NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre was ridiculed for a February op-ed on a conservative news website that recommended buying guns and joining the NRA in order to ensure "survival" in the face of possible coming calamities including: "Hurricanes. Tornadoes. Riots. Terrorists. Gangs. Lone criminals," the threat of "Latin American drug gangs," and "the possibility of Euro-style debt riots, civil unrest or natural disaster." LaPierre concluded: "It's not paranoia to buy a gun. It's survival." Widely mocked for its over-the-top rhetoric and factual inaccuracies, the op-ed was also criticized by MSNBC host Joe Scarborough for being "so laced with racial overtones."
