Maher: ‘We Spend Way Too Much Time’ Talking About Assault Weapons, Those Aren’t the Problem

On Friday’s broadcast of HBO’s “Real Time,” host Bill Maher argued that “way too much time” is spent debating assault weapons restrictions when those aren’t really the issue when it comes to America’s gun violence issues and “The problem is that this country is the gun country. We love guns, and that’s not going to go away.” But holding the parents of juvenile school shooters accountable is a good idea.

Maher began by discussing the school shooting in Georgia and stated, “Now they’re blaming the parents, as I think they should.”

Later in the discussion, National Review Editor Rich Lowry argued that the focus on assault weapons is misplaced because the definition of an assault weapon is based on “cosmetic features” and handguns can kill just as many people as rifles and pointed out that the Virginia Tech shooting was carried out with handguns.

Maher responded, “I agree with that. We spend way too much time talking about the type of gun. The problem is that this country is the gun country. We love guns, and that’s not going to go away. But this seems to make sense, to hold the parents responsible. … I feel like this is progress to me, [holding the] parents responsible.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett