Actor Jim Carrey arrives at the world premiere of the feature film The Incredible Burt Wonderstone at the TCL Chinese Theatre on Monday, March 11, 2013 in Los Angeles.Dan Steinberg/The Canadian Press
Jim Carrey has spoken out again in favour of gun control, even as he says that critics have heaped hatred upon him and his family.
The 51-year-old comic actor, born and raised near Toronto, has written a new op-ed for the Huffington Post in which he urges further gun control measures and takes aim at critics who have attacked him for his position.
Carrey found controversy last week after issuing a Funny or Die video satirizing the gun lobby with an unflattering impression of late actor and former National Rifle Association president Charlton Heston.
In the clip, he trilled a song called Cold Dead Hand. Meanwhile, he posted combative messages about the gun lobby's resistance to regulation on Twitter.
In his op-ed, he argues that recent mass shootings should be "an invitation for us to become more civilized and deal with our addiction and entitlement to violence."
Carrey says he is not asking any Americans to surrender their right to bear arms, but is concerned about the "type of arms" and the "easy access" to the weapons.
"I disagree wholeheartedly with those who say that there are just too many guns out there to control and that more gun laws won't make a difference," he writes.
"Change must start someplace. I'm pretty sure that no worthwhile endeavor has ever been accomplished without a beginning and reducing gun violence in America is a worthwhile endeavor."
Carrey added he was "aghast" at the hatred that had been spewed toward him, his family and those who work with him, part of what he views as an effort to "brutally intimidate anyone who speaks of a compassionate compromise."
The loose-limbed funnyman went on to address threats he's apparently received about the "demise of [his] acting career and much worse."
"I say SO BE IT! How shallow do they think I am? I would trade my money, my fame, my reputation and legacy if there were the slightest chance of preventing the anguish of another Columbine, Virginia Tech, Aurora, or Sandy Hook Elementary School. I ask you, truly, what manner of human being would not?"
The star of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone added that many of his opponents have suggested he go back to Canada if he disagrees with American gun laws.
"I will gladly go back and visit Canada as I have many friends and loved ones there," he wrote. "I am so proud of that country and everything it's given to me, but I am also a naturalized American citizen and I have been bringing as much joy as I can to people in this country for 30 years.
"I care deeply about our future and I feel it's my duty as a citizen to do everything in my power to make this a better place."