Stevie Wonder Calls For Stricter Gun Laws

Stevie Wonder has successfully gathered together musical friends in Los Angeles for his annual House Full of Toys benefit, a show dedicated to helping children in need around the holidays.

Coming out in a Santa suit a little after eight, Wonder addressed the crowd with frivolity before turning to the matter of Friday’s shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. After asking for a moment of silence for the victims, during which time no one even moved, he took on the subject of gun laws.

“I think we’re at a very interesting time now where we can use again tragedy such as this, which is a major tragedy, as a way to moving forward to something that we need to confront. I think people can’t think like they’re living in the wild, wild west going into 2013,” he said. “With guns and their accessibilities, there have to be stronger and stricter gun laws. It’s okay saying no, it’s okay particularly when you know some people are not as mentally stable. So you don’t want them to have a gun or any other kind of weapon at their disposal.”

He didn’t mince words for those who argue that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms. “Here we are in this time where we’re all in pain because of the loss of some 18 children and 12 adults – it’s ridiculous,” he said. “No matter how you look at it, it’s ridiculous and if you don’t see that there’s a need to think differently, to see things a little differently than you did in the past, then you’re not in touch with today, you’re still lost in yesterday.”