It is the man, not the gun, that is capable of committing acts of evil.
That was the message Glenn Beck conveyed throughout his highly anticipated keynote speech at the 2013 NRA Convention on Saturday. He made that case using storied antique firearms as he taught America’s captivating history through guns. Make no mistake, the history behind some of the guns Beck handled on stage will blow you away.
One story about a particular shotgun, wielded by a “naked hippie” shooting at birds decades ago, seemed to have the most impact. Beck explained that after receiving a early morning call about the naked hippie shooting birds out of season, police in California arrested the said hippie and confiscated his WWII-era shotgun.
That man turned out to be a notoriously evil serial killer known to the world as Charles Manson. After his gun was taken away, he then turned to a knife to commit at least nine grisly murders with his cult group.
“Charlie Manson had his gun taken away. Charlie Manson didn’t use a gun. He killed with a knife,” Beck told a crowd of thousands at the George R. Brown Convention Center Saturday.
“We have to admit two things,” he added. “That weapons will always find their way into the hands of bad people, always…but we must declare this: that guns must remain in the hands of good people.”