The Rev. Jesse Jackson says assault weapons are a threat to the nation’s security.
And he believes gun manufacturers should be held responsible for the mass shootings plaguing the United States — a stance that is sure to be blasted by the National Rifle Association.
“These semi-automatic weapons, these assault weapons, can only kill people and in fact are threats to national security,’’ Jackson told Fox News.
“The young man who did the killing in Aurora, Colorado with the arsenal he had. He was right near the airport, right near the runways near the airport in Denver.
“He could shoot down airplanes. So this is a matter of homeland security as well.
“We need to make manufacturers more accountable for their product . . . Cigarette manufacturers are more accountable for their product.’’
Since the Newtown, Connecticut elementary school massacre, Jackson has been pressing the need for action to stem gun violence.
During a discussion in Chicago Saturday about the problem that has long plagued the Windy City’s metropolitan area, Jackson said:
“There was something about Newtown that touched all of us in a different place that serves to illuminate the darkness in Chicago which we have been trying to get attention for a long time.’’
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