Bloomberg Banking on the ‘Stupidity’ of Gun Owners

Bloomberg Banking on the ‘Stupidity’ of Gun Owners

By Wayne LaPierre | Sunday, February 1, 2015

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20150201/bloomberg-banking-on-the-stupidity-of-gun-owners

Remember the firestorm that erupted last year when Obama administration consultant and MIT economics professor Jonathan Gruber revealed the deception at the heart of the White House’s strategy to pass Obamacare? According to Gruber:

“Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage. And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical for the thing to pass. … Look, I wish … we could make it all transparent, but I’d rather have this law than not.”

There you have it. The end justifies the means, no matter if it takes outright lies or sleight of hand to “have this law.”

Poll after poll showed that Americans were satisfied with their health care plans. The only way President Obama and his cohorts could sell Obamacare was to conceal the law’s true ramifications and convince those who were already content with their health insurance that they wouldn’t be affected.

You remember the lie: “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.”

Now, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the gun-ban crowd are hoping a “lack of transparency” combined with the “stupidity” of the American gun owner, will help them pass so-called ”universal background checks” in states around the nation.

Obama, Bloomberg, and the national gun-ban media frequently exploit tragedy, using fear and lies to sell their agenda to non-gun owners, especially when it comes to election season. This is their traditional playbook. They target folks who have very little understanding of the Second Amendment, and who have never been exposed to firearms or our hunting and shooting traditions, in their quest to raise money and win votes.

As gun ownership continues to grow in popularity, however, the anti-gunners have increasingly turned to trying to sway actual gun owners to advance their anti-freedom, anti-civil rights agenda.

Sounds incredible, doesn’t it? What gun owners would support policies that are blatantly designed to strip them of their constitutional freedom?

To put it bluntly: gullible gun owners. Uninformed folks who believe Obama and Bloomberg when they say that law-abiding gun owners have nothing to fear with a universal background checks system because it’s only aimed at preventing “gun violence.”

These are outright lies. You know it and I know it. Simply put, violent criminals break the law—any law—every day with impunity.

It’s already a federal crime to engage in the business of selling firearms or ammunition without a federal firearm license. It’s already a crime for licensed firearm dealers to sell a gun at retail without conducting a National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) check on the purchaser. And, of course, federal law also prohibits felons, those adjudicated mentally ill, drug users and others from purchasing a firearm.

We don’t have to guess how hardened criminals will get their guns if universal background checks are passed, because we already know how they get them now: through theft, black market purchases, criminal associates, and straw purchasers. Background checks cannot and do not stop any of these things.

The plain truth is that universal background checks are designed to put the government squarely in the middle of virtually every firearm transaction that takes place between law-abiding adults. Such proposals seek to criminalize lawful, everyday transfers of firearms just because they happen without a government bureaucrat first rendering his approval and documenting the event. They put nearly every transaction under the thumb of the government.

So if you wanted to lend a shotgun or rifle to your hunting buddy for the weekend, or hand down a cherished family heirloom to a cousin, or even if you wanted to lend a firearm to a loved one in danger, you would be forced to get permission from the government, or face criminal charges. Under the measure recently passed in Washington State, participants in the classroom portion of a gun safety class can’t even hand unloaded firearms to each other. How does that prevent gun violence?

Worst of all, the only way universal background checks can be enforced is through mandatory gun registration. In fact, Obama’s own Justice Department reported that a viable background check system for private sales “depends” on “requiring gun registration.”

You read that right. The whole scheme is a Trojan horse for mandatory gun registration. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the only way to fully enforce universal background checks is to force all law-abiding gun owners to document and register their firearms in a government database. Think about it. How else are they supposed to know when the background check requirement has been triggered, unless they can match every firearm to a documented gun owner.

That’s why Bloomberg and his billionaire buddies spent millions upon millions of dollars to pass Initiative 594 in the state of Washington last November. At its core, I-594 is nothing more Obama’s backdoor gun registration scheme that NRA members like you fought so hard to defeat just two years ago in the U.S. Senate.

It’s also why Bloomberg announced a major offensive to pass this scheme state-by-state, with Nevada the next target, until universal background checks and mandatory gun registration become an inescapable reality for all Americans.

It’s a nightmare for every law-abiding gun owner and should serve as a wake-up call for every one of us to say “never in my state.”

As an NRA member, I know that you’re well-informed and won’t be duped.

But gun owners who are not NRA members don’t read our magazines, nor do they receive our legislative alerts and e-mails, leaving them vulnerable to falling for Bloomberg’s and Obama’s lies.

You and I must expose the truth about universal background checks to every gun owner we know to make certain that a “lack of transparency” and “stupidity” don’t end up costing us our freedom!

Obama administration

Michael S. Barr was the assistant Treasury secretary for the Barack Obama administration, and is a fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Note: Ronald W. Bloom was an assistant to the president for the Barack Obama administration, and is a fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Carol M. Browner was the energy czar for the Barack Obama administration, and is a director, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

William A. Burton was a deputy press secretary for the Barack Obama administration, and is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Tom Daschle was the nominee for health and human services secretary for the Barack Obama administration, is the chairman for the Center for American Progress, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Ezekiel Emanuel was the health care policy adviser for the Barack Obama administration, and is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Jocelyn C. Frye was the policy & projects director to Michelle Obama for the Barack Obama administration, and is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Austan D. Goolsbee was a director, Economic Recovery Board, council of economic adviser’s chairman for the Barack Obama administration, and is a distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Peter Ogden was a director for climate change & environmental policy, National Security staff for the Barack Obama administration, and is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

John D. Podesta was a counselor for the Barack Obama administration, and is the founder of the Center for American Progress.

