Action movie star Arnie calls for 'serious debate' on guns
Arnold Schwarzenegger today called for “a very serious debate” to help minimise US gun tragedies.
The 65-year-old returns to the big screen as the sheriff of an Arizona border town in The Last Stand, his first leading role since serving as the governor of California for seven years.
Schwarzenegger, who was in London today to launch the movie, suggested US leaders need to look further than just examining gun laws.
He was speaking in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting spree in Newtown, Connecticut, last month in which a 20-year-old gunman killed 20 pupils and six staff. The incident shocked the US and led to fresh calls for gun law reform.
Schwarzenegger said today: “The key thing when you have a tragedy like that is everyone comes together and has a very serious debate of what we can do in order to minimise these incidences.”
The “Governator” – who will attend the film’s UK premiere in London tonight with co-stars Johnny Knoxville and Jaimie Alexander – said shootings such as the one in Connecticut are not solely a “gun issue”. He said contributing factors would need to be addressed.
The Austrian-born actor and former bodybuilder went on: “Is it something that can be changed with the gun laws? Is this something that can be changed with the way we look at mental illness?
“Is this something that can be changed from parenting? Are we slacking off from parenting and the kids are not having the leadership that they used to have?
“Are we looking seriously at our schools – are they safe? So if someone comes in, should there be metal detectors or guards since this is a different world?”
Schwarzenegger, who has starred in action films such as The Terminator, Conan The Barbarian and Predator, hopes changes can be made before another gun-related tragedy occurs.
“I think we need to look at all of those things and the Obama administration will look at all of those things and much more, so it’s not just a gun thing. It’s all of those things,” he said.
“It has to be looked at in a comprehensive way and then you can do justice and make changes and improvements.”
