The billionaire owner of Tesla, Elon Musk, said this week that he is a strong defender of the Second Amendment, but called for tighter background checks in the wake of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
In emails sent to CNBC, the world’s richest man said that he supports “tight background checks” before every gun sale. He also supports limiting the sale of semi-automatic rifles to people that own gun ranges and people that live in “high risk location[s], like gang warfare.”
Musk was clear, though, that he sees the right to bear arms as a hedge against political tyranny.
“I strongly believe that the right to bear arms is an important safeguard against potential tyranny of government. Historically, maintaining their power over the people is why those in power did not allow public ownership of guns,” Musk told the press.
Musk made his opinions known in the same week that Salvador Ramos left 19 children and two adults murdered. Ramos purchased the rifles legally at a gun store, say several reports, weeks before going on a rampage at Robb Elementary School
Amidst nationwide protests by Democrats pushing for more gun control laws, Musk elaborated on limits he would like to see on Twitter.
“Assault rifles should at minimum require a special permit, where the recipient is extremely well vetted imo,” Musk said.
The billionaire then turned it around on the press and pointed out that the press often plays right into the hands of shooters with their wall-to-wall coverage of them after a massacre – such as the one in Texas.
“Regarding recent events, the shooters are obviously doing this to generate the most amount of attention possible. Why is the media doing exactly what the mass murderers want?” Musk emailed the reporter at CNBC.
See Elon Musk Throw Gauntlet At AOC On Twitter
The stock price of gun and ammunition manufacturers jumped hours after the shooting. Gun stocks usually follow this pattern after mass shootings as Democrats call for more gun control to be implemented.
Do you think Musk is right about the Second Amendment or do you disagree with some of his points? Let us know which ones below.
