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Bloomberg's Anti-Gun "Grassroots Movement" Explained?

Friday, February 27, 2015

Bloomberg's Anti-Gun "Grassroots Movement" Explained?

Does Michael Bloomberg's Everytown for Gun Safety really have “two million members?” Is Moms Demand Action really “a powerful grassroots network of moms?” Or are these just front groups that consist of a handful of Bloomberg hirelings, pretending to represent more people than they do, to trick Americans into submitting to their fanatically-obsessed employer’s will?

Investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson may have the answer. In Top 10 Astroturfers, Attkisson explains the phenomenon in which small groups of individuals pretend to be popular grassroots movements, in order to convince other people to join the fake crowd supporting or opposing a particular agenda. The article follows a very informative speechon the same subject, given by Attkisson at the University of Nevada recently.

Attkisson explains, “Astroturf is when political, corporate or other special interests disguise themselves and publish blogs, start Facebook or Twitter accounts, publish ads and letters to the editor, or simply post comments online to try to fool you into thinking an independent or grassroots movement is speaking. The whole point of astroturf is to try to give the impression that there’s widespread support for or against an agenda when there’s not. Astroturf seeks to manipulate you into changing your opinion, by making you feel as if you’re an outlier when you’re not.”

That sounds like a description of President Obama’s attempt to promote gun control during his 2013 State of the Union address, and Bloomberg’s subsequent claim that 90 percent of Americans support mandatory background checks on private transfers of firearms.

Obama claimed, “Overwhelming majorities of Americans, Americans who believe in the 2nd Amendment, have come together around commonsense reform like background checks that will make it harder for criminals to get their hands on a gun. Senators of both parties are working together on tough new laws to prevent anyone from buying guns for resale to criminals. Police chiefs are asking our help to get weapons of war and massive ammunition magazines off our streets.”

In reality, however, the Senate rejected all of those schemes and the House of Representatives refused to bring them to the floor for a vote. In Washington, which is more receptive to gun control than many states, Bloomberg spent millions in support of a background check initiative and got only 59 percent of the vote.

The good news is that some people, at least, apparently can recognize astroturfing when they see it. Attkisson’s informal survey of social media users put Bloomberg’s anti-gun front groups at the top of a list of astroturfers, followed not far behind by several other anti-gun entities, namely Media Matters, Mother Jones, Salon.com, Daily Kos, and the Huffington Post.

Between them, those outfits might have enough anti-gunners to field a team for a game of sandlot baseball. But in the age of the Internet, they are able to pose as speaking to, or on behalf of, millions of Americans. Until their deceit is understood by all Americans, they pose a significant threat in the public debate over rights versus restrictions, freedom versus fear.

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Monday, September 8, 2025

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Pure gun control. As in disarmament and banning of firearms. It’s rare that anti-gunners get straight to the exact point that we have been warning of for decades. 

The Desperate Deflection to the “Red State Murder Problem”

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Monday, September 8, 2025

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California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) may have thought he had scored against President Donald Trump in a recent war of words over rampant crime and the deployment of federal law enforcement agents to Democratic-led cities

Illinois: Governor Signs Mandatory Firearm Storage Law

Wednesday, September 3, 2025

Illinois: Governor Signs Mandatory Firearm Storage Law

Earlier this month, Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 8 into law. This legislation imposes new mandatory firearm storage requirements on law-abiding gun owners.  

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Monday, July 7, 2025

Florida: Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday Signed by Governor

Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed the Florida Budget for Fiscal Year 2025–2026, which includes a Second Amendment sales tax holiday from September 8 through December 31, 2025. The NRA is thankful for Governor DeSantis’ strong ...

Report: Senior ATF Official Joins (Private) Firearm Prohibition Lobby

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Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Report: Senior ATF Official Joins (Private) Firearm Prohibition Lobby

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is the federal agency whose jurisdiction encompasses federal firearms laws. 

Due Process: The Backbone of Legal Legitimacy

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Monday, September 8, 2025

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Close observers of the gun debate often see references to due process.

Arkansas Atrocity Highlights Need for Reform in Rules Governing Carry in Public Parks

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Monday, August 25, 2025

Arkansas Atrocity Highlights Need for Reform in Rules Governing Carry in Public Parks

On the heels of the shocking and seemingly random murder of a couple in an Arkansas state park while they were walking a trail with their young children, many are revisiting their self-defense plans in the great ...

Update: North Carolina House Reschedules Veto Override Vote

Tuesday, August 26, 2025

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Today, the House rescheduled the veto override vote on Senate Bill 50, Freedom to Carry NC, to Monday, September 22. 

ABAs Latest Resolution Continues to Ignore Liberty and Hinder Justice for Gun Owners

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Tuesday, September 2, 2025

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Last month, the American Bar Association (ABA), via its Standing Committee on Gun Violence, passed yet another anti-gun resolution at their annual meeting in Toronto (the venue should serve as a clue regarding their commitment ...

Third Circuit Sua Sponte Takes NRA’s “Assault Firearm” and Magazine Ban Case En Banc

Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Third Circuit Sua Sponte Takes NRA’s “Assault Firearm” and Magazine Ban Case En Banc

Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs v. Attorney Gen. New Jersey is an NRA-supported challenge to New Jersey’s prohibitions on so-called “assault firearms” and magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds.

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Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.