The tragic events of the mass shooting in Las Vegas have reignited an impassioned and, in some quarters, divisive conversation about gun control and how to better protect innocent lives from being lost from inaction. The Second Amendment is a right that is many American feel strongly about, but these sorts of horrific incidents always manage to elicit strong emotions from either side of the conversation. Now, while speaking with TMZ, Public Enemy's Chuck D shed some light on who he thinks the real "terrorists" are when it comes to violence against United States' citizens: the NRA.
"The NRA is a terrorist organization," said the rapper. "And the administration backs the terrorist organization and never uses the word." He also said that the establishment's fear now might be that they're "cognizant" of the NRA, whereas before it wasn't even part of their worldview."Now you've got younger people who [are] woke at 18, 19 and saying, 'This is some bulls**t." Known for his politically outspoken lyrics and his activist endeavors when he's not on stage, Chuck D has added more fuel to the fire when it comes to the discussion surrounding gun control and the legislation that, in part, enables these kinds of violent acts on a consistent basis.
The situation doesn't seem like it's going to get that much better in the short term either. Donald Trump's comment that his administration would be talking about gun control "as time goes by" was only vaguely comforting, while a new bill is currently making their way through the House of Representatives that would ease the current restrictions that are in place on purchasing gun silencers, according to CNN. Another piece of legislation, the SHARE act, also aims to loosen regulations and facilitate the "transporting guns across state lines and narrows the restricted category of armor-piercing ammunition." While this larger package would still need to pass through the Senate, it looks as though politicians aren't about to tighten up any gun laws heading into the next election cycle. After the outcry from many in the entertainment world, including hosts of several late night TV shows, we could see a push back on this kind of political maneuvering very soon.