the status quo on assault weapons being legal in the united states. there s a big movement to try and get them banned, as indeed, they were pretty much banned before 2004, but you are absolutely adamantly opposed to that. i just wonder, i don t think this is an unfair question, but ijust wonder in the current highly toxic, polarised, potentially violent political culture we see in the united states, whether you would reconsider your position? well, it is an unfair question. let me explain why, because you re only giving one side of the issue. after the assault weapons ban expired early this century, it was analysed. the statisticians came in and looked at it, and it was determined that there was no effect on violent gun crimes in this country as a result of having the assault weapons ban in place. now the truth about assault weapons is that many people in this country use, and i mean millions of people in this country, use ar iss in the countryside to kill predators that are that are
that there was no effect on violent gun crimes in this country as a result of having the assault weapons ban in place. now the truth about assault weapons is that many people in this country use, and i mean millions of people in this country, use ar iss in the countryside to kill predators that are that are preying on their chickens and small livestock, and people don t want their ar iss taken away from them. if they re used by people who have mental illnesses, let s deal with the mental illness, stop dealing and stop blaming the gun for committing crimes. we have a serious problem in this country with mental illness. we should address that problem, but we should not try to take away a constitutionally protected right because we have another issue that we refuse to deal with. you may think it s unfair that i ve linked the spike in gun sales and in firearms murders to the political climate,
came in and looked at it, and it was determined that there was no effect on violent gun crimes in this country as a result of having the assault weapons ban in place. now the truth about assault weapons is that many people in this country use, and i mean millions of people in this country, use ar iss in the countryside to kill predators that are that are preying on their chickens and small livestock, and people don t want their ar iss taken away from them. if they re used by people who have mental illnesses, let s deal with the mental illness, stop dealing and stop blaming the gun for committing crimes. we have a serious problem in this country with mental illness. we should address that problem, but we should not try to take away a constitutionally protected right because we have another issue that we refuse to deal with. you may think it s unfair that