we've got our corporations, probably donald trump saying that the people in bangladesh need jobs. they're going to charge the man with murder that owned the building. we need to start charging our people, our investors, our ceos that are contracting our jobs overseas, these free-trade laws. host: what are you seeing in ohio? talk about the employment picture going on in your town. jober: you can get a making eight dollars, nine dollars an hour, but that is not money to live on. 4% in yourput 3%, 401(k). you talk about raising the minimum wage to nine dollars. sir, i make $10 an hour -- made $10 an hour 30 years ago. 30 years ago. people out here are making what i made 30 years ago.

gasoline was $.35. a gallon of milk was $.40. -- our absolutely congress, our senate, and even the president are all bitten off by the money. host: talk a little bit about what the color brings up. guest: one thing that he mentioned that is interesting is the issue of flat wages. that has been a problem. several calls have also talked about prices. some factors of prices be very volatile. for example, gasoline prices. there up one day. they're down one day. they are back up the next day. hassling prices have been very volatile. overall, inflation has remained fairly tame over the past few years. right now, it is actually trending at about 1.1%, which is one of the record lows.

prices have actually not overall increased that significantly. the reason why that is important is because that allows the federal reserve to continue its policy. it has said it will continue to buy bonds, pump money into the economy, continue to keep interest rates low, unless inflation gets out of control. what is out of control? something like 2%, 2.5%. if they see it rise below that level -- above that level, they will pump the brakes. some members of the fed have actually argued for increasing the level of stimulus in the order to bring inflation up to rid do not want to be in a cycle were we are in a deflationary environment like japan. host: alan is from st. joseph, missouri. he has stopped looking. tell us your situation and why you've stopped. caller: thank you for taking my call. the first thing i would have to

say -- two things -- the numbers they use for unemployment is incorrect because the natural attrition rate is 150,000. therder to create one job, number has to be 150,001. the other problem is the illegal immigration -- i am a local in kansas city -- we have adopted discrimination policy of workers 50 and older in order to bring in undocumented workers into the unions for cheaper labor. there is an issue he brings up -- another caller also mention this as well -- around the great economy. that is work -- grey economy. that is work that is done by people not on the books, where the work that is done by people that are here illegally or work that is done on the side, somebody mowing the lawn, making

a few extra dollars -- it is really hard to quantify the amount of activity that goes on in this greay economy. it is clearly very important to people. an area where you may sit -- where you may see people turning to as it gets difficult to find a job. what is a job? is it something that has a 401(k) and benefits, or is it cobbled together that allows you to make a living? host: let's break down the numbers even more. it's good to the business section of "new york times" --

i want to go back to the phones. ruben is waiting from kansas city, missouri on our unemployed line. caller: good morning. i want to say this first. they call themselves patriots, i do not understand how they can be patriots when they ship jobs out of their own country and other countries. i want to know this -- who is the overseer of fair employment? in the afro-american community, the job rate is extremely high. thehe gentleman was saying, guy from missouri himself, i see now more spanish-speaking people employed out there on job

, i veryonstruction jobs --dom see african-americans but i very seldom see african- americans working. we were the last people fired -- hired and the first people fired. who oversees -- who does a number on who is working and how status?the employment host: we will give you some numbers from the bureau of labor statistics report that came out yesterday. it does break down major working groups -- it notes that the unemployment rate for whites in april was 6.7%, lacks 13.2%, blacks three -- point -- 13.2%, hispanics 9%.

there is a little more context on the numbers. guest: the recovery is very uneven. when you mentioned the unemployment rate for african- americans and whites, unemployment for african- americans is more than double that are whites. when you go into the guts of the report and look at the details of who is working and who is not, how long, how much, you find there is a lot of unevenness. there is a lot of business in the numbers. those numbers are real people. as numbers are real jobs. one issue for the african- american community is not only are they grappling with higher unemployment, but they also have experienced a greater loss of wealth or in the recession than other racial groups. because so much of the wealth was driven by the housing market, so much was wrapped into their homes, that when home itht -- home prices plunged, had a disproportionate impact on african-americans. that is another thing they are struggling with at the same time a are seen unemployment rates being disproportionately

higher. host: i want to bring in james from new york on our employee line. good morning. caller: good morning. congressman patrick patrick congress and leahy are claiming there is a lack of labor on dairy farms. in 1988, there were 220,000 dairy farms in the united states. in 2008, there were less than 35,000. at the same time, as dairy production stayed flat or even increased slightly, which right now there is a job loss. according to the senses, there are about -- census, there are about three employees perform. host: can you talk a little bit about farm jobs? area ofhat is not my

expertise, but i think that what the color is speaking to is the job polarization issue. you are seeing job growth cluster at the top and, the high skilled and of the spectrum, and the low skilled end of the spectrum -- some of the jobs in the middle are becoming harder to come by. , has danny is from florida stopped looking for work at this point. good morning. caller: good morning. i'm just calling in. i live in a rural county in central florida. basically, i am 59 years old. i grew up with in agriculture- based economy in florida. .e were really hit hard here i had a four degrees a masters in business administration, and i have not been able to find a job in this area over the last six or seven years. there are eight dollars an hour jobs, but that would not even paid for the gas. -- pay for the gas.

