NRA task force calls for armed guards, not gun control Armed guards with rifles, handguns and even assault rifles are a better deterrent to violence in schools than gun control legislation, says an NRA task force which unveiled its plans to improve school safety Tuesday. Former Congressman Asa Hutchinson said ongoing political debate about gun regulation was "separate" from the issue of school safety. But he also went against earlier NRA statements suggesting teachers in classrooms should have their own firearms to fight off gunmen. News coverage of press conference.