Rosie on the Defense

By Stephen M. Silverman

09/08/1998 at 12:00 AM EDT

Rosie O'Donnell is still up in arms -- against the National Rifle Association. "I felt called to action as a result of Columbine," the TV talk show queen tells PEOPLE in this week's cover story. Although her call for gun control has prompted controversy since news broke out that her son Parker's bodyguard applied for a gun license in preparation of escorting the 5-year-old to school in the fall, O'Donnell is not budging from her stance. "When I do a pediatric AIDS event," she tells PEOPLE, "it's all, 'Isn't that nice, helping kids.' You know, more kids die from gunshots than from pediatric AIDS. But if you stand up for gun safety . . . you are considered to be un-American!" Her fans support Rosie, who, according to actress Susan Sarandon, "knows what she's talking about. People listen to her."