Lawrence H. Summers was the National Economic Council chairman for the Barack Obama administration, is a distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and a 2008 Bilderberg conference participant (think tank).

Peter Swire was a special assistant to the president for the Barack Obama administration, and is a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Melody C. Barnes was a domestic policy council, director for the Barack Obama administration, the EVP for the Center for American Progress, and is Barack Obama’s golf partner.

Cassandra Q. Butts was a deputy White House counsel for the Barack Obama administration, and the SVP for the Center for American Progress.

Philip J. Crowley was an assistant secretary of state for the Barack Obama administration, and a director of homeland security at the Center for American Progress.

Derek Douglas was a special assistant for urban affairs for the Barack Obama administration, and an associate director of economic policy at the Center for American Progress.

Bradley J. Kiley was a director of management and administration for the Barack Obama administration, and a VP at the Center for American Progress.

Jeanne Lambrew is the deputy assistant to the president for health policy for the Barack Obama administration, was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and a director at the HHS Office of Health Reform.

Denis McDonough is the chief of staff; former deputy national security adviser for the Barack Obama administration, and was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Jennifer M. Palmieri was a communications director, assistant to the president for the Barack Obama administration, and an SVP at the Center for American Progress.

Dan Restrepo was a special assistant to the president for the Barack Obama administration, and a senior fellow; former Americas Project director at the Center for American Progress.

Gene B. Sperling was an assistant to the president for economic policy for the Barack Obama administration, and a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Richard R. Verma was an assistant secretary of state for the Barack Obama administration, and a fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Barack Obama administration pledges to improved “Gun safety, Gun Control” for guns.

Center for American Progress calls for the heightened Gun safety, Gun Control” for guns.

Morton H. Halperin was a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and is a senior adviser for the Open Society Foundations.

Open Society Foundations was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the American Constitution Society, and the Human Rights First.

George Soros is the founder & chairman for the Open Society Foundations, was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a supporter for the Center for American Progress, a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, and William D. Zabel was his divorce lawyer.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Center for American Progress, the Harlem Children's Zone, the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, and the Human Rights First.

John J. Mack was a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, and is an advisory board member for Everytown for Gun Safety.

Michael R. Bloomberg was a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, the New York (NY) mayor, a contributor for the Americans for Responsible Solutions, is the founder of Everytown for Gun Safety, and a co-chair for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Americans for Responsible Solutions is a Gun safety, Gun Control” PAC for guns.

Everytown for Gun Safety is a Gun safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a Gun safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

Raben Group is the lobby firm for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.

Eric H. Holder Jr. was an intern at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, a board member for the American Constitution Society, and the attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice for the Barack Obama administration.

Robert Raben was a director at the American Constitution Society, an assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice, and is the president of the Raben Group.

Raben Group is the lobby firm for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.

Melody C. Barnes was a principal at the Raben Group, a domestic policy council, director for the Barack Obama administration, an EVP for the Center for American Progress, and is Barack Obama’s golf partner.

Barack Obama administration pledges to improved “Gun safety, Gun Control” for guns.

Center for American Progress calls for the heightened Gun safety, Gun Control” for guns.

Barack Obama is Melody C. Barnes’s golf partner, and was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP.

Faith Elizabeth Gay was an attorney at Sidley Austin LLP, is a board of adviser’s member for the American Constitution Society, and a trustee at the Public Theater.

Stephen A. Feinberg is a trustee at the Public Theater, and Martin Feinberg’s son.

Martin Feinberg is Stephen A. Feinberg’s father, and a Newtown (CT) resident.

Newtown (CT) is the location of the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a mass shootings where 28 were killed including the gunman.

2012 Aurora (CO) theater shootings was a mass shootings where 12 were killed & 58 injured.

Kenneth R. Feinberg was an administrator of victim payments for the 2012 Aurora (CO) theater shootings, and is a director at the Human Rights First.

Mark A. Angelson was a director at the Human Rights First, and a partner at Sidley Austin LLP.

Barack Obama was an intern at Sidley Austin LLP, and is Melody C. Barnes’s golf partner.

James D. Zirin is a partner at Sidley Austin LLP, and was a director at the Human Rights First.

William D. Zabel is the chair for Human Rights First, was a trustee at the Foundation to Promote Open Society, and George Soros’s divorce lawyer.

Foundation to Promote Open Society was a funder for the Human Rights First, the Harlem Children's Zone, the Center for American Progress, and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.

George Soros was the chairman for the Foundation to Promote Open Society, a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, a supporter for the Center for American Progress, and William D. Zabel was his divorce lawyer.

Michael R. Bloomberg was a benefactor for the Harlem Children's Zone, the New York (NY) mayor, a contributor for the Americans for Responsible Solutions, is the founder of Everytown for Gun Safety, and a co-chair for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Americans for Responsible Solutions is a Gun safety, Gun Control” PAC for guns.

Everytown for Gun Safety is a Gun safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a Gun safety, Gun Control” group for guns.

Raben Group is the lobby firm for the Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund.

Eric H. Holder Jr. was an intern at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, a board member for the American Constitution Society, and the attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice for the Barack Obama administration.