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Article snippet: Dana Loesch has been at the center of the storm in the national gun debate, striking a forceful defense for gun rights at a CNN town hall and in a fiery appearance before the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). The National Rifle Association (NRA) spokeswoman has taken a starring role in the organization’s efforts to push back at calls for tougher gun restrictions following a deadly mass shooting at a Florida high school that left 17 people dead. The shooting has created new challenges for the NRA, as young students who survived the attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., have emerged as telegenic, outspoken proponents for gun restrictions, including a ban on assault weapons. Loesch, a host on Blaze TV before joining the NRA, has been the organization’s public face, and on Wednesday endured tough questions in front of a generally hostile audience at the CNN town hall. “Dana Loesch, I want you to know that we will support your two children in a way that you will not,” Emma González, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, said before asking a question about whether it should be harder to obtain semi-automatic weapons and devices such as bump stocks, which allow weapons fire faster. “Well first off Emma, I want to applaud you for standing up and speaking out,” Loesch responded, saying that none of the students should be criticized for speaking out. “I was a politically active teenager, and I’m on this stage as a re... Link to the full article to read more