Retired Gen. McChrystal To MSNBC: ‘Serious Action Is Necessary’ On Gun Control

Retired General Stanley McChrystal expressed a desire for stricter gun control laws this morning on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

In light of NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg‘s upcoming appearance on her program, co-host Mika Brzezinski asked McChrystal for his thoughts on so-called “assault weapons.”

“I spent a career carrying typically either a M16, and later a M4 carbine,” the retired general explained. “An M4 carbine fires a .223 caliber round, which is 5.56 millimeters, at about 3,000 feet per second. When it hits a human body, the effects are devastating. It’s designed to do that. That’s what our soldiers ought to carry.”

McChrystal retired in 2010 after a Rolling Stone profile quoted him and his staff mocking civilian government officials like Vice President Joe Biden. Prior to his resignation, he was the general of U.S. forces in Afghanistan; and before that he was Director of the Joint Staff.

However, echoing a sentiment held by many gun control advocates, McChrystal then said, “I personally don’t think

there’s any need for that kind of weaponry on the streets and particularly around the schools in America. I believe that we’ve got to take a serious look. I understand everybody’s desire to have whatever they want, but we have to protect our children and our police, and we have to protect our population. And I think we have to take a very mature look at that.”

Pressed for further thoughts, McChrystal added that, on gun control, “I think serious action is necessary. Sometimes we talk about very limited actions on the edges, and I just don’t think that’s enough.”

Co-host Willie Geist then asked if McChrystal had a “message” for the National Rifle Association and the legislators who would oversee any new laws.

The four-star general’s response: “I think we have to look at the situation in America. The number of people killed by firearms is extraordinary compared to other nations. I don’t think we’re a bloodthirsty culture, and we need to look at everything we can do to safeguard our people.”

Watch below, via MSNBC:

[h/t HuffPost]