Throwing Good Money After Bad Laws

by
posted on June 14, 2016
8_aff_feature_mainebloomberg.jpg
Spencer Platt/GettyImages

We’ve chronicled on the A1F Daily website before how so-called “universal” background checks—the cause-of-the-day for American gun-ban advocates—won’t deter violent crime or mass shootings, only make it harder for the law-abiding to practice their Second Amendment rights.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped freedom-hating billionaires like former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg from spending millions and millions of dollars to push such initiatives. That’s just what Bloomberg’s astroturf groups have recently done in Maine, funneling more than $3 million into a background check initiative to be on the ballot in November in the Pine Tree State.

Since last fall, Everytown for Gun Safety has contributed more than $3 million to its affiliated group Maine Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense and the newly formed Mainers for Responsible Gun Ownership. The fund also has provided roughly $500,000 in in-kind contributions, including providing consultant services.

Despite the rhetoric, this radically misguided ballot initiative will not reduce crime. It would, according to NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, criminalize virtually all currently legal private transfers.

Despite the rhetoric, this radically misguided ballot initiative will not reduce crime.As seen in Oregon and Washington, this initiative is just another attempt by Bloomberg and other elitists to push their big city style gun control on law-abiding gun owners in Maine. 

Currently, it is illegal to knowingly sell a firearm to someone who is a prohibited person. Likewise, it is a felony for a prohibited person to buy, own or possess a firearm. However, this initiative seeks to make drastic and unnecessary changes to current laws that will place excessive restrictions on law-abiding citizens rather than addressing the true problems associated with straw purchases and the lack of enforcement of current laws.

In fact, the initiative would do nothing to prevent criminals from breaking the law and getting their hands on firearms. Criminals will continue to use the black market, straw purchasers and theft in order to obtain firearms. 

This initiative would only turn law-abiding gun owners into criminals. Simply loaning a firearm to a friend could turn a law-abiding gun owner into a criminal overnight.

Even the Justice Department admitted in a 2013 report that laws like this would be entirely unenforceable without requiring full gun registration. And with limited safety resources, this deeply flawed initiative would also place an excessive burden on law enforcement.

USE YOUR POWER!

Maine’s law-abiding gun owners cannot let Michael Bloomberg and his out-of-touch bank account control their state and its freedoms! Register to vote and vote against this ballot initiative on Election Day. Also, make sure your friends and family members understand the issue and get to the polls and vote against this misguided attempt to crush freedom.

Latest

Dallas convention floor
Dallas convention floor

Freedom On Display In Dallas

Headlined by President Donald J. Trump’s address, tens of thousands of NRA members gathered earlier this year in Dallas in support of the Second Amendment and your NRA.

Trump Thrills Crowd In Dallas

In what has seemingly become an annual tradition, former President Donald Trump addressed NRA members at this year’s NRA Leadership Forum at the 2024 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Dallas.

NRA Challenges ATF’s Latest Scheme

The NRA argues that the ATF violated the federal Administrative Procedures Act, along with the Second and Fifth Amendments.

The NRA Endorses Trump

Trump’s pro-freedom record speaks for itself and the importance of this endorsement cannot be overstated.

Gun Controllers Line Up Behind Harris

Now that Joe Biden has bowed out of the 2024 election, gun-control groups are rapidly throwing their support behind Kamala Harris.

From the Editor | When the Media Denies Reality

This little scene witnessed in the West Wing showed a deep elitist bias that too much of the mainstream media has for our Second Amendment freedom.



Get the best of America's 1st Freedom delivered to your inbox.