‘NBC Nightly News’ Highlights Churches Using Guns for Security

February 19th, 2019 6:12 PM

Sunday's NBC Nightly News ran the kind of pro-gun story one rarely sees in the dominant media as a full report was devoted to the issue of churches getting some of its members to train and bring guns with them for security.

Host Jose Diaz-Balart set it up: "Recent attacks on churches and other houses of worship have prompted a growing number of them to add something new -- teams of licensed armed volunteers willing to protect their congregations in an attack."

 

 

In a full two-minute report, correspondent Blayne Alexander spoke with several parishioners at a church in Birmingham, Alabama, who are armed and in charge of security.

She also detailed that, while the leader of the group has 30 years of law enforcement experience, others who signed up to help are newcomers to using guns professionally. The NBC reporter explained:

They believe keeping parishioners safe from potential attacks is a ministry, and they are not alone. According to the Faith Based Security Network, more than 1,000 places of worship across the country have launched volunteer security teams over the past decade.

After noting that some private companies train church security personnel, she recalled several deadly mass shootings at houses of worship. The report surprisingly only devoted about 10 seconds to gun control advocates complaining about the arming of church members.

Before concluding the report, Alexander included a soundbite from a parishioner who was glad the church was taking such steps to protect them.