Decline of the Brady Campaign, rise of Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns, and the assault on the Second in Pennsylvania

by Doubleplusundead | November 15, 2009 3:56 pm

Believers in the Second Amendment have much to be happy about, even with having a strongly anti-2nd president in power, and a party in control of Congress that traditionally doesn’t respect the 2nd Amendment. Not only have pro-2nd activists generally held the line on rights, they’ve expanded them in some cases. Obviously we had the Heller decision come down in our favor, which was a huge win for all who believe in the Constitution and the natural rights the Constitution acknowledges.:  We’ve had a record setting rush of people buying up guns and ammunition over the past year that we’re only now beginning to come down from.

The Brady Campaign and other old guard anti-2nd groups like the Violence Policy Center and Brady front group the American Hunters and Shooters Association seem to be disorganized, demoralized and disoriented after the Heller decision and other recent losses.:  The Brady Campaign chose to file a brief for neither side[1] in McDonald vs. Chicago[2]. Which seems bizarre, you’d think they’d want to stop the incorparation of Heller, but it tells me that they think they’re going to lose, and they’re afraid to see another mark in their loss column. Which is great, I like to see anti-liberty people confused, angry and demoralized.

Unfortunately, the vacuum that the weakening and increasing irrelevance of the Brady Campaign has created is allowing a new anti-liberty operation to take Brady’s place.:  That would be the group created by America’s biggest Nanny Stater, Mike Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns[3] (MAIG). Bloomberg is no friend to liberty, and he’s been battling pro-2nd activists for years. MAIG and their members insist that they’re only going after illegal guns, but what they won’t tell you is that they want to widely broaden what defines and “illegal” gun.

Of note, they want to overturn the Tiarht Amendment (which would effectively create a registry), ban private sales and transfers, and to ban anyone on the federal terrorist watchlist from owning a firearm, which of course has no set criteria for how or why a name is added, and there’s not really a way to get oneself off that watchlist.:  They present themselves as a moderate group that just want to go after criminals in a tougher way, but the truth is that the policies they advocate are pretty much the same as that of the Brady Campaign[4].

So, at this point you’re wondering, what is this assault on the Second in Pennsylvania?:  If you follow gun politics in PA at all, you know that for decades, New York, New Jersey and Philly have been trying anything they can to undermine the fairly strong Second Amendment rights we enjoy in PA, and to flip the state into an anti-gun state. PA is a good pro-2nd state, we were an early adopter of shall-issue conceal carry licenses, and have a large number of people who hold those licenses compared to other states. PA and Texas are usually neck-and-neck for the state with the most issued hunting licenses (and I think we’re ahead right now!).

The anti-2nd coalition understands that turning PA anti-2nd would be an enormous victory for them, and if they can destroy gun rights in PA, they can do it anywhere. Much of MAIG’s efforts are now focused on turning PA into an anti-2nd state, and they’re quietly making progress, and many PA mayors, mostly clustered in and around Pittsburgh and Philly, to sign onto MAIG. If you look at the map here[5], you can see, MAIG has recruited many mayors in PA. MAIG is recruiting Brady Campaign[6] and other anti-2nd group lackeys for this recruitment effort, and it seems to be working, a large number of PA mayors have signed on to be part of MAIG.

Coinciding with this is the effort by certain mayors in PA to undermine PA state gun law.:  In PA, state firearms laws supercede local ordinances, this is done to avoid the potential for a endlessly confusing patchwork of local laws in the state.:  Several of the larger and more liberal cities in PA have opted to pass gun control laws in defiance of state law, in particular, “lost and stolen” laws, which have have a real potential to be abused by the government.:  All of the mayors who have signed in these illegal “lost or stolen” laws are members of MAIG[7].

I think what MAIG is trying to do is offer support for mayors who are sympathetic to anti-2nd causes in a state that is generally hostile to anti-2nd politicians outside of Philly and Pittsburgh, while trying to look for weak points to attack. In PA, I think they’re trying to apply pressure to the state legislature to pass laws like the “Lost and Stolen” ordinances by encouraging open rebellion by certain mayors. Most pro and anti second organizations are built around applying pressure to state and federal politicians.:  MAIG is attacking from the local government level, which the NRA and other national organizations might not be well prepared for, leaving the field open to MAIG. While MAIG is not a grassroots organization, that the organization is based on mayoral membership may give them the appearance of grassroots support to state and federal legislators, which may encourage them to act in favor of gun control measures, we just don’t know yet, but why let MAIG go unopposed take the chance?

So, what to do? Well, for starters, especially if you live in PA, follow Snowflakes in Hell[8], where they have been keeping tabs on MAIG, the second for PA folks is to follow this list[9] to see what mayors in your area have joined Nanny Bloomberg’s little authoritarian crusade, and then work to convince them to leave MAIG, or vote them out of office if necessary.

You don’t have to be a frontline Second Amendment activist to do this, or even a gun owner.:  A phone call, email or letter to your local MAIG mayor, telling them you oppose MAIG and their agenda or alerting family members or friends who are hunters, gunowners or sportsmen to MAIG’s activities is something anyone can do.

If you are a sportsman, gunowner or hunter, take the time to talk to others about MAIG, consider speaking to owners of gun shops, ranges and sporting goods stores in the area about MAIG, their influence, agenda and local mayors that are part of MAIG.:  Frank Tripoli, owner of an indoor range and gun store in Williamsport, PA, worked to make the public aware that their mayor was a member of MAIG, and the public put enough pressure on the mayor to make her abandon MAIG[10].:  If you’re NRA, see what resources and information they can give you to help put a stop to MAIG.:  This may be an ideal place for state and local organizations to make an impact as well.:  It is in our best interest to stop and defeat MAIG as quickly as possible.:  Nanny Bloomberg bought compliance for his Nanny State agenda in New York with his giant pile of money[11], we can’t let him buy away our mayors, or our Constitutional rights in Pennsylvania or the rest of America.