democracy will continue to exist only up until the time the voters will discover they can vote themselves generous gift from the treasury. a majority always votes for the candidate who promises the most. we havet seems like chosen so much complacency, and that anyt seem substantial policy will take us anywhere. it is just a bunch of theoretical discussion. i believe we have to have more pro-farmer policies and begin to look at our democracy in the underway as this economy continues to change. host: i also want to get in joe from omaha, nebraska on our employee line. the morning. caller: thank you for accepting my call. i have a couple comments and quick question-- about efficiency and the gang

mentality. i am recently employed. i was unemployed not too long ago. mean byy what i efficiency, i was getting assistance myself. when you call in and speak to to get anle -- i try address to the dentist's office so i knew it would be covered under the health care plan -- they gave me the wrong address i went to the dentist's office for no reason and had to go to another one. i had to get my eyes checked. i sent them that they sent me to a place to get my eyes checked, but they would not give me lasses. there is an efficiency issue there. what i mean by gang mentality -- i will try to keep a calm tone -- i'm really disgusted at the gang mentality in washington. it doesn't seem like republican or democrats have the best interest of our country at heart. they have forgotten that as their primary goal, to look after the country. a democrat that might take something is good that falls outside of the parameters of democratic policies is afraid to say it because he does not want

to upset his people. host: i got to leave it there for you, that ylan mui, we want to give you the last comment on this segment. talk about the outlook for jobs in the coming months. guest: the outlook is better than we thought it was going to be. the economy has more momentum headed into the sequester, this fiscal drag, then we thought it would. that is good news. the bad news is there is still a fiscal drag. that is still going to weigh on the job market, likely to weigh on the economy, and again, pushing back this idea of a liftoff and recovery when things will really start ramping up, it pushes that idea back to 2014. host: ylan mui is a financial reporter for the "washington post." take you for coming on. washingtonnext " journal," we will look at president obama second term with linda feldman of the christian science monitor and peter baker of the "new york times" followed by an update on

the situation in syria during then national public radio's eater sigel joins us to talk about the new pbs series he is hosting on the u.s. constitution and what it means in the 21st century. washington journal, live with your calls, tweets, and e-mails at 7:00 a.m. eastern on c-span. house veterans affairs committee chairman representative jeff miller is our guest this week on "newsmakers." he will talk about issues facing veterans, including jobs, delays and benefit claims, and why officials at the veterans affairs administration have been paid bonuses. watch "newsmakers" sunday at 10:00 and 6 p.m. eastern here on c-span. the national rifle association is holding its annual meeting this week in houston. here's a portion portion of the event from saturday that featured tina addresses by some of the nra's chief officers

including executive vice president wayne lapierre, president david keene, and chief lobbyist chris cox. this is about an hour and 20 minutes. >> today i want to thank you for what you do to support our second amendment rights and for being here at this incredibly important meeting. by your very presence you are sending a message to the president, to joe biden, diane feinstein, and michael bloomberg. and to all their friends in the media who have been claiming for months that you and american gun owners simply don't count. we've all been under attack since the connecticut tragedy by those who would exploit the victims of a madman to second their agenda.-- advance their

agenda. we've been under attack because they realized to win they'd have to take down the n.r.a., demonize gun owners and convince the american citizen that is we are the problem rather than mass shooters and criminals the federal government refuses to prosecute. within hours of the shootings in connecticut they swung into action. new york's mayor announced he would spend as much as it might take to support the gun banners and wrote checks immediately. media figures denounced the n.r.a. it is as important today to destroy the n.r.a. as it was during world war ii to defeat the nazis. it was quite a performance. but support for the president's agenda began to weaken as

elected officials and ordinary citizens looked deeper into what was being proposed. and second amendment supporters like you began showing up by the hundreds of thousands at rallies around this country. observers quickly realized that the belief in our traditional rights and freedoms is as alive today as it was when the bill of rights was drafted so long ago. in the end -- \[applause] in the end the fact that our opponents live in a different world or perhaps on a different planet than most americans doomed their efforts which i remember watching pbs as the president delivered his anti-

second amendment diatribe and hearing a savvy commentator, a sure public broadcast viewers that a new day had dawned that most n.r.a. members agreed with the president and they were abandoning the national rifle association in droves. those assurances may have comforted his audience but ignored the fact that that very day while the president was speaking and right after wards 58,000 americans troubled by president obama's proposals and fearing for the future of the second amendment picked up their telophones and joined the national rifle association. \[applause] in the end united states senators realized that their constituents actually do count. just because a president wants something doesn't mean they should salute and give it to him.

they realize that because of you and millions of others made it clear that you're as prepared as ever to stand and fight for our freedoms. [applause] by the time it was over, we had a million new members. and we had turned the tide. [applause] i stand here today to thank you and to let you know that those of us you've honored by trusting to us represent and speak for you during these challenging times are grateful for what you helped accomplish. as your president, you can tell you that we've been blessed to have wayne as our commander in theef during this phase of

struggle to protect our constitutional rights. [applause] today's n.r.a. exists in large part because of wayne. and our opponents knew that to destroy it and the second amendment, their going to have to go through wayne. they tried. they launched every personal attack you can imagine and they failed. [applause] wayne's steadfast leadership and willingness and ability to put together a team of strategists and activists that can out think and outfight our opponents was tested as never before. and as always, wayne was up to the challenge. he assessed our strengths, analyzed our weaknesses and knew what we could do on our own and what we needed outside help to accomplish.

