Ice-T speaks out against gun control

By Gerrick D. Kennedy

July 25, 2012 12 AM PT

Ice-T, one of the pioneers of West Coast gangsta rap, has added his voice to the nation’s ongoing debate over gun control, saying he does not want more regulations on guns.

The rapper-actor was on Channel 4 London News to talk about his recently released directorial debut, “Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap,” when news broke about the mass killings at a screening of “Dark Knight Rises” in Colorado last week. He was then asked about his attitudes toward guns and why he defends the right to bear arms.

“I’ll give up my gun when everybody else does… if there were guns here, would you want to be the only one without one?” he asked.

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When asked by Channel 4 London’s Krishnan Guru-Murthy whether he had a gun at home, Ice-T told him he did, because “it’s legal in the United States. The right to bear arms is because that’s the last form of defense against tyranny, not to hunt. It’s to protect yourself from the police.”

Guru-Murthy continued to press the rapper on whether or not he saw a link between the right to bear arms and shootings such as the one in Aurora, Colo.

“No. Not really … if someone wants to kill people, they wouldn’t need a gun to do it … You can strap explosives on your body. They do that all the time.”

He went on to say that the push for antigun laws that would come in wake of the Aurora massacre wouldn’t change any legislation in the U.S. because the country was “based on guns.” He also dropped a KRS-One lyric, saying: “You’ll never have justice on stolen land.”

Ice-T’s opinions have come under scrunity and he’s retweeted both support and criticism to his Twitter followers. And even offered a nod to the world of trend-driven journalism.

“my comment on guns got a lot of press.. They call me ‘Gangster’ don’t forget ‘US Army Vet,’ ” he wrote Tuesday. “I love how people are soooo SHOCKED to hear something thought provoking said by a rapper.. Hip Hop has changed to POP .. Nobody says [expletive].”

Watch the interview below:

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