WASHINGTON — Addressing the issue of gun control, singer-songwriter James Taylor told The Daily Caller that Americans “need to make some sacrifice[s] to our freedoms” in order to keep children safe.
Following his performance at President Obama’s second inauguration, TheDC asked Taylor if he agreed with Obama’s executive actions on gun control.
“I think the nation is very divided on gun control,” Taylor told TheDC, “but I think the majority of us feel strongly — even the majority of gun owners feel strongly — that we need to make some sacrifice[s] to our freedoms, if that’s the way to put it. We need to make some sacrifices to what we might want to have, in order to safeguard our children.” (RELATED: Obama unveils his proposed list of gun restrictions, includes 23 executive orders)
“I think there’s a limit to how much — I think the founding fathers wanted us to be able to arm ourselves, but I don’t think that they would have agreed that we should have the capacity to do the damage that we do have. And we just can’t afford it.”
Taylor told TheDC that he supports the president and sees him as a strong leader.
“I love this president for so many reasons,” he said. “I think he’s a true public servant. An amazingly capable and compassionate and intelligent man and a very level-headed citizen.” (RELATED VIDEO: Watch Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor perform at inauguration)
“I just think we need more like him — not that there’s anyone else like him — but I think it’s great that we have him in government. We are very fortunate to have Barack Obama as our leader.”
TheDC also asked Taylor if he agreed with President Obama’s decision to extend many of former President George W. Bush’s policies, including the War in Afghanistan, keeping the Guantanamo Bay prison open and re-authorizing the Patriot Act.
“I wouldn’t second-guess the president, or pretend for a second that I know better than he does,” Taylor said. “He has the information and I trust him to make those important decisions for us. That’s what it means to have faith in a leader.”
Taylor performed during a concert in Obama’s honor at the Lincoln Memorial before his first inauguration in 2009, and sang onstage during the Democratic National Convention in September 2012.
Obama presented Taylor with a National Medal of Arts, the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the United States Government, in 2011.