Celebrities call on Congress to back gun control measures
Tony Bennett, Chris Rock, Adam Scott, Amanda Peet and other celebrities today joined joined a coalition of elected officials, law enforcement officers, physicians and others on Capitol Hill in support of President Obama's plan to reduce gun violence.
"I still haven't gotten over Connecticut," Bennett said, referring to the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 children and seven adults dead.
In the wake of that tragedy, Mr. Obama has called on Congress to pass a series of gun control measures, such as a ban on assault weapons and universal background checks for gun purchasers. He has also gone on the road to build public support for his agenda.
"I'm just here to support the president of the United States," comedian Chris Rock said. "The president and the first lady are kind of like the mom and the dad of the country, and when your dad says something, you listen. And when you don't, it usually bites you in the ass later on."
- Obama: Don't let pro-gun lobby block "common sense" gun laws
- Bruce Willis says he's against new gun control laws
The celebrities were joined by public figures such as Kerry Kennedy, the late Robert Kennedy's daughter.
"I was four years old when my uncle, President Kennedy, was killed by a man with a gun. I was eight years old when my father, too, was gunned down," she said. "It is almost impossible to describe the pain of losing your father to a senseless murder, or the anger and fear of knowing that murder might have been avoided if only our leaders had acted to stop the violence."
While several celebrities were on Capitol Hill today to back the president, not everyone in Hollywood supports his agenda. Actor Bruce Willis, star of the violent "Die Hard" movies, told the Associated Press he's against new gun control laws that could infringe on rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment. He also dismissed any link between Hollywood gun violence and real-life gun violence.
