Former Attorney General Eric Holder discussed on Friday strategy for how to achieve what he views as meaningful gun control with Parkland, Fla., shooting survivor David Hogg.
The pair participated in a panel in the “Overtime” segment of Bill Maher’s “Real Time” on HBO, and Holder said some restrictions politicians are looking at – banning bump stocks and raising the age needed to buy semi-automatic rifles – are not sufficient.
“If the only thing that comes out of this tragedy is we outlaw bump stocks and we raise the age at which people are allowed to buy an AR-15, that will be a failure,” Holder, who served as attorney general under former President Barack Obama, explained. “Because the reality – from my perspective – is you need to do what we’ve always tried to do, which is to ban the sale of AR-15s, have universal background checks, and also take away the ability to buy these large magazines.”
Hogg, who has advocated stronger gun control restrictions in TV interviews since the high school shooting last month that left 17 people dead, said there needs to be limitations on the Second Amendment.
“I do see the reason to have a weapon, and I do see the reason behind the Second Amendment. But I think we should have limitations on the Second Amendment, the same way we have limitations on the First [Amendment],” he said, comparing shouting “fire” in a crowded movie theater to mentally unstable individuals buying an AR-15.
Law enforcement have found signs that 19-year-old Parkland shooting suspect, ex-student Nikolas Cruz, had exhibited destructive behavior and had been suffering from mental illness for years. He also bought the AR-15-style rifle used in the attack legally.
Some Republicans, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott, have in recent weeks defied the National Rifle Association, calling for the age limit to purchase rifles to be raised to 21. There have also been talk about expanding the background check system to include more mental health information.
Hogg said he doesn’t see Congress making much headway on the issue, similar to the aftermath of other recent mass shootings that have become a common occurrence to his generation.
“See, the problem is, is makes way too much fucking sense for our elected officials to take care of,” Hogg said.