a former u.s. attorney and congressman who headed the drug enforcement administration and he was under secretary of asaeland security. was just the man we needed to lead an initiative to draw up a plan to protect our children in the wake oaf the kind of tragedy that took place in newtown connecticut. wayne went to him and he responded. that took dedication and courage on both sides. asa took on the job because he know that is we are serious and that we would back him up. and he did a great job. chris cox at the institute for legislative action proved that with a small staff wand your support he could outdo the

president and senate liberals who have vowed again and again to gut the second amendment by dividing us or fooling us with attractive sounding proposals that mask their true intentions. with chris and wayne providing the leadership and with our members and our supporters behind them, we overcame the doubts of those sunshine soldiers who thought they could buy piece by making deals with our opponents and handed president obama is first major legislative defeat of his presidency. [applause] that, my friend, is quite an accomplishment. an accomplishment that few of us would have predicted back in january. but let's not fool ourselves. it doesn't mean the war is over. we must never confuse winning a battle with winning a war. we all know -- [applause]

that as we meet here our opponents are regrouping and we know that they'll be back. they are as dedicated today as they have ever been to consigning you and me and all those who believe in the freedoms guaranteed us by this nation's founders to the outer darkness. it was the inability of some senators who should frankly have known better to distinguish between a battle and a war that led them to agree to what they thought was a peace treaty but was in reality a short term arm tiss that would have helped-- armistice that would have helped schumer senator chuck weaken us as they launch their next offensive. this is a mistake we will never make. [applause]

we know the stakes. we know what you expect of us and of your n.r.a. we will never fail you. think for a minute about the talent we have at our disposal. wayne is the face of the national rifle association and you hear from chris and from your officers. but i'd like to take just a minute to pay attribute to the-- tribute to the directors you elect who develop the policies we follow and who provide all of us with the strategic advice we rely on as we do battle on your behalf. some of those who serve are household names. while others are drawn from the ranks of those who serve or have served an elected office, former governors or senators and congressmen.

there are others though that you don't hear about as often but who are as vital a part of your n.r.a. leadership team. j.d. williams of oklahoma, washington, d.c. and now texas is one such director.[laughter] -- [applause] j.d. has been a mentor to wayne, me and the n.r.a. itself for decades. as a successful attorney and perhaps the most respected lobbyist of his generation, the j.d. williams has been instrumental in every second amendment battle waged in washington since the 1960's. he has been and continues to be a valued advisor to democrats and republicans alike. he was crucial to the formation of the institution for action and has been an unfailing wise counselor to wayne and every n.r.a. president with whom he

has served. and would if we were a baseball team rather than a board be a most valuable player. i remember riding back after a day of shooting on the chesapeake which he said he hadn't hunted ducks and geese until after he moved to washington. but remembered coming back after his first hunt and said this j.d. is why god put you on this earth. j.d. williams is rarely wrong but he was wrong that day. god put him on this earth to play a key role in the defense of freedom and the rights passed down to us by our founders. although god really didn't mind if he took a day off here and there to shoot a few ducks and geese on the side. i like j.d. williams and the rest of our board to stand because they represent you and they are the backbone of this association.

thank you j.d. and thank you to the entire board of directors of the national rifle association. [applause] everyone here, every member of the national rifle association, and every second amendment supporter in this country has benefited from your service j.d. and from the service of your fellow directors. thank you all. [applause] fellow members of the n.r.a. family, it is an honor for me now to introduce another director of the national rifle association. please welcome lieutenant colonel oliver north.

[applause] >> thank you, my fellow n.r.a. members. it has been my great blessing to have spent most of my life in the company of heroes. those of you who have read my books or seen my reports from the battlefields around the world, those are the classical definition of a hero is a person who puts himself or herself at risk for the benefit of others. they are the kind of people who stand in harm's way and do not wither in the heat of battle. such is the character of the

person i was asked to introduce to you today. years from now when the honest history of the national rifle association is written, the chronicle will have to describe this as a time of extraordinary duress for this great civil liberties organization and our nation. the historians will have to report how a vicious assault was waged by politicians, by the media, by the entertainment industry and well financed progressives with one purpose to destroy the n.r.a. that record will also have to reflect how the leaders of the n.r.a. responded to protect not just the membership of our organization but the precious liberties of all americans. over the past quarter year, the

primary target of this venomous attack has worn the slings and arrows of the left yet never once flinched. you didn't cut and run, you didn't complain. you didn't moan the malicious lies being spread about his character, the threats to his family or the spiteful intrusions into his privacy. instead he decided to stand and fight. he led the way. [applause] --y. all great leaders lead by he lead the way. with integrity and courage and tireless energy that are the virtues of real leaders. he more than anyone else has led our great organization through a

fire storm of conflict. he's endured the assaults as personal and as cruel as cold hearted as anything i've ever seen. i do know a little bit about that kind of treatment. and the toll it takes on our families. yet negotiate he nor his wife-- neither he nor his wife ever lost their good will, their charity, their desire to do the right thing for our nation. imagine four months of waking up to a new attack on the front page of your morning paper. consider what it's like to see yourself demonized every time you turn on the television. every word twisted and stripped of context. they thought they could force him off stage like they've done to so many before him. instead he punched back harder than they imagined. he's rallied all across our country and testifying before

