Shaq takes surprise stance on gun control, reveals what America really needs
Former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal knows a thing or two about stopping crime.
For years, the Hall of Famer took a very public interest in law enforcement, and he currently serves as a reserve police officer for Doral and Miami Beach in Florida, the Miami Herald reported. O’Neal even announced in November that he plans to run for sheriff in Georgia in 2020.
So O’Neal’s thoughts on how to keep schools safe in the wake of last month’s Parkland school shooting come from a place of knowledge and genuine concern.
And unlike the thousands of students across the country who staged a walkout on Wednesday morning, O’Neal doesn’t think banning guns — particularly semiautomatic weapons — is the answer.
“There’s a lot of those weapons already on the streets,” he said Wednesday on WABC Radio’s “Curtis and Cosby” show, according to ESPN. “So it’s not like, if you say, OK, these weapons are banned, people are gonna go, ‘oh man, let me turn it in.’ That’s definitely not going to happen.”
“Cause once you ban ’em, now they’re going to become a collectors item and you’re going to have people underground and they were $2,000. … I’ll give you $9,000 for that gun. So, you know, we just need to keep our eyes open,” he told host Rita Cosby.
Rather than banning firearms, O’Neal believes that to keep schools safe, more police officers are needed.
“The government should give law enforcement more money,” he said.
“Give more money, you recruit more people, and the guys that are not ready to go on the streets, you put them in front of the schools. You put ’em in front of the schools, you put ’em behind the schools, you put ’em inside the schools and we need to pass information.”
O’Neal recognized that it’s important for police to protect all schools — public and private — including those in the inner cities.
The Parkland shooting, which claimed the lives of 17 people, is particularly close to O’Neal’s heart, especially as he currently resides in Florida.
“You know it was a very, very sad incident. Close to my heart. I actually live in Fort Lauderdale,” he said. “I actually knew the sheriff, called him and told him he did a wonderful job.”
“I grew up on a military base and there was always military police in front of the school, behind the school,” O’Neal added. “We didn’t have a lot of 3 p.m. fights.”
Though he doesn’t think banning guns in the answer, O’Neal does support the March for Our Lives rallies, which are being organized by Parkland survivors. In addition to a main rally in Washington, D.C. later this month there will be a local demonstration in Miami.
“I’m glad the people, the children are going to march on the 24th. I wish I could join ’em, but you know, hopefully it sends a message to the powers that be. Cause we have to stop this,” he said.
And despite the fact he doesn’t want to ban guns, O’Neal indicated that “tougher” background checks might help keep schools safe.
“I would like to see tougher background checks. If you can’t protect our children in school, where are they safe?” he said.
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