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The National Rifle Association generated a firestorm of criticism and ridicule when its chief lobbyist,聽Wayne LaPierre,聽declared that the answer to mass school shootings was more guns in schools.

But if Mr. LaPierre had any intention of softening his rhetoric regarding the recent Sandy Hook grade school shooting in Connecticut 鈥� particularly in light of normally pro-gun pundits and elected officials distancing themselves from his adamant stance 鈥� that was not apparent Sunday when he sat down for an interview on NBC鈥檚 鈥淢eet the Press.鈥�

鈥淚f it鈥檚 crazy to call for putting police in and securing our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy,鈥� LaPierre told NBC鈥檚 David Gregory. 鈥淚 think the American people think it鈥檚 crazy not to do it. It鈥檚 the one thing that would keep people safe, and the NRA is going try to do that.鈥�

The NRA鈥檚 chief spokesman also dismissed any congressional effort to restrict the sale of assault-style rifles, limit the size of ammunition clips, or require background checks for those who purchase firearms at private gun sales 鈥� legislation Sen. Dianne Feinstein says she intends to introduce this coming year.

Curbing private gun sales, he said, would put 鈥渆very gun sale under the thumb of the federal government.鈥�

The NRA has tasked former congressman and former Drug Enforcement Administration chief Asa Hutchinson with developing its proposal to put more armed guards in schools 鈥� an idea opposed by many parents in Newtown, Conn., where Adam Lanza, armed with an assault-style rifle with large magazines, handguns, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, killed 20 first-graders and six women who worked at the school before taking his own life.

On CNN鈥檚 鈥淪tate of the Union,鈥� Mr. Hutchinson likened armed school guards to plain-clothes air marshals on passenger airliners, or to such guards in uniform at some shopping malls or movie theaters.

鈥淧eople resisted having weapons on airplanes, but I oversaw the federal air marshals,鈥� Hutchinson said. 鈥淚t's a deterrent. No one sees that weapon, but they are protected on that airplane, and it's a huge positive impact on safety."

"We have one-third of our schools now, of the 23,000 schools, that have armed guards,鈥� he said. 鈥淪hould the other two-thirds have armed guards? I certainly think it's an option they should consider. It's not a novel approach, it's a safety approach."

Andrei Nikitchyuk couldn鈥檛 disagree more strongly. Mr. Nikitchyuk is a former Russian military officer trained to handle an AK-47 assault rifle. He immigrated to the United States 22 years ago, and today he鈥檚 the father of a Sandy Hook third-grader who hid in a classroom during Adam Lanza鈥檚 murderous rampage.

"Do you really want to have a shootout like in O.K. Corral in our schools?" he told CBS News. "Where will you find the money in the budget for the additional policemen? Where will you find money in the budget for bullet-proof windows and doors? Do we want a prison system in place of our schools? They will be locked in, right, just like that, and everyone will be afraid of everyone. Why are we doing that?鈥�

Also speaking on 鈥淢eet the Press鈥� Sunday, Sen. Charles Schumer, (D) of New York, said NRA leader LaPierre is 鈥渟o extreme and so tone deaf that he actually helps the cause of us passing sensible gun legislation in the Congress.鈥�

鈥淗e is so doctrinaire and so adamant that I believe gun owners turn against him as well,鈥� Senator Schumer said. That鈥檚 a debatable point given the NRA鈥檚 very loyal membership and extraordinary clout on Capitol Hill. Still, some polls show large numbers of NRA members in favor of things like background checks at gun shows.

If past experience with episodes like the high school shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado is a guide, it will be an uphill fight for gun control advocates urging passage of stricter laws.

Many agree with Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R) of South Carolina, who appeared with Schumer on 鈥淢eet the Press.鈥�

"The best way to interrupt a shooter is to keep them out of the school, and if they get into the school have somebody who can interrupt them through armed force," said Senator Graham, who owns an AR-15 assault-style rifle.

For his part, LaPierre cites Israel as a model for the type of school security system he advocates.

鈥淚srael had a whole lot of school shootings until they did one thing: They said, 鈥榳e're going to stop it,鈥� and they put armed security in every school and they have not had a problem since then,鈥� he said.

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