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Why has the NRA been cozying up to Russia? Page 5nl13 After the Sandy Hook mass shooting in zo1a, her group eriticized gun-free school zones as ineffective prohibitionist policies."In this shooting six teachers died,six people who conld literally usc only their hands to defend children... The murderer planned this knowing. that no one would be arned," she told Radio Free Europe/Radio don't have the right to bear arnns? If a person wishes to defend himself, he has no means for protection." Maria Butina, Chairman of the Russian orga.. Cike the NRA, Butina tends to cismiss the connection between guns and death,inchuding suicdes."People online take facts from my blog, turn them upside and seream Just kook at this! In the States, 30ooo people die from firearns every year How awfui!But so what?" she tokd the New Republie in aoie. "Switzerland has the mmost. suicides using a gun, and yetSwitzerland has the least nunber ot total suicides. Moreover, a gun is the most humane weapon for suicide compared to all the other methods that exist. Ihe sane article noted that, carly on, Butina "gained a powerful ally"-. Alexander Torshin, who is an NRA Life Member, a *high. ranking member" of Putin's United Russia and, at the tine, the first deputy speaker of the Russian senate. The NRA took note when Torshin authored an unsuceesstul bill that yoar that would have allowed pablic use of firearms. When he. presented the bill to his colleagues, days after the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting that left a dozen dead, his colleagues were 18qy2107-26 hutps://thinkprogress.org/nra-and-russian-cousin-18f607d40240