Mike Bloomberg is coming out swinging against the checked firearms rule on Amtrak, a rule that not even the Brady Campaign opposes. It would appear that Mayor Bloomberg is setting himself up to be the most extreme anti-gun leader in the gun control movement.
For those who live in cities represented by a Mayor Against Guns, this is a great argument to use in order to convince them to leave Bloomberg’s group. Even if the mayor does support some gun control, there’s a very good chance that they would not want to run to the left of the major gun control advocacy group. Between Bloomberg’s radical positions and his refusal to seek permission before signing mayors up for MAIG or putting their names on letters to Congress and in advertisements, there exists a huge political liability.
I seriously suspect the man is delusional on this issue.
Assuming he actually made these statements …
“This has nothing to do with the right to bear arms, and everything to do with keeping our country safe from terrorists,”
and
“The legislation allowing guns on Amtrak was passed because of ideological politics – not public safety.”
First, via the second statement, he is ignoring the fact that the people have a substantive (if not fundamental) right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation. Certainly we have the right to check them in our luggage should we chose to travel by train. Second, he is flatly denying that a flat-out prohibition on the transport of lawfully owned arms violates the constitution.
Indeed … if he’s going to get more extreme than even the Bradys et al., he has chosen the quick road to his political and public oblivion.
They don’t even pay attention to what they say, they admit that there is no current security measures in place to review passengers, and luggage, for anything, let along guns, and yet they don’t want to put security measures in place.
How can they be concerned with passenger safety?
“This has nothing to fo with the right to bear arms’ and everything to do with X” seems to be the gem that the MAIG media consultant produced. I think that mantra was rolled out during the fight against the interstate CCW law. Expect to see more of it.
K-Romulus, I agree. And it’s pretty good when that’s the best they’ve got.