our president, so we protect him with armed Secret Service agents," LaPierre said. "Members of Congress work in offices surrounded by Capitol Police officers. Yet, when it comes to our most beloved, innocent, and vulnerable members of the American family, our children, we as a society leave them every day utterly defenseless, and the monsters and the predators of the world know it, and exploit it."

Find out what's happening in College Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Prince George's County police and the Montgomery County Police Department increased police presence in schools in the wake of the shootings, though police have no indication of a threat to any schools.

Earlier this year, Montgomery County officials, police and parents called for the fiscal 2013 operating budget to allow the county to increase police staffing in public schools.

Find out what's happening in College Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

In 2010, the county began to face budget pressure and the $2.6 million program was cut to nine officers. In 2011, it was cut again to six officers, leaving one per police district, and renamed the School Resource Officer program.

In Prince George's County Public Schools, each high school has two resident investigator/counselors, one school resource officer, and two or more security assistants. Regional investigators are assigned to middle and elementary schools, special centers and administrative offices by educational zone. At least one security assistant is assigned to each middle school.

LaPierre's speech was a call to supporters to mobilize around what he said was a new vision of American domestic security, at a time when voices for gun control are steadily rising.

On Friday morning before the press conference, President Obama released a video (above) citing a petition by hundreds of Americans calling for swift action for gun control.

At the grassroots level, groups like Newtown United, a group of Newtown neighbors, are working to address major issues related to the tragedy, including gun control, violent media, mental health and legislation.

In stark contrast, LaPierre called for a great mobilization of gun-carrying "good guys," a term he used repeatedly but did not define, who could be more present and respond more quickly than police.

"If we truly cherish our kids, more than our money, more than our celebrities, more than our sports stadiums, we must give them the greatest level of protection possible," LaPierre said. "And that security is only available with properly trained, armed 'good guys.'"

LaPierre, who was interrupted twice by protesters who held signs in front of TV cameras, made a direct call for local action.

"I call on every parent. I call on every teacher. I call on every school administrator, every law enforcement officer in this country, to join with us and help create a national schools shield safety program to protect our children with the only positive line of defense that’s tested and proven to work," he said.

In his speech, LaPierre also accused the media of selling "violence against its own people" through violent video games, music videos and "blood-soaked" films. He did not take questions from reporters, and did not acknowledge the protesters.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from College Park