Stephen King Pens Anti-Gun Essay

'How many have to die before we give up these dangerous toys?'

The master of horror is horrified by the country's gun violence, which is why he's penned a lengthy essay calling for more gun control, reports the Washington Post.

"I have nothing against gun owners, sport shooters, or hunters," says Steven King in the 8,000 word Kindle book dubbed Guns (logically enough). "But how many have to die before we will give up these dangerous toys?"

King suggests measures to curb gun violence in the future, which include the widely approved measure of expanding universal background checks but also banning assault weapons and magazines that that carry more than ten rounds.

The incredibly popular author, who himself once penned a story about a school shooting, asks gun proponents to engage in a bit of introspection:

"Gun advocates have to ask themselves if their zeal to protect even the outer limits of gun ownership have anything to do with preserving the Second Amendment, or if it's just a stubborn desire to hold onto what they have, and to hell with the collateral damage."

Via the Washington Post.

Would you give King's book a read?

[Hireman]

He's further drifted toward irrelevancy.

[Jackson1961]

I can't stand to read books originating from the dark side.

[PoliticalSpice]

Both The Stand and Firestarter are great books, but I couldn't care less about his thoughts on gun control.

[Fishbone345]

You can't stand to read books originating from the dark side? Seriously? What are you a Jedi?

[AnObserver]

I just moved him over into the idiot column...

[tomhorn1903]

Steven, you have no idea how little I care.

[stepped_in_it]

"Gun advocates have to ask themselves if their zeal to protect even the outer limits of gun ownership have anything to do with preserving the Second Amendment, or if it's just a stubborn desire to hold onto what they have, and to hell with the collateral damage."
Yep, it's the second one! Or, it just could be the fact that it's just a tool/object. Eliminating them from legal citizens have never/will never remove them from the illegal citizen!
HMMM.....wondering if Mr. King has no and never has had armed security? Wonder if Mr. King has no video surveillance or locked gated living or etc? I'm sure he doesn't....does he?

[Thunderchicken]

"or if it's just a stubborn desire to hold onto what they have, "

I see it more as give the anti gun people an inch and they'll try to take a mile.

[FollowTheMoney]

@Thunderchicken That seems to be the strategy of all the social engineering groups.

[Thegrif]

Point is only law abiding citizens will follow the law, thus penalizing the good citizens for the actions of the bad.
The bad, which will never give up the guns, or limit the amount of ammo, will continue to break laws, and hunt humans, and seek out the weak and defenseless.
AKA- non gun owners

[Red-State-Bill]

Actually, I dont think he does. He once told about a fan who came into his house, told his wife that he had a bomb, and scared the crap out of her. Also, he was hit by a van while jogging. If he had security, I doubt that would have happened. since security follows you everywhere.

Back to the topic. King has lost his mind. First, anyone who considers firearms "toys" doesnt know the first thing about them or the 2nd. Second, the USSC has stated that cops are not required to protect you, even if your life in immediate danger. It is the duty of each and every citizen to protect themselves. Finally, Ben Franklin said it best: "Those who are willing to give up their liberty for a little security, deserve neither liberty nor security".

[WMCOL]

King productions are a bigger influence to violence than guns. Bates Motel inspired serial killers.

[Dan_Tien]

I don't believe that Stephen King had anything to do with "Bates Motel". If you are talking about the TV series, he did not write for it, and it was adapted from an Alfred Hitchcock film based on a novel by Robert Bloch.

[WMCOL]

@Dan_Tien

You're right. The genre was the point and misinformation deters from the relevance. If you missed it, others did too. Should have just stated horror/murder movie.

[PoliticalSpice]

@Dan_Tien Actually based on a real life serial killer in wisconsin, during the 1950's. Name moght have been ed gein, something like that.

[RobertJHarsh]

I like King's books, but he is falling victim to a symptom instead of the problem. Guns are not the problem. The issue here is why Sandy Hook and other shootings and acts of violence occur. The first place to look is mainstreaming of children whom should not be in mainstream classes, the drugging of kids, and the drugging of adults. There is no difference between a heroin addict and one who depends on Prozac. Both are junkies. One is just doing it legally.

Big Pharma is the main suspect at Sandy Hook. Not Bushmaster.

[justapirate]

He is entitled to his opinion. As long as he doesn't try to force his opinion on me I have no problem.

[AlexMIA]

Influencial writer just wrote an essay on a politically charged issue concrerning one of your personal freedoms and constitutional rights. He liberally just did force his opinion on you.

[SavageMazx]

@AlexMIA actually Politix did, I would have never know anything about this until they posted it up here. You notice that they put things like this up here and its got a positive spin, but anything pro-gun or pro second amendment is always slanted as 'look what these nut job gun people are doing one'.

[AlexMIA]

@SavageMazx Yep, they are a little left leaning over here. They need a V8!

[Rocker]

King quote:
"Gun advocates have to ask themselves if their zeal to protect even the outer limits of gun ownership have anything to do with preserving the Second Amendment, or if it's just a stubborn desire to hold onto what they have, and to hell with the collateral damage."

