BELLEVUE, WA – Anti-gun New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is the wrong man to speak about self-defense in a city that is a virtual victim disarmament zone because of his policies, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.
Mayor Bloomberg criticized a reporter during a press conference for asking what he thought about two New York Police patrolmen opening fire on a gunman last week, killing him and wounding several bystanders in the process.
“Let me ask you, Miss,†Bloomberg said, “if somebody pointed a gun at you and you had a gun in your pocket, what would you do?â€
“There’s just one big problem with Bloomberg’s remark,†said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “In his city, under his Draconian gun regulations, it is nearly impossible for a private citizen to have a gun in his or her pocket for personal protection, and he knows it.
“In other cities, in states where right-to-carry statutes have been adopted, citizens can respond to a life-threatening situation just as the mayor implies,†he added. “But in the Big Apple, you’re in big trouble if you walk around with a gun in your pocket, unless you happen to be a well-connected elitist who can secure a carry permit.â€
Noting that armed private citizens are able to defend themselves and others from criminal attack, Gottlieb suggested that Mayor Bloomberg needs to “back up his words with action.â€
“In a city where officials complain about all the so-called ‘illegal guns’ being carried by criminals,†Gottlieb observed, “a reasonable person might wonder why they don’t level the playing field by making it easier for law-abiding citizens to arm themselves against gun-toting thugs.
“Mayor Bloomberg, of course, has his own armed security,†Gottlieb concluded. “That’s a luxury not enjoyed by his constituents, who don’t have the option of carrying a gun in their pocket, purse or even a good holster. For him to intimate otherwise, while badgering a reporter in the process, is disingenuous at best.â€