NRA apologizes to Open Carry Texas movement for calling their actions 'weird'

WASHINGTON, June 4 (UPI) -- The National Rifle Association is backtracking on their recent criticism of the group Open Carry Texas after they published a statement on May 30 saying the protesters "crossed a line" and were "downright weird."

The swipe was not well received by advocates of the movement. They wrote a statement on their Facebook page Monday slamming the NRA for their remarks.

"If they do not retract their disgusting and disrespectful comments, OCT will have no choice but to withdraw its full support of the NRA and establish relationships with other gun rights organizations that fight for ALL gun rights, instead of just paying them lip service the way the NRA appears to be doing," read the statement.

After the message was posted, NRA official Chris Cox went on NRA radio and backtracked on the organization's previous criticism.

"It's a distraction," said Cox. "There was some confusion, we apologize, again, for any confusion that that post caused. It shouldn't have happened. I've had a discussion with the staffer who wrote that piece, and expressed his personal opinion. Our job is not to criticize the lawful behavior of fellow gun owners."

The NRA is not the only entity to criticize Open Carry Texas. They received numerous irate comments after Mother Jones posted a video of members harassing a Marine veteran on the street.