Angry students, parents confront Rubio on gun control

Survivors of last week’s bloodbath at a Florida high school and their families vented their anger at Sen. Marco Rubio and a top NRA rep at a town hall Wednesday night — demanding that politicians and lobbyists support stricter gun control measures.
In a raucous meeting sponsored and aired by CNN, students, parents and teachers from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland grilled lawmakers and National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch in the wake of the Feb. 14 massacre at their school.
“Your comments this week and those of our president have been pathetically weak,” parent Fred Guttenberg, whose 14-year-old daughter, Jamie, was among 17 killed last week, told Rubio (R-Florida).
“Look at me and tell me guns were the factor in the hunting of our kids in school and look at me and tell me you accept it and you will work with us to do something about guns.”
Rubio tried to deflect the role of guns in mass murder. He said the killings “cannot be solved by gun laws alone,” drawing jeers and boos at the BB&T Center arena in Sunrise.

Rubio pointed out where he disagreed with the NRA — such as his desire to lift the legal age of rifle purchases from 18 to 21.
He said he also supports improving background checks and banning bump stocks.
The senator also said he’s “not comfortable” with arming teachers, as President Trump suggested earlier Wednesday.
The Florida Republican was also raked over the coals by Douglas student Cameron Kasky, who put Rubio on the spot by asking if he’s willing to stop accepting campaign contributions from the NRA.
“Senator Rubio, can you tell me right now that you will not accept a single donation from the NRA?” Kasky asked, drawing huge cheers and a standing ovation.
Rubio tried to justify his acceptance of NRA money, saying that “people buy into my agenda.”
Kasky refused to accept that answer: “In the name of 17 people, you cannot ask the NRA to keep their money out of your campaign?”

Rubio responded: “I think in the name of 17 people, I can pledge to you that I will support any law that will prevent a killer like this from getting a gun.
“I will do what I think is right. They buy into my ideas, I don’t buy into theirs.”
Later in the town hall, Loesch blamed the recent series of mass murders on law enforcement not acting on tips about and warning signs from people like Nikolas Cruz, who allegedly committed the Douglas High School atrocity.
Douglas student Emma Gonzalez, whose speech last weekend calling “BS” on lax gun laws and their defenders went viral, asked Loesch if she supports restricting semi-automatic weapons and bump stocks.
“I don’t believe this insane monster should have gotten a gun . . . this individual was nuts,” Loesch responded.
Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel jumped into the heated exchange and took the student’s side.
“You are not standing up for them, until you say I want less weapons,” Israel said to wild applause. “Anyone who says different, Emma and I are calling BS on that.”