Willie R. Tubbs, FISM News
ORLANDO – National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre might be a native of New York and resident of Texas, but he proved Thursday evening to be a consumer of West Coast news. During his address to CPAC, LaPierre cited a little-talked-about story from Beverly Hills to illustrate what he identified as a growing trend of California elites purchasing firearms.
The story, which was run in LA Magazine, contained information from a gun shop owner whose business had skyrocketed in the face of California’s recent rash of burglaries and robberies.
“A small gun shop owner in Beverly Hills of all places reported a huge increase in business from the folks you’d least expect,” LaPierre told the crowd. “Movie stars, film executives, Hollywood big wigs. More and more and more of them. They’re sneaking into his shop and secretly buying guns.”
LaPierre added, “[Maybe] that’s why so many celebrities are pushing so hard for mask mandates. They don’t anyone to recognize them when they sneak into the gun store.”
Importantly, the original article did not specify that celebrities and other affluent residents of Beverly Hills were purchasing firearms via sneaking into the store. More accurately, the piece indicated that West Coast elites were spending unprecedented amounts of money on security.
As security necessarily involves the purchase of firearms, either by celebrities or those tasked with protecting them, LaPierre concluded that this was an example of a Hollywood double standard, a system in which well-off West Coasters purchase a firearm and then “go out and rail against you and me and our Second Amendment rights.”
LaPierre saved time in his speech for a heavy critique for President Joe Biden, who LaPierre said is soft on crime and using lawful gun owners as a scapegoat for spikes in gun crime.
“Americans all over this country aren’t buying into his agenda. You know what they’re doing instead? They’re out there in record number buying guns. Last year 5.4 million Americans purchased a firearm for the first time in their lives, and you know why? Because all of them can see what’s happening all around them in their country and they want to be able to protect themselves and they want to be able to protect their families.”
LaPierre said he did not begrudge leftists who chose to become gun owners.
“[If] any one of those Hollywood hypocrites are watching right now as we sit here, I have a message for you,” he said. “No matter how much you attack us, belittle us, or try to shame us for exercising our Second Amendment rights, the men and women of the National Rifle Association will fight for your right to keep and bear arms, just as hard as we fight for ours.”
To watch the full speech, click here.