NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. /New York Netwire/ — Maor Bloomberg made the following statement on Friday in response to the NRA Press Conference: “The NRA’s Washington leadership has long been out of step with its members, and never has that been so apparent as this morning. Their press conference was a shameful evasion of the crisis facing our country.
“Instead of offering solutions to a problem they have helped create, they offered a paranoid, dystopian vision of a more dangerous and violent America where everyone is armed and no place is safe. Leadership is about taking responsibility, especially in times of crisis. Today the NRA’s lobbyists blamed everyone but themselves for the crisis of gun violence. While they promote armed guards, they continue to oppose the most basic and common sense steps we can take to save lives – not only in schools, but in our movie theaters, malls, and streets. Enough.
“As a country, we must rise above special interest politics. Every day, 34 Americans are murdered with guns. That’s why 74 percent of NRA members support common sense restrictions like criminal background checks for anyone buying a gun.
“It is time for Americans who care about the Second Amendment and reasonable gun restrictions to join together to work with the President and Congress to stop the gun violence in this country. Demand a plan.”
STATEMENT OF MAYOR MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG ON REPEAL OF MILITARY GAG ORDER PREVENTING OFFICERS FROM ASKING SERVICE MEMBERS AT RISK OF SUICIDE ABOUT PERSONAL GUNS
“I want to thank Congress for taking an important step today to reject the NRA’s attempts to tie the hands of our military commanders who are trying to help armed services members who may be suicidal. Military suicides are occurring at the alarming rate of one per day, the majority of which involve personal firearms. Nevertheless, in 2011, the NRA wrote and Congress passed a provision that prevented military commanders from even talking to at-risk service members about access to firearms. Today’s commonsense reform will make sure that our military leaders are no longer hamstrung and can do everything possible to protect those who serve our country. Thank you to the suicide prevention advocates and retired flag officers who came together to end the harmful impediment that put the interests of the gun lobby ahead of the interests of our military families.”
