Graham Nash Slams NRA, Mitt Romney

Graham Nash took time out in a recent interview to slam the NRA, the tobacco industry, and the presumptive GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Nash, who's made no secret of his liberal beliefs over the years, was asked by The Associated Press what his thoughts were regarding the tragedy surrounding the July 20th movie theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. 

Nash explained, "My take on that is that in probably less than 100 years the National Rifle Association, and the gun lobby, and the pharmaceutical lobby, and the tobacco industry, and the liquor lobby, will all be seen as major criminals. Tobacco companies know that their cigarettes are killing people by the hundreds of thousands every year. They knew. They covered it up. That was that great whistle-blowing thing, you know? We know how many people die because of drink. Not because of drink -- of accidents and car accidents because people are impaired."

Nash went on to target the drug companies and the far reach he believes that have over Washington, D.C. politics and the nation's lawmakers: "We know that the pharmaceutical companies are ripping us off. We know all this. There's a tremendous amount of power that those financial companies have, and it will take a long time and a great deal of effort to bring it to the attention of people, but I still maintain that within 100 years they'll all be seen as major criminals."

When asked what he thought the answer was to tragedies like the on in Aurora, Nash added, "What was it Mitt Romney said? We don't need to change the gun laws because of Colorado, wow. If those were any of his kids it would be in the Constitution by now."

Graham Nash, who became an American citizen in 1978, told us that he never takes for granted the freedoms afforded him by being an American: "It's amazing to live in a country like this where at least I'm allowed to speak my mind. Some of the things that this band says, we could've gotten into deep trouble about had we not been in America. We couldn't have done this in other countries -- they wouldn't have allowed us. But at least we live -- and we are privileged to live -- in America, where we can speak our minds. Nobody has to agree, and in fact, nobody has to listen, but I have to speak my mind."