And I would have Mr. King to ask himself or other artists and writers,'at what point in the Freedom of Speech or Expression that comes up with topics from time to time, would he consider that creativity is being stifled, since any government intervention starts that dialogue in those professions. And once being muffled begins, would it only continue with more controls and intervention regulating what you can and cannot present'.

[Libertyiskey]

How many have to die from alcohol poising, DUIs, liver failure and other diseases related to alcohol before we try prohibition again?
When are we going to start treating criminals like criminals instead of preventing law abiding citizens from having something?
When taking guns doesn't work again how long till the blame falls on those who write books about killing as the reason people kill?

[bsking]

Oh that's it then... debate over. the king of the weirdos has spoken

[Fishbone345]

I wouldn't say he's the King of Weirdo's, he's definitely a member though. :)

[marine1]

He is merely playing to his own crowd of phonies..

[JustTheFacts]

you got that right ... just another liberal sheep using tragedy to push their own agenda!

[russ]

The king of horror is the pawn of the left....

[S-N-A-F-U]

What a HYPOCRITE! This guy has made millions off of gratuitous Violence!!

[AlexMIA]

Most of the left has! Do you think hollywood is crawling with conservatives?

[S-N-A-F-U]

@AlexMIA

Hollyweird is a bastion of liberal thinking. Mr. King, along with other hollwood types make Millions from gratuitous violence and sex, but have the temerity to put people down who own guns...

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Hollywood_values

[AlexMIA]

@S-N-A-F-U Yep, there are few conservatives in hollywood, and they aren't as arrogant as the liberals who try to use their influence to push political agendas. I think it was Robert Duval or Jaimes Caan who said it once, I'm a conservative but who cares I'm an actor not an activist or politician.

[AlexMIA]

@S-N-A-F-U I read the article, and it is trying to rationalize that left or right, it is corperate hollywood that pulls the strings. Quite possibly so, but I still call BS with the likes of Sean Penn, George Clooney, Matt Damon and so many others. It also brings up some action movies and the comic book movie industry as set for conservatives, isn't The Greenlantern going to be brought out of the closet soon, so is someone else on the Marvel side. Not that I care about that but I'm just saying. How about the action movies where you have Arnold shooting and blowing everything up, then running Cali and now cozying up with Gore and his global warming band wagon. I'm sure I won't be watching any more of his movies anytime soon. Hasta la vista baby! That's not to say I don't enjoy a good movie, with a meaningful liberal topic, Phildelphia, Erin Brockovich, North Country and so on. I do! I also think Adam Sandler is not only still funny but a great actor for serious roles as well. My favorite superhero, which I identify the most with is Rawshack from the Watchmen and truth be told I don't spend $12 on a movie or $20 on a hotdog anymore unless the movie is really really good. I usually get the really good bootleg or have the misses take the really big purse to the movies to bring all the best goodies and drinks from elsewhere.

[AlexMIA]

@S-N-A-F-U Consider this! Pandora, great movie, I liked it. Completely full of self loathing undertones, humans are bad, beware of the corpoations, blah, blah, blah!

[Buzzfriendly]

Well lets see here. King writes novel about gruesome horror and mass killing of people makes a fortune and tell us we shouldn't own guns. What am I missing here?

[Real4WheelDrv]

Question Steve...do you think Cujo might have ended differently if mom had been a CCW holder?

[Righton]

Yes, it would not have put big bucks in his pocket because movie would have been 5 minutes long.

[Real4WheelDrv]

@Righton Not to mention the book would have been short enough for a day's worth of bathroom reading.

[Real4WheelDrv]

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

[SomethinsFishy]

What else would you expect from the twisted mind that has produced so many twisted tales? They, along with other gun-grabbers, are "fiction writers" disregarding the truth even of the federal government's own researchers. See assaultweaponsbanof2013 dot blogspot dot com For reports from US Department of Justice exposing the Mantric Lies we're all being told. Download them free as well if you like. How about another book, Stephen? "The Gundeliar"

[Keyjo]

Yeah, I might read it. That doesn't mean I'd end up in agreement, but I give people the opportunity to state their opinions and try to convince me.

[AlexMIA]

I have to agree with you there on principle but I'd rather wish he stuck to scary clowns.

[hwyangel]

I like fiction.

[PoliticalSpice]

@AlexMIA I didn't think It anywhere near as good as Stand.

[AlexMIA]

@PoliticalSpice Oh the Stand was good!

[PoliticalSpice]

@hwyangel Have you read The Stand? You might find it interesting. It is very much about the final battle between good and evil predicted in revelation. It is not biblically based or anything, but the elements are all there. If you haven't read it and can find the original version (signet paper) in a used book store, it is better then the uneditted compleat version, but both are good.

[DrFunkenstein]

How dare he propose banning people from carrying weapons on their person or in their car!!!! He should be arrested for violating the second amendment! Oh wait, that was Ronald Reagan in 1967 with the Mulford Act.