US gun debate stirs conservative conference after Florida massacre

Florida college student Sarah Gibson renewed her National Rifle Association membership with a credit card swipe at a conservative conference on Thursday, days after a deadly school shooting in her state triggered soul-searching about America’s gun violence.

“I don’t think guns are the problem, they’re in fact the answer,” the 20-year-old said. “When you have more security and you have more people carrying, that is deterrence in itself.”

Gibson and thousands of fellow Republicans converged on the Conservative Political Action Conference near Washington, where they go each year to celebrate their causes and, in 2018, the populist movement that swept President Donald Trump into office one year ago.

But it was impossible to ignore the ever-present tragedy of rampaging gun violence, which has roiled American political discourse and put gun rights advocates and opponents under a hot spotlight.

While a moment of silence was held to honour the 17 people killed at a Florida high school, CPAC’s attendees or speakers did not shy away from the issue. Several actually went on the offensive.