Aaron Lewis says there isn’t a gun control law on the books that would have or could have stopped the gunman from opening fire on a concert crowd in Las Vegas earlier this month.
The rock-turned-country singer is a gun owner and believes that gun control is a slippery slope, “because the people that you are controlling are the law-abiding citizens that follow the laws, that buy guns legally.”
“Criminals don’t buy guns legally,” he tells CBS Philly during a wide-ranging interview that touches on National Anthem protests and his place on country radio.
Las Vegas gunman Stephen Paddock is believed to have purchased most of the weapons used in the Oct. 1 shooting legally. Fifty-eight people were killed when he opened fire from the 32nd floor of the nearby Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino.
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“Criminals don’t follow laws that are applied,” the singer says. “So, really, all you’re doing with more gun laws is hindering the law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves from the criminal that isn’t gonna go through all the law-abiding things to get that gun.”
After the Las Vegas shooting, many people, including the NRA, suggested reviewing rules on bump stocks, a device that can turn a semi-automatic weapon into an automatic weapon. Lewis wouldn’t ban those either, arguing that the sale of such devices will only go to the black market, where criminals get their guns. He doesn’t feel that bump stocks are common, as he’d never heard of them.
Not discussed is how Lewis feels about increased regulations and background checks for potential gun buyers. He makes mention of a stringent set of applications and checks he went through as a resident of Massachusetts.
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This Article Was Originally Posted at www.TasteofCountry.com
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