How could one forget T.I.’s arsenal of firearms being seized by the Atlanta ATF just hours before the 2007 BET Awards? This stash of illegal weapons (which led to Tip’s eventual incarceration) makes the Grand Hustle General an excellent source when discussing the issues of gun control, something that has been a hot topic following the shooting at Stoneman Douglass High School in Parkland, Florida.
When TMZ asked him to add to the current gun control discourse, T.I. admittedly described the conversation as a “tough one” to have. “I just honestly feel like if you lose the right to bear arms as a citizen, then it’s easy to enslave,” T.I. explained. “It’s easy for the government to enslave people when they don’t have the right to bear arms.”
Yet, even though Tip is undoubtedly in support of the second amendment, he did tell the publication that he believes “our system is broken.” “I think it should probably be more difficult for people who aren’t mentally stable to have guns,” Tip said. “I think mental stabilization needs to be a big part. Just not being a felon isn’t enough. We see that, that isn’t working. People think that the felons that’s causing all the problems, but you know, it seems as though people who have been given gun licenses, who bought them legally, those are the ones causing all the mass hysteria.”
According to Mother Jones’s database, in the nearly 20 years since T.I. was convicted of his first gun charge, America has experienced over 65 mass shootings, with over half of the assailants claiming to have mental health issues. This adds some validity to T.I. sentiments, and ultimately, the time for that complex discussion is right now.