Country star Travis Tritt was heartbroken to learn of this week’s murders at the Washington Navy Yard, but when it comes to preventing future tragedies, he’s not under any illusions about the effectiveness of gun control:
@guruatlarge The problem is not the guns! The problem is privacy issues that allow mentally ill to slip through the cracks!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 17, 2013
Bingo. As Michelle Malkin pointed out in her column, guns are not the problem. The problem is willful blindness to mental illness and the government’s role in perpetuating that blindness.
@Travistritt respectfully Travis I disagree. While your point is valid, the problem is the guns.
— Brian King (@guruatlarge) September 17, 2013
@guruatlarge I would say that you are very uninformed , my friend!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 17, 2013
@Travistritt unfortunately not. Very informed on this subject. Firearm love is an illness in american society that has cost it dearly.
— Brian King (@guruatlarge) September 17, 2013
@guruatlarge Mental illness is a common denominator in almost all of these situations. Unchecked mental illness is what has cost us dearly!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 17, 2013
@guruatlarge Guns or not, the fact is that bad people are going to do bad things, by any means whatsoever!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 17, 2013
@Travistritt that is a valid point Travis. I mean no offense. Its sad to see innocent people die. I love your music. You're a hero of mine.
— Brian King (@guruatlarge) September 18, 2013
@guruatlarge I appreciate that! I simply disagree with your gun control views. Trying to compare the US to Australia is apples & oranges!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
@guruatlarge Australia has never had a fraction of the guns we have in the US. Crimes committed by the mentally ill are as much per capita!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
@guruatlarge I also know that crimes against women, robbery, assault and home invasions are up in Australia since they banned guns!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
Those who question if more gun control is needed in the US may find this article interesting. http://t.co/CYI0LWcIZN
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
@Travistritt there are certainly parts of the country where that is true. Mental illness is a complex subject Travis. I dont know the answer
— Brian King (@guruatlarge) September 18, 2013
@guruatlarge I don't know the mental illness issue answer either, but I don't believe making everyone defenseless is the right approach!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
Exactly.
https://twitter.com/SailormanJason/statuses/380229342431043584
@SailormanJason Agreed! If somebody downs a fifth of liquor, gets in their car and kills somebody, you don't blame the liquor or the car!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
Personal responsibility is key.
@Travistritt the bad guys are gonna always be able to get guns, if u take away guns from law abiding citizens that makes them sitting ducks
— Kathy (@u2kat) September 18, 2013
@u2kat That is my biggest fear and why I stand up for the right to own them. I may be a victim but I won't be an easy target if I'm armed!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
@u2kat Once again, bad people are going to always find a way to do bad things. I think this why we all must be forever vigilant!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
@GregScott04 @Travistritt @twiztedmetel semi autos were banned in 96. None since then.
— Brian King (@guruatlarge) September 18, 2013
@guruatlarge @GregScott04 @twiztedmetel Nobody likes seeing innocent people hurt or killed. Mass shootings get a lot of attention, but….
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
@guruatlarge @GregScott04 @twiztedmetel …they make up only 0.1% of the total number of people that've been murdered in the US in 30 years!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
@Travistritt as I said Travis. No offence intended. Its a complex thing. I'm not American. I join you in condolence for the lives lost
— Brian King (@guruatlarge) September 18, 2013
Tritt admitted that he doesn’t have all the answers:
@guruatlarge No offense taken! It is a complex world and I don't expect everyone to always share my views. I don't have all answers either!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
But his commonsense approach to self-defense goes a very long way. And, unlike Piers Morgan and the rest of the gun-grabbing media, he’s not on a misguided crusade against the AR-15:
@Travistritt but no one should be able to just walk into a gun shop and buy a semi automatic AR-15, there is no reason for that.
— The Rev (@DerekCrockett87) September 18, 2013
@DerekCrockett87 This AR-15 paranoia is unfounded. The guy who shot up the Navy Yard didn't have one, only a shotgun. He got a pistol inside
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
@DerekCrockett87 I own several AR-15's that I use for hunting as well as home defense. I'm also not mentally ill, (not yet anyway)!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
@DerekCrockett87 There needs to be a better way to stop nut jobs from buying any weapons without disarming the law abiding citizens.
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
@DerekCrockett87 I don't have the answer for that. I wish I did! Nevertheless, I don't think you should punish the masses for actions of few
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
When confronted by gun control proponents, Tritt graciously stood his ground:
https://twitter.com/NicAndrews/statuses/380325885577949185
@NicAndrews @guruatlarge The info came from a govt. study ordered when the gun issue was hot early this year. It's available in other places
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
https://twitter.com/NicAndrews/statuses/380378709141630976
@NicAndrews @guruatlarge I know that the information was not what govt. wanted to hear and why the gun control bill was badly defeated.
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
https://twitter.com/KCEsq/statuses/380382274443046912
@KCEsq @njgina Fact is that anyone who thinks guns can be eradicated is sadly mistaken. There's too many out there for that to happen.
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
@KCEsq @njgina Any number of murders is too many, but taking away guns is not going to stop them from happening. That is basic logic.
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
https://twitter.com/MooneyR10/statuses/380375760101318656
@MooneyR10 @u2kat Redneck? Yes. Paranoid? No.
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
He’s saving his fear up for the really scary stuff:
@MooneyR10 @u2kat As a law abiding gun owner, I only am afraid of 2 things….politicians and rust!
— Travis Tritt (@Travistritt) September 18, 2013
Amen to that!
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