the united states senate, something else i know a little something about. so he's remained true to the principles that have guided him. he stood up to the well financed obama, bloomberg, biden media attack machine. everyone in this room, every member of our organization, every american who believes in the principles of freedom ought to be proud and thankful for his leadership, tenacity and courage. >> i came here to stand for what i believe is true. how have our nation's priorities gotten so far out of order? we care about our money so we protect our banks with armed guards. we care about our president so we protect him with armed agent agents. yet when it comes to our children, we leave them utterly

defenseless. that must change. when it comes to keeping our kids in this country safe, nothing else matters. >> i have people all over the country saying i went to bed feeling safer last night because i have a firearm. >> they have to face a threat most children do not have to face. >> we will not be duped. we will not be demonized and we will not be divided. >> words do have meaning mr. president and those meanings are absolute especially when it comes to our bill of rights in this country. let me hold up a mirror to the national news media and white house. why doesn't nbc news start with shocking news on chicago.

why doesn't the press corp when they are sitting there with jay carney why don't they say why is chicago dead last in enforcing crimes with guns. there are drugs and cocaine being sold. gangs are trafficking 13-year- old girls which gun owners know the truth. >> have they lost their minds over at the white house? mr. president, we will stand and fight throughout this country as americans for our freedoms. we promise you that. when it comes to that, sir, you keep your advice, we'll keep our guns.[applause] the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy [applause]. >> ladies and gentlemen, members

of the national rifle association please welcome my friend, my fellow virginia, wayne lapierre. [applause] >> thank you. thank you very much. [applause] thank you. kind.we do it all together one-- you are very kind. oneo it all together one by and people like you all over this country. thank you houston and good morning. colonel north, i really appreciate your kind words. you are a genuine american hero

and for your service to god, to our country and to your n.r.a., we all salute you colonel and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. [applause] at this gathering one year ago i predicted that our freedom might soon face its greatest threat ever. i spent the past year warning gun owners all over this country that have re-elected president obama would launch an all out historic attack against our second amendment and the personal freedom of hundreds of millions of law abiding americans. when i said that the news media called me paranoid, obama vehemently denied his anti-gun agenda, mocked us.

they even went to the extent of passing out fliers saying he would protect our rights. and a lot of americans were deceived into believing him. deceived. it sure didn't take long for barack obama to show himself, the real barack obama. even before he was sworn into office, before his inauguration, the president launched an all out historic attack, a siege against our rights from gun bans to magazine bans to convoluted schemes of registration of every gun owner in america, from executive orders voted on by no one vice presidential conventions and a flurry of

legislative attacks to treaties to gut our second amendment. speeches and anti-gun rallies, media appearances and the heavy handed weight of the presidential bully pulpit. there is nothing the president will not do to get something, anything through congress to advance his agenda to destroy our second amendment, nothing. so far, thanks to you and millions of americans all over this country just like you, that is exactly what president obama has gotten, absolutely nothing. [applause] a lot of men and women in the u.s. house and senate have stood up to the president and they have defended our freedom. they have taken a lot of heat from the president, michael

bloomberg and the media. so it's really important that they hear from every n.r.a. member, every gun owner, every american who values our freedom in our great country, to those senators and congressmen who have stood with the second amendment, we say thank you and ask you keep defending our rights. [applause] you have stood with us and you have also represented the people in your home states. let there be no doubt we stand firmly with you. that's important because while the senate vote less than two weeks ago was significant, it's but one skirmish in what can only be defined as a long war against our constitutional rights. as we sit here this morning we're in the midst of a once in

a generation fight for everything that we care about. we have a chance to secure our freedom for a generation or lose it forever. we must remain vigilant. we must remain ever resolute and steadfastly growing and preparing for even the more critical battles that loom before us. i am proud to report as i stand in front of you this morning that the state of our n.r.a. is stronger and larger than it has ever been. [applause] you and americans like you made that happen all over the country. our commitment to freedom is unwavering and our growth is unprecedented.

today, the nra is a record 5 million strong. [applause] thousands of americans join our cause every day and are still signing up. the media and political elite denigrate us. they cringe at the sight of long lines at gun shows all over this country. they mock americans who are buying firearms and ammunition at a record pace, and they scold him scorn the nra. they don't get it. they don't get america. president obama, the president of the united states of america, held a press conference 17 days ago and angrily called the nra liars. liars?

really? this from a man who spent his entire reelection campaign saying he supported our second amendment rights. and would never try to take anyone's gun away. and he calls us liars? this from the president who repeatedly claimed that 40% of firearm sales don't involve a background check. that was never true. and the "washington post" gave him three pinocchio's for that one. he calls us liars? the biggest whopper of all is that 90% of americans support his background checks bill.

the media can't rant and rave about anything else. 90% of americans don't want criminals and the mentally ill to get their hands on guns. i don't know what kind of polling they do down at the white house, but i do know this. when it comes to keeping guns out of the hands of violent criminals and the mentally deranged, nra members agree 100%. [applause] but mr. president, the bill you backed would not accomplish that goal. your bill, the bill you ordered was simply a maze of regulations that could criminalize lawful firearms transactions. and create potentially create, a

massive government list of every law-abiding gun owner in the united states of america. the schumer bill you first supported, and you still support. it would create a database of every gun owner in america. the manchin-toomey bill you later backed would not have prevented tucson, aurora, and won't prevent the next tragedy. you cannot pretend that any of it has anything to do to keep any child safer at any school anywhere.

