North Carolina has some of the least restrictive gun laws in the United States, but calls for stronger gun control often follow mass shootings.
Here are six quotes from both sides of the hotly contested issue in North Carolina.
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"I'm committed to make sure that the Second Amendment is not infringed on in any way, shape or form. And I don't buy the president's argument that an assault weapon was made to hunt. No, an assault weapon was made to allow an American to defend themselves and their property -- the exact reason the Second Amendment was created by our founding fathers. ... Anything we would do to limit the American people to have that right protected would be an infringement to the Second Amendment. –
North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, to WRAL.com, during a March 27, 2013 Q&A.
"The three things that are the most important are the background checks, the mental health, and better school security. If we had better school security in place and a better background check system in place, they could have identified Adam Lanza as a risk to himself or others. It could have prevented it." –
Neil Heslin, whose son Jesse Lewis was one of kids killed at Sandy Hook, at a June 2013 rally in Raleigh, N.C.
"If you take away gun rights, it still doesn't do anything to protect our children. If you ban a whole class of firearms, what have you really done?" (Emotional responses to massacres like Sandy Hook lead to "some of the worst laws imaginable." –
Larry Hyatt, owner of Hyatt Guns in Charlotte, N.C., Feb. 21, 2013.
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"Everybody has a right to protect themselves. We are here asking for background checks for these guns at gun shows and private gun sales. Even with the background checks, it's not going to stop all the murders. But it will help a lot. ... Y'all can stand over there and say, 'guns save lives,' but they also take away lives. Innocent lives. We need to think about that just as much." –
Joslin Simms, whose son Rayburn was murdered in Durham in 2005.
"As incomprehensible as mass shootings are, the scourge of gun violence is not confined to these horrific headline-generating massacres. It is an everyday reality in our cities and towns and neighborhoods." –
North Carolina Rep. David Price, on June 22, 2013.
During an April debate,
North Carolina Sen.-elect Thom Tillis, then the state House speaker, was asked whether he would support the right of convicted felons and the mentally ill to bear arms.
"The fact of the matter is, violent felons and people with mental health problems need to be rehabilitated and they need help. You can't put a gun in the hand of someone who represents a danger to themselves, or to society. ... This is being practical conservatives," said Tillis.
This article does not constitute legal advice. Check the current gun laws of your state and destination before travel.
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