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Subscribe to RSSPublished at 4:40 p.m. ET: Chris Rock, Tony Bennett, Adam Scott and Amanda Peet joined survivors of gun violence to support President Barack Obama's call for new gun-control laws at a press conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
Paul J. Richards / AFP - Getty Images
Tony Bennett spoke during a press conference by Mayors Against Illegal Guns on Wednesday in Washington, DC, as representative Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Chris Rock, Rev Timothy A. Boggs (right) and Amanda Peet look on.
"I am just here to support the President of the United States," Rock said. "The President of the United States is ... our boss. ... The president and the first lady are kind of like the mom and the dad of the country, and when your dad says something, you listen! And when you don't, it usually bites you in the ass later on."
The event was led Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group of more 800 mayors from across the country who are working together to to help law enforcement target illegal firearms. The event was part of the group's campaign Demand a Plan, which presses elected officials for action to protect citizens' right to safety and security.
Singer Tony Bennett and Adam Scott of "Parks and Recreation" both referenced the Newton, Conn., tragedy when they spoke at the event aimed to urge Congress to take action.
"I still haven't gotten over Connecticut," the 86-year-old crooner said. "I'd like the assault weapons to go to war, not on our own country, and I'd like assault weapons eliminated."
Actor Scott said that as a father, he was "horrified and frightened" by what happened at Newtown. "Along with thousands of other Americans that day, I felt helpless," he said. "These shootings are rapidly becoming part of our culture, something you almost anticipate hearing about when you turn on your television or your computer. But this one, it was clear to me ... that if we as a people don't act after Sandy Hook, then what's next? ... We're asking Congress to follow the president's lead and act responsibly."
On Saturday, Jim Carrey shared his thoughts on the issue via Twitter. "Any1 who would run out to buy an assault rifle after the Newtown massacre has very little left in their body or soul worth protecting," he wrote. After Fox News criticized the actor, he wrote Tuesday, "Yes, i agree with the ppl who argue that cars can be as deadly as guns but a car is a lot harder to get through the door of a classroom."
But not all celebrities share the pro gun-control view.
Bruce Willis, who reprises his role as John McClane in the upcoming "A Good Day to Die Hard" (aka "Die Hard 5"), said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that he opposes new legislation that might step on Second Amendment rights.
"I think that you can't start to pick apart anything out of the Bill of Rights without thinking that it's all going to become undone," he told the AP. "If you take one out or change one law, then why wouldn't they take all your rights away from you?"
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