The National Rifle Association starts its annual convention May 15 in Phoenix at a time when gun owners fear the new presidential administration is ready to crack down on firearms, says the Arizona Republic .NRA vice president Wayne LaPierre is urging every “law abiding” gun owner to come to the convention to “prove to the gun banners” that the NRA will take on “anybody who attacks our firearm freedoms.” Law enforcement groups are seeking a renewal of the expired federal assault weapon ban, but President Obama asays the ban is a tough sell politically and says the priority is to enforce existing gun laws.
Attorney General Eric Holder maintains that most guns in Mexico come from the U.S., but gun-ownership advocates doubt harsher U.S. rules would stem Mexico’s violence. Hildy Saizow, president of Tempe-based Arizonans for Gun Safety, said there should be better regulations on sales at gun shows, including background checks on all transactions. “The NRA has stood for purchasing guns anytime, anywhere, anyplace,” she said. “That’s a very dangerous way to look at a product that’s deadly like a gun.”