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15 Feb ’12
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what's your guys thoughts on this?
(CNN)Country music star Tim McGraw has found himself in the middle of the nation's ongoing debate over gun control after agreeing to perform at a benefit concert for the Sandy Hook Promise foundation.
McGraw defended his decision to appear at the concert -- scheduled for July 17 in Hartford, Connecticut -- in a statement, after gun-rights activists took to McGraw's Twitter and Facebook page and derided him for what they view as turning his back on support for the Second Amendment.
"As a gun owner, I support gun ownership," McGraw said, according to a report from the Connecticut Post on Thursday. "I also believe that with gun ownership comes the responsibility of education and safety -- most certainly when it relates to what we value most, our children."
The Sandy Hook Promise foundation -- a nonprofit organization run by family members who lost a loved one in the shooting at the elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14, 2012 -- is focused on improving access to mental health programs in addition to its promotion of firearm safety, according to the group's website.
According to the Connecticut Post's report, McGraw's fiddle player -- Dean Brown -- is personal friends with a father who lost his 7-year-old son in the shooting.
Despite McGraw's statement, critics on social media have continued to accuse him of selling out to the gun control lobby.
"You aren't helping the rights of the individual by signing on to take them away with your concerts!" one post read.
No national gun rights groups have criticized McGraw thus far for his decision, and there is no indication that he will change his plans to appear at the concert.
18 Feb ’12
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I'll bet a large percentage of the people giving Tim grief on social media haven't looked at SandyHookPromise.org's website and are posting knee jerk reactions to "just another way for someone to take our guns."
I perused the website. I don't know who their largest contributors are, or the personal politics of the people who founded the charity, but it appears their solution to the "gun problem" is not gun control, but metal health hygiene and common sense. I'm probably not the poster boy for gun's rights activists. I have a pretty far right stance on gun ownership but a pretty liberal stance on personal responsibility so this charity's mission statement doesn't offend my sensibilities.
Good for Tim McGraw to support a charity he believes in, even if it doesn't line up with every one of his political talking points. Good for him to not feel like he has to spout the NRA party line whenever the conversation of gun rights and responsibilities.
4 Mar ’12
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many see SH as a gateway for tougher gun laws. it does seem as if lawmakers and anti-gun nuts were using it as a tool. I can see where people who support the constitutional right to bear arms would be upset with a performer who was aligned with the forces who seem to want to take away those rights.
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jonathco15 Feb ’12
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both good points, if this part is true, I would personally tell everyone to go pound sand and help my friend in any way I could
According to the Connecticut Post's report, McGraw's fiddle player -- Dean Brown -- is personal friends with a father who lost his 7-year-old son in the shooting.
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ashleigh11
21 Feb ’12
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Yeah, I feel like hes just supporting his buddy who lost their child. Stuff like this to me is why I feel like America is still a great nation. He's free to support any cause he wants to, and you're free to disagree with that if you want to. I don't see our guns getting taken away any time soon so I'm not really too worried about a benefit concert lol.
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ashleigh1115 Feb ’12
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this is strange
On April 22 families of 11 Sandy Hook Elementary victims made clear that they are not affiliated with Sandy Hook Promise, the gun control group for whom Tim McGraw is raising money.
There have been attempts to explain away Sandy Hook Promise’s support of gun control since Breitbart News’ April 14 report on McGraw’s upcoming gun control fundraiser. Since that time, former Obama adviser David Axelrod has come out in support of McGraw’s “gutsy” stand for the gun control fundraiser, and McGraw explained that he is sticking to his commitment to support Sandy Hook Promise because he is leading with his heart.
Now, NBC Connecticut reports that families of 11 Sandy Hook victims want “to clarify the issue for donors who might believe they are directly supporting the victims’ families.” These families worry that Sandy Hook Promise “is at times wrongly assumed to speak for all 26 victims’ families.”
The families made sure to point out that their decision to issue the statement “isn’t related to a position on the gun debate or other issues surrounding the tragedy,” rather they simply wanted to clarify that they are not affiliated with the group behind the McGraw concert.
Norfolk Daily News quoted the 11 families saying: “We wish only to provide clarification for the many generous donors that believe they are directly supporting the families at the center of this tragedy by contributing to the Sandy Hook Promise [organization].”
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