Break-Away Republican Bloomberg Unites with Democratic Presidential Candidates For Action on Gun Safety Legilsation

The following is an adaptation of remarks delivered at a candidate forum on gun safety in Des Moines, Iowa. The forum was sponsored by Mike Bloomberg’s Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action.
Reference: Bloomberg Opinion 10 Aug 2019 
"This has been a tragically sad week in America.
But we are ending the week on a hopeful note — because all of you are here today. You’re here because you know America can answer this challenge and because you refuse to settle for thoughts and prayers when we need actions and laws.

The fact is, 30 Americans are murdered with guns every day. Very few of those murders make national news.

But think about it: That’s the equivalent to multiple mass shootings every 24 hours. And, on top of that, another 61 people commit suicide with guns every day. . .

only in America do we have the mass slaughter of innocent people with guns every single day.

We can save so many of those lives — but only if we organize and demand  action. . . "

Bloomberg targets the National Rifle Association

"Just look at President Donald Trump. This week, he said he supported stronger background checks. Unfortunately, after the Parkland shooting 18 months ago, he said exactly same thing. And then the NRA told him to drop it, so he did — immediately. He didn’t have the guts to oppose the NRA then, and now he faces the same choice."

" . . . In politics, breaking with your allies isn’t easy. I know. But standing up to special interests is what leadership is all about. There’s only one person who gets to sit at the desk in the Oval Office. And if he or she isn’t strong enough to make executive decisions based on what’s right, then we should vote that person out and get someone who is. . . "

". . . at the same time, the NRA is in shambles. We’ve all seen reports about the infighting and investigations into corruption and illegal activity.Which is why the president should be afraid — but not of the NRA. He should be afraid of the American people. Because in 2020, we are going to show how strong our movement has grown, and we are going to elect a president who will lead on gun safety instead of making lame excuses. . .
_______________________________________________________________
> More than 20 states have strengthened their gun laws over the past two years, and that includes 11 states with Republican governors who signed those bills and deserve credit for bucking the gun lobby.

> Our message is breaking through. However, the reality we face today is more lethal and complicated. It’s not just criminals and psychopaths who are gunning down people

-- it’s white supremacists trying to mass-murder African Americans

--  it’s xenophobes trying to mass-murder Latinos

-- it’s Islamophobes trying to mass-murder Muslims

-- it’s homophobes trying to mass-murder the LGBTQ community

-- it’s anti-Semites trying to mass-murder Jews

--  it’s other hate-filled people who see automatic weapons as a way to advance their poisonous ideology.

There’s been a lot of discussion about whether President Trump bears some responsibility for what happened in El Paso. Of course he does. Words matter. Words have consequences.

________________________________________________________________

. . . We have to make sure that the historic unity we’ve achieved on guns produces real action in Congress. And if doesn’t, we have to make sure that all of those who stood in the way face the consequences on Nov. 3, 2020." ________________________________________________________________

LINK > https://everytown.org/