This feature appears in the April ‘15 issue of NRA America’s 1st Freedom, one of the official journals of the National Rifle Association.
As the 13th-richest man on the planet, with $33 billion at his command, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has gathered a cadre of fellow billionaires to bankroll his new personal, systematic, long-term war on Americans who cherish their Second Amendment-protected rights.
Lest any of your friends have doubts about the true purpose of Bloomberg’s mega-million-dollar push to force “universal” background checks on law-abiding gun owners, The New York Times spells it out succinctly in a single sentence:
“Gun control advocates believe that ensuring background checks for the majority of gun buyers is the foundation of all other existing laws.” (Emphasis added.)
In the fight to protect our freedom, words matter. “Foundation.” They finally said it. None of the rest of their schemes will work without that foundation. They can’t confiscate guns unless they know who has them.
Beginning with his multi-million dollar, multi-state campaign to enact their so-called “universal” background checks, Bloomberg’s scheme would ultimately create central registration databases on all firearm owners. That is its intent. It criminalizes virtually all now-legal private commerce in firearms—including transfers among family members and friends—unless approved by government officials, destroying the uniquely American tradition of private commerce that has been the foundation of liberty since our nation was first settled.
Bloomberg’s grand strategy is based on a state-at-a-time domino war that was kicked off last November in Washington state.
Joined by fellow billionaire mega-donors, Bloomberg last year spent millions, directly and indirectly, to pass a ballot measure there that has nothing to do with violent criminals; rather, it creates a whole new class of criminals—honest gun owners. In that ballot initiative—under the rubric of “universal” background checks—the billionaires funded a massive big-lie media blitz that has created a nightmare for gun owners where virtually any transfer of a firearm requires government approval.
It has absolutely nothing to do with violent crime and everything to do with government control over individual citizens’ rights and freedom.
Keep in mind that literally anything violent criminals do with guns—touch, possess, receive, transport, buy, sell, alter, use in a crime—is already covered by tough federal penalties, including the death penalty for some fatal crimes.
You can’t make what bad guys do with guns any more illegal.
But the Bloomberg crowd would make illegal what you and I—good people—do with our lawfully owned firearms.
As mayor, Bloomberg consistently lied about federal laws against criminal gun trafficking and possession, and all the while he refused to demand prosecutions under those laws. Had he done so, thousands of New York’s most dangerous criminals could have been taken off the street. And had he done so, the lives of many innocents could have been saved.
But for Bloomberg, preserving the lie of gun control was more important than protecting New Yorkers by removing criminals from their midst.
Bloomberg hides the truth about federal law covering criminals and guns because it would trump his nightmare plan for honest people and guns—a plan that now amounts to a war of dominoes—destroying our liberty one state at a time.
A Jan. 2, 2015, puff piece in The New York Times celebrates his roadmap:
“The gun control movement, blocked in Congress and facing mounting losses in federal elections, is tweaking its name, refining its goals … to take the fight to voters on the state level.”
The Times gushed, “groups that promote gun regulations have turned away from Washington, (D.C.), and the political races that have been largely futile. Instead, they are turning their attention—and their growing wallets—to other states that allow ballot measures.”
Growing wallets? Just look at who bought and paid for the future misery for Washington state gun owners. Billionaires. According to official accounting, Bloomberg and associated entities ponied up more than $3.5 million; Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, gave another $1 million; Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife gave more than $1 million; Microsoft co-founder and Seattle Seahawks owner Paul Allen dropped $500,000; and Seattle billionaire and Amazon investor, Nick Hanauer, threw in $1.5 million. All were hailed by the media and applauded for shaping “public policy.”
Now, Bloomberg has set his sights on attacking gun-owner rights in 12 other states, beginning with Nevada, and reportedly including Maine, Arizona and Oregon.
Try these headlines:
From the Las Vegas Sun: “Former Facebook president donates to Nevada gun-control ballot measure” ($250,000 for starters);
Or this from USA Today: “Casino billionaire joins Nevada gun-control push” about Wynn Resorts co-founder Elaine Wynn, who chairs Nevadans for Background Checks.
What these billionaires are doing is seeding a cancer on our liberty. The gun-ban crowd always calls their victories “a first step.” But this is something profoundly different. It is a strategic shift using billionaires’ dollars along with a biased media to deceive voters and bypass the legislative process. It’s their new frontier.
For those among us who might think they are safe because Bloomberg’s threat has not reached their state, always understand: his ultimate goal is to liquidate our civil rights wherever we live using every tool at his disposal.
It’s a state-by-state war of attrition. Propelled by an adoring media (see ILA Report), Bloomberg will use his vast fortune to bankroll a media blitz to saturate the airwaves with lies, place paid staff on the ground and form front groups to “take matters into their own hands.”
There is only one way to counter the deep pockets of the new gun ban oligarchy—people power, the power of individual Americans who understand that this is a fundamental assault on our liberty.
NRA members have proven how powerful individual Americans can be when united by a common goal and armed with the truth. We must intensify that power by increasing our ranks. If each member signs up one to two like-minded friends, we will win and prove that the money men can’t steal our freedom.
