Faith Hill and Tim McGraw Say They Support "Sensible" Gun Control

Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

From Country Living

Country music stars often don't like to get political-so much so that the CMA Awards were criticized for initially telling journalists to stay away from serious issues. But the tragic shooting at a country festival in Las Vegas, which left 59 people dead, has prompted Tim McGraw and Faith Hill to speak out about gun control.

In an interview with Billboard conducted less than two weeks after the shooting, McGraw and Hill said they support "common sense" gun control laws, and don't want military-grade weapons in the hands of civilians. (Shooter Stephen Paddock reportedly had AR-15-style assault rifles in his hotel room, plus "bump stock" devices that let a semi-automatic weapon fire like a fully automatic one.)

McGraw explains that his stance doesn't mean he doesn't support Americans' right to bear arms. "Look, I'm a bird hunter-I love to wing-shoot. However, there is some common sense that's necessary when it comes to gun control," McGraw said. "They want to make it about the Second Amendment every time it's brought up. It's not about the Second Amendment."

Hill adds that she, along with other members of the country music community, felt especially close to the Las Vegas attack, and for her, it clarified the type of gun control she supports: making it harder for everyday people to buy military-grade guns. "In reference to the tragedy in Las Vegas, we knew a lot of people there. The doctors that [treated] the wounded, they saw wounds like you'd see in war. That's not right," Hill said. "Military weapons should not be in the hands of civilians. It's everyone's responsibility, including the government and the National Rifle Association, to tell the truth. We all want a safe country."

You Might Also Like