NRA Host Addresses His Warning To Parents Of Slain Virginia Journalists To Not “Become So Emotional”

Colion Noir, a commentator and web series host for the National Rifle Association (NRA), addressed his widely criticized claim that the parents of slain journalists Alison Parker and Adam Ward should not “become so emotional” in response to the fatal shooting of their children so as to misdirect their “grief-inspired advocacy.”

In an interview with Lynchburg, Virginia ABC affiliate station WSET, Noir said that as a gun rights activist he felt compelled to respond to Andy Parker, who said following the killing of his daughter that he would make it his “mission in life” to get stronger gun laws passed.

Noir told WSET, “Let's be very clear about something. The father has projected himself into this conversation, with much vigor. So I am addressing the idea and am hyper-focused on the firearm.”

The NRA and Noir have been criticized in the wake of an August 30 video posted by Noir where he told the parents of Parker and Ward that “sometimes in a fight we can become so emotional everyone and thing starts looking like the enemy, even if they're there to help us.” WSET reported that Noir's claims are “causing quite the controversy online.”

The NRA often attacks calls for stronger gun calls by claiming such advocacy is based on emotion rather than logic, despite consensus among academic researchers on gun violence that stronger gun laws help reduce homicide.

More from WSET on Noir's “warning for the grieving parents of Parker and Ward”:

On the other side of the conversation is NRA Commentator Colion Noir. “Turning this murder into a gun control dog and pony show minutes after the shooting, because you can't make sense of what just happened, is ridiculous” said Colion Noir on a Youtube video.

Noir uploaded this Youtube video on Sunday... with a warning for the grieving parents of Parker and Ward. “Sometimes in a fight we can become so emotional everyone and everything starts looking like the enemy, even if they are there to help us” said Noir.

The video has gotten more than 54-thousand views, but Noir says he almost opted out of making it. “From the NRA perspective, if they don't say anything they are considered cold and callous, if they say something immediately then they are considered capitalizing off of a tragedy” said Noir.

Noir expresses his condolences to the families of Ward and Parker in the video, but says as a gun rights advocate he felt the need to address Parker's comments. “Let's be very clear about something. The father has projected himself into this conversation, with much vigor. So I am addressing the idea and am hyper-focused on the firearm” said Noir.

The Parkers are already reaching out to leading gun control advocates including Astronaut Mark Kelly and Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.