Why this Georgia candidate for governor is giving away a bump stock

Thanks to Georgia’s State Sen. Michael Williams, Republican candidate for governor, one American will soon be the proud owner of a brand new bump stock, just like the one the Las Vegas gunman used to make his semi-automatic weapon even more deadly.

Williams is raffling off one the devices on his Facebook page to “take a stand against the leaders of the liberal progressive left who are trying to take away our second amendment rights.”

Bump stocks have become the focal point in the renewed gun control debate ever since authorities revealed that Stephen Paddock, 64, was equipped with nearly 12 of the devices when he sprayed a crowd of festival-goers with bullets, killing nearly 60 and wounding more than 500.

Reached by VICE News on Tuesday, Williams explained why he feels so strongly that bump stocks should remain widely available to American consumers.

It’s worth noting that Williams doesn’t actually own a bump stock himself, but he thinks it’d be pretty cool if he did.

“It’s a novelty,” Williams said. “It’s something you can put on your gun and then shoot it really fast.”

Bump stocks allow users to fire their semi-automatic rifles as if they were fully automatic, firing bursts of bullets with one pull of the trigger. Critics of the devices say that they serve the sole purpose of being able to kill as many people as possible.

Williams is worried that the “conversation about bump stocks will be a slippery slope that leads to more gun control.” But he’s not worried about whether or not the bump stock he is raffling off will be used responsibly.

“We live in a free country,” Williams said. “We need to be held accountable for our own actions. “

Williams supports background checks for firearms, but not for bump stocks, adding that there was no difference between raffling off one of the devices and raffling off a car. “More people die in car accidents than gun violence,” said Williams. “Is it irresponsible to give away a car?

Williams is no stranger to controversy. In June, he spoke at a “March Against Sharia” rally in Atlanta, organized by members of an anti-government militia. He spokesperson later told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he participated in the event because its hosts were very pro-gun.

Williams was also the first elected official in Georgia to endorse Trump’s presidential candidacy.