Hollywood heavyweight Kate Hudson says she does not believe in changing the US constitution, despite passionate debate about the right to bear arms in the wake of the Florida school shooting.
Speaking at a Business Chicks lunch in Sydney to a 1600-person crowd, Hudson said though she acknowledges gun laws should be stricter, they should not be abolished altogether.
“I’m a great believer in upholding the constitution … I believe in upholding our second constitution amendment [the right of the people to keep and bear arms],” the 38-year-old mother of two said, according to Fairfax.
She went to add her conflicted views stem from her “very interesting political background”, growing up as the child of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn.
“My dad Kurt is a libertarian and mum is quite liberal, so I grew up with very different political views for an American household, which is actually kind of rare,” she said.
“They are polar opposites. All of us kids ended up somewhere in the middle.”
Hudson’s thoughts come in the wake of one of the most lively debates about gun control in US history.
Amelia Lester explains why the aftermath of the school shooting in Florida feels different to that of any shooting before it. Post continues after audio.
Earlier this month, a former student walked into Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, and killed 17 of his former classmates and teachers.
In the aftermath of the shooting, students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas have been public and vocal about the need for gun control. The most powerful speech came from high school senior, Emma Gonzalez, who promised this week’s shooting would be last mass shooting in America.
“Every single person up here today, all these people should be home grieving. But instead we are up here standing together because if all our government and President can do is send thoughts and prayers, then it’s time for victims to be the change that we need to see. Since the time of the Founding Fathers and since they added the Second Amendment to the Constitution, our guns have developed at a rate that leaves me dizzy. The guns have changed but our laws have not,” she said.
“We certainly do not understand why it should be harder to make plans with friends on weekends than to buy an automatic or semi-automatic weapon. In Florida, to buy a gun you do not need a permit, you do not need a gun license, and once you buy it you do not need to register it. You do not need a permit to carry a concealed rifle or shotgun. You can buy as many guns as you want at one time.”
Top Comments
I bet she doesn't send her kids to a public school. Americans who defend their Constitution conveniently forget than there are "Amendments". The original Constitution has changed and is so outdated.
Exactly! There is a huge difference between carrying a musket or whatever what the weapon of choice was back then... and a semi automatic riffle with god knows how many modifications.
I read that Justice Scalia said that gun control laws were possible whilst maintaining the integrity of the Constitution. There have been approximately 27 amendments to the Constitution which generally took years to pass and need majority approval by the states and the legislature, probably ensuring that an amendment regarding gun control would be futile. Nutters can come from any background, so I doubt private school students are any safer. The shooters at Columbine High and Sandy Hook were from fairly wealthy families.
No they don't forget about the amendments. The right to bear arms is the second amendment, they all know that.
Well, it's only a certain kind of person who can 'afford' to be a libertarian $$$. You don't find them in poor places with no social structure. No surprise here.