that is why the president could not get people to go along with it. they don't want government to take that freedom away. as they say in texas, the president's 90% is all hat and no cattle. [applause] i ran into a member of congress a couple of weeks ago. we spoke for a moment. he said, i guess i have to go back and listen to the 90% of the phone calls that are not coming in. [laughter] that is a true story. and it tells you everything you need to know about president obama's empty 90%. so mr. president, you can give all the speeches he want. you can conjure up all the

polls. you can call nra numbers on the nasty names that you can think of, or your gun control legislation won't stop one criminal, would not make anyone safer anyway, and that flaw of failure on its merits and got the defeat it deserved. [applause] the only tragedy the president won't talk about his chicago. his own hometown. now run by his former chief of staff. the president won't talk about chicago, but he should. because in the entire united states, chicago ranks 90th out of 90 jurisdictions in federal firearms prosecutions. dead last.

when i brought that up on "meet the press," the media ignored it. the president doesn't talk about that 90, and the national news media, their cameras perched like vultures right now in the back of this hall, they have not mustered the courage to walk into the white house briefing room and ask about chicago's 90th ranking that is getting people killed every day and every night. a shooting every 6.3 hours. [applause] the deadliest city in america. the president's own hometown. ranked dead last in federal firearms prosecutions. and the media does not have the guts to ask him about it. if the president had one clue about how to clean a violent

crime, don't you think he would do it in his own hometown? if his policies got us chicago, why do we want to listen to him on anything else? [applause] you will never hear the media asking that. maybe it is because all of those reporters still have obama bumper stickers on their cars. [laughter] yeah. the national media and the political elite, they are all part of the same class that think they are smarter than we are. they know better than we do. they can tell us what to do or not, what to own or not, what to eat or drink or not, and how to

live or not. take michael bloomberg. he has gone from mayor of new york to the title of national nanny. from sugar to salt to trans fats to fruit drinks, sodas, tell you what you can and can't do or order when you go into a restaurant. this guy just can't seem to find enough ways to bus people around. and now he wants to tell us who to elect or not? come on, folks. seriously i ask you this -- if michael bloomberg were not a billionaire, would anybody ever even bother to listen to him? now he has joined the president, creating his own billionaire super pac, ready to spend hundreds of millions to attack

the nra, demonize gun owners, destroy elected officials who won't bow down to his will and obliterate the second amendment. all while the anti-gun media was -- whichsupposedly hates money and politics, is all too happy to take and all too breathless to brag about bloomberg's money in politics. already they are conspiring right now. preparing, organizing. even waiting for the "next newtown." the next horrific crime. the next senseless, horrific crime to exploit . just the other day, an anti-gun spokesman said, the next newtown is inevitable. those things can help.

galvanize people to act. folks, politics does not get any more disgusting than that . they wait to use the opportunity of violent tragedy rather than prevent tragedy itself. let me say that again. rather than implement solutions that could prevent senseless violence, they choose broken policies that enable tragedy. tragedy they wait to exploit. by choice, for political gain. we know that even now there are dangerous, deranged, evil people throughout society. prepared to unleash unspeakable violence in our neighborhoods, our schools, our churches. they use tragedy to try and blame us. to shame us into compromising our freedom for their political agenda.

they want to change america. change our culture. change our values. you know what? this is america. the first country in the world founded not on a race, not on a religion, not on a royalty, but on a set of god-given principles that we call inalienable rights. [applause] we as americans come from that long line of patriots who broke from king george to live their own lives as free people. and nowhere does freedom of anymore and our second amendment right to own a firearm to defend ourselves, our families, and our nation.

[applause] without that freedom, we really aren't free at all. there is nothing more good and right and normal in america and -- than an honest american citizen owning a firearm to defend himself or protect her family. [applause] they can try to blame us, shame us, with all their might. when it comes to defending the second amendment, we will never sacrifice our freedom on the altar of elitist acceptance. we will never surrender our guns, never. [applause]

you are the voice of america. they are hearing from you right now. more americans today understand the principle of the second amendment. the freedom it gives us as individuals. to be responsible for our own safety, protection, and survival. imagine with me just a minute

right now, living in a large, metropolitan area. where lawful firearms ownership is heavily regulated and discouraged. imagine waking up to a phone call from the police at 3:00 a.m. in the morning, warning that a terrorist event is occurring outside and ordering you to stay inside your home. i am talking of course about boston. where residents were imprisoned behind the locked doors of their own homes. a terrorist with bombs and guns just outside. frightened citizens sheltered in place with no means to defend themselves or their families from whatever might come crashing through their door. how many bostonians wish they had a gun two weeks ago? [applause] how -- how many other americans

now ponder that life or death question? a recent national poll answer that question decidedly. with danger lurking outside their doors, 69% of americans said yes, i want my freedom, i want my second amendment, i want my guns. [applause] lying in wait right now is a terrorist. a deranged school shooter. a kidnapper. a rapist. a murderer. waiting in planning and plotting. in every community across our country. lying in wait right now. no amount of political schemes, congressional legislation, presidential commissions or media roundtables will ever

change that inevitable reality. i said it before, and i will say it again, no bill in congress, no rose garden speech, will ever change that inescapable fact. that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. [applause] boston proved it. when brave law enforcement

