http://www.theboot.com/2013/04/25/miranda-lambert-gun-control/Miranda Lambert: Gun Control Debate Won't Draw Singer Into Political Firestorm
Posted Apr 25th 2013 3:20PM by Stephen L. Betts
One of the most widely-debated hot-button issues in the country today, of course, is gun control. But just because her albums include such songs as "Gunpowder and Lead" and "Time to Get a Gun," that doesn't mean Miranda Lambert relishes the idea of finding herself in the crossfire of such heated discourse, knowing as she does that sharing one's personal opinion on a highly-politicized topic could mean trouble for your career.
"I pretty much will answer any questions with a truthful answer, because that's just how I am," Miranda tells The Boot. "But when it comes to any sort of political debate or anything revolving around politics, I'm a huge fan of the Dixie Chicks and I saw what happened and I learned from that. I don't want to ever use my career or this thing that I've built as a platform to sway people to my direction, because, truthfully, I don't care. I just want to believe what I believe and be happy, and people can believe what they believe. I don't ever want to push my opinion on someone because I don't want them pushing their opinion on me."
Miranda believes that having politicians and pundits argue over gun-control legislation only goes so far.
"You can debate all you want, it won't really change anything," she notes. "It's such a sensitive subject with everybody. I feel like there are people that should be willing to give -- to meet in the middle -- that aren't, and vice versa. Obviously, I have my concealed handgun carry license, I'm pro on guns and I'm a hunter, so for me, that's what I use guns for, protection and hunting. I've always been that way, it's the way I grew up. But some people don't feel like they need guns and that's their prerogative. But I do think that we should each have a choice of one or the other."
Perhaps no single aspect of the gun-control issue sparks more debate that whether or not to enact a ban on assault weapons, another topic on which she refuses to engage.
"I don't ever talk politics," she explains. "That's now become a political debate. It doesn't matter what I say, I feel like I'll piss somebody off. All I know is you can pretty much see where I stand on everything. I have two guns tattooed on my arm, that's all I need to say."
