During the second presidential debate on Tuesday night, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said the United States needed to “change the culture of violence we have” by promoting marriage.

The GOP candidate said he didn’t support any new legislation to restrict access to guns. Romney agreed with President Barack Obama that increased education could help prevent gun violence. But he said two parent families could prevent gun violence as well.

“We need moms and dads helping raise kids wherever possible,” Romney explained. “The benefit of having two parents in the home — and that is not always possible, lot of great single moms, single dads. But gosh, to tell our kids that before they have babies they ought to think about getting married to someone, that’s a great idea. Because if there is a two parent family, the prospect of living in poverty goes down dramatically. The opportunities that the child will be able to achieve increase dramatically. So we can make changes in the way our culture works to bring people away from violence and give them opportunities and bring them into the American system.”

Romney’s answer to gun violence is similar to an answer given by his running mate Paul Ryan earlier this month.

“If you take a look at the gun laws we have, I don’t even think President Obama is proposing more gun laws,” Ryan told ABC12 in Michigan. “We have good strong gun laws… the best thing to help prevent violent crime in the inner cities is to bring opportunity to the inner cities, is to help people get out of poverty in the inner cities, is to help teach people good discipline, good character — that is civil society. That is what charities and civic groups and churches do to help one another make sure they can realize the value in one another.”

Raw Story (http://s.tt/1qg75)