officers do their jobs in that city so courageously, good guys with guns stopped terrorists with guns. [applause] all over our country, people are more and more frustrated with washington, d.c. and the political and media elite. they are dismayed over a political debate that has nothing to do with addressing our problems and everything to do with advancing an old, tired, failed political agenda. everywhere i go, i have learned that the nra is truly at the heart of america's heartland. that we are the middle of the river of america's mainstream. and what we want is exactly what

most americans want. we know our mental health system is in shambles. and we all want it fixed. we want criminals with guns prosecuted and incarcerated. we want the federal government on the books right now in force against drug dealers with guns, gangs with guns, and violent felons with guns. [applause] everyone of you feels that way, i know it. if they would just do that, those violent criminals would not be on their way to the next crime scene. they would be sitting in prison. we all want our children to be safe. we want them to be protected. that is why we proposed trained police and security officers in every single school in our country. [applause]

there is not a mom or dad an america that wants to leave their children unprotected. if the washington elite really wanted the same thing, they would stop demonizing law- abiding american gun owners, they would stop trying to convince the american people that all gun owners are potential criminals in waiting, and they would actually implement programs that address our problems in a real and meaningful way. put police and trained armed security in every school. enforce the federal gun laws on the books right now. repair our broken mental-health system. help the mentally ill boy getting them off our streets and into treatment. and for god sakes, leave the rest of us alone in this country. [applause]

i hope washington hears that message you are sending right now. the political and media class, they just don't get it. in a lot of ways, they have lost track of what this great nation is really all about. it is about us and people like us all over our great country. it is always been we, the people. not the political class. all the way back to the founding of this country.

here is what i am talking about. >> in a recent closed-door speech to donors and media, bill clinton spoke about american gun owners. "a a lot of these people, all they have got is hunting or fishing or they have been listening to the stuff are so long that they believe it all." and we all remember barack obama's 2008 comments to a room of san francisco relates. "it is not surprising that they get it or, they cling to guns or religion." the arrogance of their superiority requires this reminder. they don't give us rights. we grant them power. they don't make us safe, we pay to protect them. they don't make us free, we are free already. as long as we have the second amendment, we always will be. e are america. our politicians are only as powerful as we, the people, llow them to be.

> we are the people. this is our country. this is a fight for our freedom and the freedom that separates us from every other nation on earth. that freedom makes us stronger than other countries and that freedom makes us better than other countries. that freedom is on the line. nevermore on the line than right now. through the 2014 congressional lection. 17 days ago, president obama said this was only round one. round two is on the way. they're coming after us with a vengeance to destroy us. to destroy us and every ounce

f our freedom. it is up to us, every single nra member, every single gun owner, all-americans all of this country, to get to work right now and meet them head-on with and an array that is strong and large enough to defeat any and all threats to our freedom. today -- today we are a record 5 million strong. we must not and we will not slow down, not one single bit. by the time we're finished, the nra must and will be 10 million strong. 10 million. dedicated. patriotic. merican.

who cherish freedom and all that is good and right about america. we don't care if it is round one, round two, or around 15, the nra to go the distance. o matter what it takes, we will never give up or compromise our constitutional freedom, not one single nch. our feet are planted firmly in a foundation of freedom. unswayed by the winds of olitical and media insanity. and they political and media elites who scorn on, we say let hem be damned.

so fill your heart with pride. clear your eyes with onviction. this is our time to stand and fight. now and in the next election and the one after that area did now and for the rest of our lives. to save our second amendment for future generations, we will never back down. we will never surrender. we will always stand, we will always fight, we will always stand and fight for our american freedoms. thank you very much.

>> thank you, wayne. now it is my letter to introduce your second vice president, alan court. >> thank you mr. president, and good morning the nra. had been in politics and lobbying for more than 40 years. during that time, politicians from both parties have come and one. organizations from across the spectrum have risen and fallen. throughout that time, one thing is proven true time and time again, there is simply no other

legislative and political team that is as smart, hard-working, nd most importantly, successful, as our own institute for legislative ction. true power comes from each of you. each of you gathered in this room and run the country. our support is the lifeblood of one of the greatest political operations this country has ever seen. and you have demonstrated that last month when the u.s. senate rejected the obama-bloomberg gun control agenda. every successful organization lso needs good leadership.

ila's tremendous success is a testament to the vision and leadership of my good friend, chris cox. hris leads the charge as the xecutive director. as part of that role, user says nra's chief lobbyist on capitol hill and in the state legislatures. chris understands, perhaps better than anyone, that our gun rights are never safe. which is why ila never stops working, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. from working with chris over the past two decades, i know that this philosophy that motivates him to constantly fight for our second amendment freedoms across america, no matter what the issue, no matter who is in office, and no matter how big or small it might seem at the time. chris and his team do all this so that when the final votes are cast, every legislator and

every american gun owner has a complete understanding of every proposal and its impact on our freedom. he would never tell you this, o i will say it for him. chris's visionary leadership is responsible for some of our most monumental victories. ere is an example. the supreme court decision in heller and mcdonald that affirmed our fundamental individual right to keep and ear arms, they did not start with lawyers filing lawsuits. they started at your ila headquarters in his office, where he and his team mapped out the strategy to elect gw bush, who nominated justice oberts and justice alito and

helped elect second amendment senators who confirmed roberts and alito. they became the cornerstone of the decisions that guaranteed our second amendment freedom. as i mentioned earlier, chris's leadership is evident in a recent victory in the u.s. senate. perhaps the biggest battle we have had in the past 20 years. chris also knows, as the late margaret thatcher famously said, that victory in politics are never final. so he never stops working for us. i know that in a job like this, he does not get much rest. we can all rest better, because he is at the helm, leading the fight for freedom. ladies and gentlemen, these join me in giving a warm welcome and big round of applause to the executive director of your nra institute for legislative action, chris cox.

