Page 22 - American Rifleman (February 2020)

$5 million? Not even close. He spent “They get a paycheck . . . with your law for four decades because of
tens of millions on soda-tax campaigns paycheck comes some restrictions and the danger it poses to our Second
across the nation, and he pledged $500 responsibilities.” Amendment rights. And, he wants the
million towards his effort to shut down As a husband and father, this registry because he knows it will pave
every coal-fired power plant in the insight into Bloomberg’s true character the way for firearm confiscation.
country. Bloomberg has promised to was more valuable than any airtime He knows that because he already
spend “whatever it takes” from his $55 Bloomberg ever purchased. I knew has experience using a firearm registry
billion personal fortune to control you that Bloomberg was an elitist coward to confiscate firearms. As mayor of
from our nation’s capital. who wanted to destroy the Second New York City, Bloomberg signed
For Bloomberg, pumping millions— Amendment, but Bloomberg’s an ordinance that made it illegal for
and potentially billions—of dollars into blatant, unrepentant trampling of anyone to possess a rifle or shotgun
his campaign to convince American the First Amendment surprised even that held more than five rounds.
families of his own greatness is merely me. Let this be another reminder of Then, he used the Big Apple’s existing
pocket change. how entwined our civil liberties are; registry to confiscate the banned
Putting aside the acreage of ego weakening one link weakens them all. firearms from his own constituents.
that Bloomberg’s effort must require, While he has no qualifications to be
watching this unfold made me wonder: BLOOMBERG HAS ALSO our commander in chief, his record
If Bloomberg is really so “great,” certainly proves he has the experience
and has such a long track record of WASTED LITTLE TIME to be confiscator in chief.
“awesomeness,” why does he need IN ANNOUNCING HOW There’s also the inconvenient truth
to spend a massive fortune now to that Bloomberg leaves out of all of
convince people of it? Wouldn’t all of HE WILL RESTRICT OUR his proposals: nothing dreamed up
the good people he supposedly helped SECOND AMENDMENT in his penthouse would have actually
already know about his supposed stopped the crimes he pretends to care
goodness and support him? RIGHTS IF HE WINS THE about. For someone who claims to be
As we know, Bloomberg spends so bright, Bloomberg always misses
money to conceal the bad in order to WHITE HOUSE. the most basic point: When you limit
lie about the good. Consider this fact, peoples’ ability to defend themselves,
Bloomberg’s “straight news” media Fortified by a fawning press, deep you make them less safe, not safer.
apparatus just announced that it will pockets and desperate followers, I will say this, Bloomberg is a master
not be writing any investigative news Bloomberg and his armed bodyguards deflector. Regardless of the topic—
pieces on Bloomberg, his family or his are already flying around in luxury to his buying elections, suppressing the
businesses. But wait, there’s more—to lecture voters against their gun rights. speech of his supposed “news” outlet,
ensure the uneven playing field on When he popped into Norfolk, Va., to the harassment claims of his female
which he relies, Bloomberg’s media meet all of the flunkies he funded into employees, etc.—Bloomberg always
outlets have agreed to extend their office by buying the Virginia elections pivots to another topic from which he
selective censorship to Bloomberg’s last year, Bloomberg didn’t even know can more comfortably peddle some
fellow Democrats, while retaining what city he was in. Poor guy—it must billionaire-level virtue signaling. He does
an “open season” against President be hard when the “help” doesn’t remind that a lot with us. Whenever a bad guy
Trump, conservatives and Republicans. you where your private jet just landed. with a gun is stopped by a good guy
For years, the NRA has warned Bloomberg also wasted little time with a gun, Bloomberg and his cronies
America’s families about the threat in announcing how he will restrict our can be counted on to deflect attention
of such oppression and coordination. Second Amendment rights if he wins away from the criminal in order to
As Bloomberg’s shenanigans have the White House. falsely portray the NRA’s membership
revealed, that threat is very real. After hearing them repeated this as the problem. Apparently, truth and
Here, Democrats and Republicans month, I can tell you this, Bloomberg’s leadership are among the few luxuries
should agree. Bloomberg’s eagerness proposals haven’t gotten less crazy that Bloomberg can’t afford.
to suppress freedom should be with time. He wants to ban the Why is this? What is it about your
disqualifying for reasonable people on most popular rifle in America and gun rights that so offends Michael
both sides of the political aisle. The the magazines that many millions of Bloomberg? After all, he’s not really
fact that Bloomberg’s first decision as a law-abiding Americans use to defend “anti-gun;” he and his wealthy friends
candidate for president was to muzzle themselves and their families. He wants are surrounded by armed bodyguards.
the press should give any freedom- to impose arbitrary age limits that The only guns he’s against are the ones
loving American pause. If candidate would prohibit a young woman under possessed by you and your family for
Bloomberg was so willing to restrict 21 from buying a firearm to protect their protection. Personally, I suspect
press freedom on day one, how far will her family, even while her spouse is he hates our freedom because it’s the
President Bloomberg be willing to go away on deployment or patrolling the one thing that, so far, he’s been unable
in his war on our civil rights? streets in uniform. He wants to create a to buy. This is the year we’ll find out.
When questioned in a CBS interview “central system” for all firearm records. Want to know more about
about his decision to curtail who and In other words, he wants a federal Bloomberg’s history of attacking our
what his personal news outlet could firearm registry, something that has Second Amendment freedoms? Learn
cover, Bloomberg’s answer was simple: been expressly prohibited by federal more at meetbloomberg.com.
20 FEBRUARY 2020 AMERICAN RIFLEMAN