Wayne LaPierre
Encyclopedia
Wayne LaPierre is an American
author
and Second Amendment
advocate
. He is best known for his position as the Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association
.
in Roanoke, VA in 1967. He received his BA in Education from Siena College
in Loudonville, NY and his MA in government from Boston College
. He has been a government activist and lobbyist ever since finishing his MA, including positions on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Political Consultants, the American Conservative Union, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
of the National Rifle Association
, the largest American gun rights organization. LaPierre joined the NRA in 1977 after working as a legislative aide to a Democratic Virginia
Delegate Vic Thomas.
LaPierre has authored several books on weapon
ry topics, ranging from shooting practices
to terrorism
to gun safety
to crime
. He also makes appearances promoting the NRA at gun show
s and political events. Citing Democratic
candidate John Kerry
's history of authoring and supporting gun control
legislation
, LaPierre actively campaigned against the senator in the 2004 Presidential elections. In that campaign, the NRA supported Republican
President George W. Bush
after determining that he was the candidate closest to their position on gun rights and gun policies.
s on the NRAnews.com website
called "What They Didn't Tell You Today." Every weekday, LaPierre gives a short broadcast about gun rights.
tolerated a certain amount of violence and killing to strengthen the case for gun control and to score points for his party. Clinton White House
spokesman Joe Lockhart
called it "really sick rhetoric, and it should be repudiated by anyone who hears it."
In 2004, LaPierre debated Rebecca Peters
, head of the International Action Network on Small Arms
, at King's College
London
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and Second Amendment
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
advocate
Advocate
An advocate is a term for a professional lawyer used in several different legal systems. These include Scotland, South Africa, India, Scandinavian jurisdictions, Israel, and the British Crown dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man...
. He is best known for his position as the Executive Vice President of the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
.
Background
LaPierre graduated from Patrick Henry High SchoolPatrick Henry High School (Roanoke, Virginia)
Patrick Henry High School is a public high school located in the Grandin Court neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia. It is one of the two general enrollment high schools for the Roanoke City Public Schools.-History:...
in Roanoke, VA in 1967. He received his BA in Education from Siena College
Siena College
Siena College is an independent Roman Catholic liberal arts college in Loudonville, in the town of Colonie, New York, United States. Siena is a four-year, coeducational, independent college in the Franciscan tradition, founded by the Franciscan Friars in 1937. It has 3,000 full-time students and...
in Loudonville, NY and his MA in government from Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
. He has been a government activist and lobbyist ever since finishing his MA, including positions on the Board of Directors of the American Association of Political Consultants, the American Conservative Union, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
National Rifle Association Activity
Since 1991, he has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive OfficerChief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
of the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
, the largest American gun rights organization. LaPierre joined the NRA in 1977 after working as a legislative aide to a Democratic Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
Delegate Vic Thomas.
LaPierre has authored several books on weapon
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
ry topics, ranging from shooting practices
Gun safety
Gun safety is a collection of rules and recommendations that can be applied when handling firearms. The purpose of gun safety is to eliminate or minimize the risks of unintentional death, injury or damage caused by improper handling of firearms....
to terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
to gun safety
Gun safety
Gun safety is a collection of rules and recommendations that can be applied when handling firearms. The purpose of gun safety is to eliminate or minimize the risks of unintentional death, injury or damage caused by improper handling of firearms....
to crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
. He also makes appearances promoting the NRA at gun show
Gun show
A gun show is a temporary exhibition or gathering in the United States where firearms, firearm accessories, ammunition, literature, knives, jerky, militaria, and miscellaneous collectibles are displayed, bought, sold, traded, and discussed. Gun shows also often include exhibitions related to...
s and political events. Citing Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
candidate John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
's history of authoring and supporting gun control
Gun politics
Gun politics addresses safety issues and ideologies related to firearms through criminal and noncriminal use. Gun politics deals with rules, regulations, and restrictions on the use, ownership, and distribution of firearms.-National sovereignty:...
legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
, LaPierre actively campaigned against the senator in the 2004 Presidential elections. In that campaign, the NRA supported Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
after determining that he was the candidate closest to their position on gun rights and gun policies.
Television
LaPierre hosts Crime Strike, a syndicated weekly television program airing across the United States that advocates gun use in self-defense and highlights situations where people have taken a stand against criminal suspects.Online
In October 2006, LaPierre instituted a weekly podcastPodcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
s on the NRAnews.com website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
called "What They Didn't Tell You Today." Every weekday, LaPierre gives a short broadcast about gun rights.
Books
- Guns, Crime, and Freedom (1994)
- Shooting Straight: Telling the Truth About Guns in America (2002)
- Guns, Freedom, and Terrorism (2003)
- The Global War on Your Guns (2006)
- The Essential Second Amendment Guide (2007)
Politics
In 2000, LaPierre said President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
tolerated a certain amount of violence and killing to strengthen the case for gun control and to score points for his party. Clinton White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
spokesman Joe Lockhart
Joe Lockhart
Joseph Lockhart is a spokesman and communications consultant, best known for being the White House Press Secretary from October 5, 1998 to September 29, 2000, during the administration of U.S. President Bill Clinton...
called it "really sick rhetoric, and it should be repudiated by anyone who hears it."
In 2004, LaPierre debated Rebecca Peters
Rebecca Peters
Rebecca Peters is the former Director of the International Action Network on Small Arms .As chair of the National Coalition for Gun Control at the time of the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, Peters played a key role in the introduction of stricter gun control and gun confiscation, in Australia, an...
, head of the International Action Network on Small Arms
IANSA
The International Action Network on Small Arms is an international non-governmental organization recognized by the United Nations. IANSA is based in London and has over 800 member organizations in 120 countries, working to stop the proliferation and use of small arms and light weapons.- United...
, at King's College
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.