NRA Savaged For 'Disgraceful And Exploitative' MLK Tweet

King's youngest daughter, Bernice, slammed the "regrettable" tweet and invited the gun group to study her father "and his nonviolent philosophy."
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The National Rifle Association has been slammed by people on Twitter for referring to Martin Luther King Jr.’s application for a gun permit in a MLK Day tweet.

“Today, the men and women of the NRA honor the profound life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” the pro-gun advocacy group tweeted Monday. “Dr. King applied for a concealed carry permit in a “may issue” state and was denied. We will never stop fighting for every law-abiding citizen’s right to self-defense.”

King did apply for a permit to carry a concealed weapon in 1956, after his house was bombed. UCLA law professor Adam Winkler noted that after the denial, King “gave up any hope of armed self-defense and embraced nonviolence more completely.”

The slain civil rights leader was himself a victim of gun violence ― which many people on Twitter were quick to point out as they criticized the NRA for the “tone deaf” tribute.

Even King’s youngest daughter, Bernice, encouraged the gun group to study her father “and his nonviolent philosophy.”

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