>> thank you. thank you very much. thank you. after that kind introduction, i don't feel quite so bad following wayne, but it is dull tough. it is great to be back in texas. thank you for those kind words. it is often been said that the more things change, the more they stay the same. i would like to start today with a quote from 30 years ago. it comes from the 1983 nra annual meeting. "it's a nasty truth, but those who seek to inflict harm on not phased by gun control." those were the words of then president of the united states, ronald reagan. this year marks the 30th anniversary of president reagan's keynote address at our annual meeting.

in that speech, he also said, good organizations do not just happen. they take root in a body of shared beliefs, they grow from strong leadership, with vision, initiative, and determination to reach great goals. he went on to say, what you have accomplished, everyone of you you in this room, speaks or itself. nra is getting stronger every day. we are getting stronger every day, thanks to you and millions more across america, we are stronger right now than at any time in our 142 year history. the fact is, we have to be stronger. because right now our freedoms under attack like never before. but the past five months.

we have seen the politicians, the national media, their billionaire supporters, attack us, ridicule us and blame us for the acts of violent criminals and madmen. they blame us. think about that. when a deranged criminal murders innocent children, they lame us. they don't care that as an ra members, we have done more than anyone to teach safe and responsible gun ownership areas we have fought harder than anyone to keep guns out of the hands of violent felons and the mentally ill. we have made our country safer and more free by protecting the fundamental right of law-abiding americans to defend their homes and families. but they still blame us. that is because where we see tragedy, a rock obama and michael bloomberg the opportunity. we pray for god to comfort those suffering unimaginable pain, they rushed to

microphones, russian cameras. they gather in more rooms on capitol hill. they scheme about how to use that suffering to push their political agenda. they follow rahm emanuel's advice, never a crisis go to waste. that is who they are and what hey believe. but not us. for those who still don't understand who we are and what we believe, we are the moms and dads and sons and daughters of the national rifle association and we want to prevent new town, not take advantage of t. but that is what our opponents do. they use tragedy to restrict freedom.

this to us to stop them. we are freedoms greatest hope. its biggest army, and its rightest future. we will not stand idly by while politicians, billionaires, or the media try to destroy the rights that american heroes have died defending. so mr. president, do you really want to keep america safer? senator feinstein, do you really want to protect our kids? senator schumer, do you really want to keep them out of the wrong hands? then prove it. prove it by prosecuting violent criminals, get serious about school security, and prevent by fixing our mental health system that everyone knows is broken. while you do that, do one more thing. leave our freedom alone. as dishonest as our opponents are, don't forget they are also ignorant.

ignorance is sometimes less, it also has another name. joe biden. [applause] biden is the ringleader of obama's gun control task force. let's just say she has some interesting ideas on self. take a look. >> by a shotgun. >> joe biden on self-defense for women. >> you want to protect yourself, get a double barrel shotgun, as i told my wife. i said come until there is ever a problem walk out on the balcony here, but that double barrel shotgun and fire to blast outside the house. >> more than 300,000 women face aggravated assault every year. joe bidens answer. >> fire two blasts outside the house. >> not only would that be illegal, for tips on safe and

responsible gun ownership, ask he nra, not joe biden. >> that i needed a different disclaimer. it should've said, the opinions of the vice president are idiotic him a dangerous, and should not be attended at home r anywhere else. there is also senator dianne feinstein. wasn't it what you think our guns should be banned. >> step up and ban these weapons. the other very important part of this is to ban large apacity ammunition seeking devices. those that hold over 10 rounds. we have federal regulations and

state laws that prohibit hunting ducks with more than three rounds, and yet it is legal to hunt humans with 15 rounds, 30 rounds, even 150 round magazines? >> hold on a minute. t is legal to hunt humans? not even in texas. we have heard a lot of unintelligent garbage coming from politicians, and feinstein might just win the prize for that one. r maybe not. over in the house of representatives, she has some competition. take a look. >> in february you introduce the assault weapons ban and ont foresman protection act of 2007. it would regulate semiautomatic

assault weapons, including those that have this pistol grips. and those with a barrel shroud. what is that? >> i think the more important thing is that the wood been a large capacity clips. >> i read the legislation. it said that it would regulate barrel shroud. what is that more should be regulated ? >> most gangs and criminals were using to kill our police officers. i am not saying it is the best built. that was the best -- >> do you know what a barrel shroud is? >> i actually don't know. >> to your last question, what is the efficacy of banning these magazine clips? i would tell you these are ammunition. they are bullets. the people who have those now, they are going to them. if you ban them in the future,

the number of these high-capacity magazines is going to decrease dramatically over time. because the bolts will have been shot in a more be any more available. >> carolyn mccarthy does not need to know what a barrel shroud is, and diana does not know what a magazine is, but they both know for damn sure that you should not have them. these two would make a great skit on saturday night live, but it is pathetic coming from members of congress. on that subject, let's not forget president obama. he is not a much ignorant as dishonest. the president of the united states told the united states told a roomful of rich campaign donors in san francisco last month that the gun used at sandy hook elementary school was, a fully automatic eapon. a fully automatic weapon. that was not an innocent mistake. that was a deliberate deception. you know so my automatic firearms are not fully

