Montel Williams took to Twitter to discuss why he no longer owns a gun. The discussion seemed to be spurred on by the mall shooting that recently took place in Texas.
Montel on Twitter generally tries to seem reasonable even if you are not in agreement with his views and this discussion was similar. While we do not agree with his take, as you read the discussion with other tweeters you will see he also admits it is not going to change much.
Watching the video from the #allenoutletmall shooting reminds me why I am no longer a gun owner. I choose to be the change I want to see in the world.
Obviously, Tara and my 🙏🏾 go out to all, and we’re again in awe of the heroism of our first responders. #AllenTexas.
— Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) May 7, 2023
2/ I am no longer a gun owner because I have looked victims of school shootings in the eye, and the look in their eyes is seared in my mind.
I’ve listened to other parents like @fred_guttenberg, educators like @fetchik_andy, and teenagers who survived shootings.
That’s why.
— Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) May 7, 2023
We have to say, he is saying he wants to see change and wants to contribute to it. We along with some others on Twitter are not sure what his NOT owning a gun does to make any changes in the arena of mass shootings.
That's a dumb take. Afraid you were going to shoot innocents?
— Jack Herman (@Jack_Ham79) May 7, 2023
We see where this tweeter is headed. We are not dangerous gun owners if we are not planning to shoot innocent people.
To Montel’s credit, he answered most tweeters in a respectful manner. We do not agree with his idea, but even he admits it will not impact the real issue and he did it for himself more than actually making any viable changes.
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Nope. It’s because I’m a father who has been profoundly impacted by spending lots of time with suvivors, their families, and their teachers.
I’m not suggesting what I did will have an impact, but I needed to do something.
Thank you for your service. Go Navy!
— Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) May 7, 2023
We are afraid Montel has fallen into a ‘feelings over real changes’ trap, but as a parent, we can see how it can get clouded.
Doing that did nothing. Demonstrating that you were a responsible gun owner would do more.
— Jack Herman (@Jack_Ham79) May 7, 2023
The questioner was not accepting the answer and made a valid point. If Montel could show that most of us ARE responsible gun owners and help take away some of that fear and stigma behind gun ownership it might do more for the hostility around guns and put the focus on what is creating mass murderers rather than their weapons of choice.
Montel did answer back.
It had no real world impact. We all make choices, this one was deeply personal, and I did this because it mattered to me.
I don’t currently need to own a firearm and I can shoot in any range I want. If in the future, I decide I have a need to own a firearm, I will purchase one.
— Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) May 7, 2023
We can not fault Montel for that reply. He admits that there is no real impact. We do wish he would stand up in a different way, but as far as interactions on Twitter go, we have seen them go way worse, and we have even seen Montel get way more heated, so overall, we can agree to disagree, but we do want to point out that the gun itself is NOT the issue.
So what you did was all BS. It’s your right but really no different than declaring you decided to not cast a vote in an election
— Beer For My Horses (@ParkinJon) May 7, 2023
OK, it is mostly for show, and it does nothing, but is Montel sincere in his actions? He is in the entertainment business and they do like to do a lot of virtue signaling. It can go either way. We will let you make that decision for yourself.
How is disarming yourself, a safe gun owner, stopping any criminals? That's not change.
— Alexi Kudej (@AKudej25) May 7, 2023
Right. It does nothing. We can disarm every safe gun owner in the country and criminals will still be criminals.
Hi Alexi – thanks for asking a substantive question It’s appreciated.
I concede your point – it will have no real world impaxt. It mattered to me.
I don’t need to own a gun right now. If I decide in the future I do need one, I will buy one.
— Montel Williams (@Montel_Williams) May 7, 2023
We hope he takes all of the points he concedes are valid into account and rethinks what he may be able to do to make an impact.
Well, if you think you can’t own a gun without using it unlawfully, sure… https://t.co/o6nkJFwkbh
— (((Aaron Walker))) (@AaronWorthing) May 7, 2023
Lawful gun owners are attacked in the media and by entertainers after every criminal decides to murder a lot of people, we just want the person and their actions to be held accountable rather than the weapon or safe gun owners.
You disarmed yourself because other people do bad things? How does you being unarmed prevent gun violence? Some people drive drunk. You gonna give up your car too?
— Stacey (@ScotsFyre) May 7, 2023
There you go. We think Montel knows it does nothing as he did admit it himself in more than one tweet, but we also know he is not going to give up his car or his kitchen knives, or any other item that could be used as a weapon.
Many people own guns for various reasons, self-defense is one of the biggest. Vilifying safe owners is never going to make a difference, and while we do not think that was Montel’s intention, we have to cover it when an entertainer says something we take issue with.
Keep safe Twitchy readers. If you own guns, be a good example of proper gun safety and talk to people about it!
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