Opinion By Larry Keane
USA – -(AmmoLand.com)- New York Billionaire Michael Bloomberg is attempting to claw his way up from the bottom of the 2020 Presidential polls by promising to pack the Supreme Court with “pro-gun control judges” if he were elected president.
In a Chicago Tribune op-ed, the anti-gun former NYC mayor described his fear that the Supreme Court would do the worst possible thing he could think of. He’s afraid the justices would dare to vote to uphold God-given rights enshrined in the Constitution and rule in favor of pro-Second Amendment voices in the case of New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. v. The City of New York. Bloomberg says that the law at the center of the case, which prevented New Yorkers from transporting their legally purchased firearms outside the home unless it was to one of seven gun ranges in the city, was an “unnecessary restriction” and that it was “rightly rescinded.”
While these words certainly ring true, anyone who is familiar with Bloomberg’s history of anti-gun actions and rhetoric should see these statements as a disingenuous attempt to sell himself as a moderate who wants only “commonsense gun reforms.” In reality, Bloomberg’s opinion on firearms, and on those who own them, represent the antithesis to the right to bear arms.
Radical Proposals
Before you even consider the ex-mayor’s policy stances one need only see that in a 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Bloomberg was quoted saying “If you want to have a gun in your house, I think you’re pretty stupid — particularly if you have kids — but I guess you have a right to do that.” The idea that someone who is running for president could be this ignorant about our constitutional rights and is also promising to appoint justices who reflect this line of thinking should truly be cause for concern for every single American.
Bloomberg’s op-ed concludes with him saying that “As president, I will appoint judges who understand that the Second Amendment allows for common sense limits on gun ownership.” Yet we all know that what he views as “common sense” is anything but. Bloomberg wants to ban the sale and production of modern sporting rifles even though he himself admits that these firearms are used in a statistically insignificant number of crimes. NSSF recently reported that more than 17.7 million modern sporting rifles are in private ownership today, clearly a commonly-owned firearm.
He also ferociously opposes national concealed carry reciprocity, which would ensure that an American’s right to protect him or herself doesn’t end at the state line. In fact, Bloomberg’s campaign against concealed carry reciprocity has been active for years through his gun control organization Everytown, which promised to spend up to $25 million in the 2018 election cycle to defeat elected officials who supported reciprocity.
Double Down
Of course, Bloomberg also supports a slew of other Second Amendment restrictions. Bloomberg gun control-wish list includes requiring every gun buyer be issued a Department of Justice-endorsed permit to exercise their constitutional right to bear arms, enacting a federal age-based gun ban for adults under 21, repealing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) that blocks baseless lawsuits intended to bankrupt the gun industry and banning the private transfer of firearms.
All of these positions surely disqualify Bloomberg from earning the vote of any Second Amendment supporter, but the idea that he wants to pack the Supreme Court with justices who see these concepts as “commonsense” represents a very real threat to our constitution. A candidate for president that already has shown a preference of reshaping the nation’s highest court with judges who seek not to use the law as a guide to decision making but rather to legislate from the bench is clearly no friend to any American, but especially to law-abiding gun owners.
About National Shooting Sports Foundation
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of more than 10,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations, and publishers. www.nssf.org
He is defined by every act that may define a tyrant… This guy thinks he is GOD. Stalin did what he is proposing, so did Mao, Pol Pot, Idi Amin. Madero and Hitler. Just the death toll in WW-2 was 140 MILLION. Hitler could not have started his murderous campaign with his countrymen being armed. Hitler… National Socialist. Mao… communist. Stalin…communist. Pol Pot…socialist. Idi Amin…socialist/dictator. Maduro.. .socialist. Bloomberg…socialist/dictator. King George… socialist. There seems to be a pattern here. People like these are really good reasons to be armed. What all of these people had in common is they peddled slavery… Read more »
124 million gun owners have the ability to determine nearly every election, but only if they VOTE. No excuses. Snow, rain, heat or gloom of night make no difference to the socialists who are busing democrat voters to the polls, giving them coffee and donuts along the way. Make no mistake about it…the welfare class is voting. Gun owners are not. You know how that ends.
B46 you’ve made a great and (sadly to say) continuing point. It’s amazing to see how complacent and arrogantly naive people are. Here in western PA I was a ‘house carrier’ for a local mill. Nearly all employees were shooters, hunters, and general outdoorsman. But when it came to voting they toe the line for the ‘straight-democrat union’ vote. When asked why they disregard the fact that their vote gives carte blanche for the anti-2A, anti-American, anti-Christian, Socialists they give the usual cookie cutter reply ” the Democrats support us ” . I’ve seen the same thing with self employed… Read more »
Shame on every gun owner who votes Democrat!
Shame on anyone voting Democrat. Unfortunately there are “gun” owners who believe only they should have firearms.
@JM – Shame on anyone mindlessly selecting the straight ticket option regardless of which party. 2018 was the first time I’ve ever used straight ticket option – partly from laziness, but mostly in opposition to Robert O’Rourke. Where I live, the primary is the real election – as all candidates from one particular party pretty much automatically win in the general election. Thus for me my primary vote is the most important.
Or get tired of the entire corrupt 10 sq miles of Bastards and Bitches, and seat true Americans into the respective slots.If we cannot live together(which is obvious to most by now.(We have two choices) IMO,a A Civil War(no one wants), or a group of Balkanized states, you stay in your shit holes (East and West Coast) we will continue to live peaceably in the ones like the Founders and God intended,
more sewage from the bloombag douchebag factory
Not just Bloomberg, the whole Democrat party and some GOP wants this garbage.
Bloomberg has his agenda. And we maintain the ability to revolt against oppressive and tyrannical governments. Sounds like a Revolution to me.
i don`t care what he wants, i will not comply
Good let the Midget Yankee SOB get elected we will ignore him and his laws, and if need be go to war.Since when do we allow a damned Yankee from NYC tell the rest of what’s left of Freedom loving Americans what to do what to eat when to crap, what straws you can use, how much salt you can eat,hell this little squirt thinks JUST LIKE HITLER LENIN,ans STALIN.
Exactly where in the 2nd Amendment does it say “common sense gun reforms” ? Would that be under SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED ? WTF