automatic. 40% of gun sales are conducted with the back rent check is false. even your beloved "washington post" called you out on that one. even universal background checks would not have prevented new town. the centerpiece of president obama's response to new town would not have prevented new town. it would not make a lick of difference in his hometown, either. you think that murderers and drug dealers and rapists and others in chicago or anywhere else are going to go to walmart for a federal background check women want to buy a gun? of course not. this would criminalize transfers of honest citizens. if you don't get eric holder's permission first, you go to ail. in other words, you are guilty until they prove you nnocent.

that was his idea of a reasonable compromise to prevent newtown. the u.s. senate debated the background checks and more of the obama agenda. obama said he used every tool at his disposal to force his proposals through congress. bloomberg spent tens of millions on tv ads to pressure enators. they spent millions on bogus olling across the country, claiming an overwhelming majority of americans supported their gun control schemes. and he predicted victory before the votes were even cast. you know what they did not count on? they did not count on you. they underestimated you. they did not think you stand and fight, but you did. he made the phone calls, you send the letters, use of the enough, you let your senators now -- you let them know that your

freedom is not negotiable and it worked. republicans and democrats alike rejected chuck schumer's universal background checks, finance feinstein's gun ban and frank's magazine ban. it is all thanks to you, so ive yourselves a hand. make no mistake, this is just ne battle in a long war. as alan said, margaret thatcher pointed out that no political victories are ever final. we cannot afford to stop fighting, because we know our opponents want. president obama is still crisscrossing the country in

air force one, from colorado to new jersey, trying to commit the people that is gun control proposals are reasonable. we need to fight back with the truth. and explained that his ideas are not reasonable and to make people less safe. here is an example. limiting magazine capacity. that is a major part of their agenda. you have all heard it. 10 rounds, five rounds, some even proposed a three round limit. is it reasonable to tell another what you can use and can't use to defend her children? earlier this year, a young georgia mother was at home when a violent criminal broke into her basement. fearing for her life, she grabbed her 30 and ran upstairs. she had in the closet with her kids. if you found them. when he attacked, she shot him five times in the face and eck. in spite of his wounds, he was able to walk down the stairs, get in his car and drive away. imagine the fear that mother must have felt. imagine if there had been two

attackers. one bullet in the gun of a criminal is one too many, but 10 in the gun of a mother protecting her kids might not be enough. that is why we should never make policies that make it more difficult for honest people to defend themselves against attackers. sadly, that is exactly what happened to amanda collins. while a college student, she was brutally raped on her campus. amanda had a little permit to carry a handgun, but the school banned her from carrying it on campus. while she escaped with her life, it would never be the same. another young woman, abducted near the same school, would not be so lucky. breanna denson went missing in the middle of a night just a few months after amanda was

attacked. after a frantic four-week search, authorities found her body, crudely dumped underneath a discarded christmas tree. she had been kidnapped, raped, and strangled to death by the same bastard that had raped amanda. what is that policy banning self-defense not been in place what is amanda shot that rapists he for he attacked her? her life would've been changed for the better, and breanna's ife would have been saved. no matter what president obama says, it is not reasonable to limit the ability of innocent people to defend themselves. it is wrong, because it is immoral. make no mistake, we are in a ulture were. e once faced hundreds of

voices against this, there are now thousands attacking us every day. from organizing for america, to code pink, to occupy the nra, and occupy anything but a job, for that matter. who is the ringleader? the very smug, very rich, mayor of new york city, michael bloomberg. >> we have an obligation to tell each other and try to convince people that if they are going with the nra, they are going against the lives of our children and of you and me >> that is what michael bloomberg thinks of us. he also knows what is best for us. just ask him. he wants to dictate everything

emma from the food we eat, to the sodas we drink, to the gums we on. he will use his multibillion-dollar bank account and global media empire to impose his will on us. his strategy is shameless. after the tragedy in aurora, colorado, it was reported that bloomberg and his gun team created a media and lobbying lan that they intended, to deploy following the next assacre. unfortunately last december, hey got their opportunity. while we work to prevent newtown, mayor bloomberg works to take advantage of it. the 5 million honest, hard-working men and women of the national rifle association, we might not have billions of dollars, but we have a common decency that his money can't buy. mr. mayor, go spend your money on another yacht, another lane, or another caribbean estate.

our freedom is not for ale. this is the threat we face. it is 24 hours a day, seven days a week thomas at 300 to wo year. a never-ending battle against an anti-gun billionaire who spares no expense to defeat us. and a national news media that expresses contempt for us at every opportunity. despite all of that, i would not bet against us. four months ago, every o-called political expert in america predicted the nra would be defeated by now. the second amendment would be

gone. they did not count on you. they underestimated the strength of your convictions. and your dedication to defending freedom, no matter how strong the enemy or big the fight. the truth is, the only reason we are not living under dianne feinstein's gun down right now, not registering our guns with obama's bureaucrats the only reason our freedom exist, is the nra of america and the nra s you. our future depends on young nra members. young nra and numbers like maddie. stand up. here she is. maddie is a high schoo