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NRA Not Fond Of "Arrogant Bastard" Bloomberg, "The Epitome Of The Nanny State"
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 14, 2012
Modified Apr 14, 2012
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 14, 2012
Modified Apr 14, 2012
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Mayor Bloomberg has made no secret of his lust for stricter gun-control laws—recently in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting, he's come out strongly against the Florida "Stand Your Ground" law, in speeches, editorials and statements: "The NRA’s leaders weren’t interested in public safety. They were interested in promoting a culture where people take the law into their own hands with a gun and face no consequences for it.” Members of the NRA attending their annual conference weren't happy: “Outlawing gun ownership or preventing people from defending themselves isn’t going to solve any problems,” said Tom Seeba, an NRA member from Reno, Nev. “And I think Mayor Bloomberg is an arrogant bastard to try to implement such a strategy.”
Seeba told the News, “I think Mayor Bloomberg is the epitome of the nanny state, of the elite executives that want to control everything and control people’s lives." Missouri State Sen. Brian Munzlinger ripped Bloomberg as anti-American: “I truly don’t believe Bloomberg believes in our Constitution and I just don’t like want he’s been doing,” said Munzlinger. “I definitely wish he’d stay out of Missouri. I’m glad I’m from Missouri and not New York City.”
NYC-born Susan Houde-Walker, CEO of LaserMax, was slightly more measured in her judgments: “I grew up in and around New York City and I thought guns were for NYPD and bad guys,” she said. “It was only when I moved outside and got introduced to personal protection that I realized that it was not only quite all right, (gun ownership) was a great privilege and responsibility.”
The NRA was particularly riled up by Bloomberg's speech on Wednesday at the National Press Club in Washington, in which he announced a partnership with black leaders to reform or repeal stand-your-ground laws on the book in 25 states. "Now the fact is, all Americans already have a right to defend themselves with commensurate force, but these ‘Shoot First’ laws have nothing to do with that or with the exercise of Second Amendment rights," he said. "Instead, they justify civilian gunplay and invite vigilante justice and retribution with disastrous results."
Tagged
arrogant bastard
bloomberg
gun control
guns
mayor bloomberg
nanny state
NRA
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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