NRA Portrays New Yorkers as Mobsters in Virginia Ad (supporting GOP and flowing guns in Gov's race)

[villager]

NRA Portrays New Yorkers as Mobsters in Virginia Ad

The National Rifle Association has released an ad in which a man portraying a mobster from New York says Virginia voters should support Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell if they "know what's good for you."

"A while back, our New York Mayor Bloomberg came down here to take away some of your Virginia gun rights," a man says in the spot, in a Sopranos-like accent. "You see, the mayor thinks you guys are responsible for our New York crime problem. But when Mayor Bloomberg got down here, your guy, Bob McDonnell, kicked him out of Virginia. Now that was very disrespectful."

Contacted about what the spot meant with the claim that McDonnell "kicked out of Virginia," an NRA representative said it was a reference to the fact McDonnell sent Bloomberg a "cease and desist" letter. He also pointed to McDonnell's work with the legislature to make sure sting operations would be illegal.

"So now I'm here to make sure Mr. McDonnell doesn't get in New York's way again," the man continues in the ad, as Italian-style music plays in the background. "Listen to me: When you vote, I strongly suggest you forget about your freedoms and your Mr. Second Amendment Bob McDonnell. I want you to do it for New York. If you know what's good for you."

<snip>

On Wednesday, Bloomberg announced an undercover investigation carried out at gun shows in three states. It found that "thirty-five of 47 gun sellers sold to people who said either they probably could not pass a background check or to apparent 'straw purchasers.'"

<snip>

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/10/07/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5369015.shtml

[villager]

1. huh -- somebody let the unrec'ing gunbots out of the gungeon...

n/t

[Katya Mullethov]

23. That was very disrespectful

I rec'd it for bein' funny as hell .

[anonymous171]

2. lol

[question everything]

3. Will we ever see the NRA being irrelevant? (nt)

[virginia mountainman]

4. Yes...

When the ACLU, decides to defend the WHOLE bill of rights, instead of picking over it like a cheap chinese buffet.

[Ikonoklast]

5. How can the NRA defend those who sell to those unable to pass a background check?

They have those people on video expressly telling the sellers that they couldn't pass a background check, yet were sold handguns anyway.

Are these the people you are willing to defend?

[virginia mountainman]

6. The NRA had NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.

That is an individual, acting on his own. And by doing that, they broke the law. But the question must be asked, how many people did Bloomberg ask, before they found one that would make the sale?

The NRA came out in favor of the Brady Checks, and the law, that was broken in the video.

[Ikonoklast]

7. It has as much to do with it as your ACLU strawman argument.

n/t

[virginia mountainman]

8. It was not a strawman...

A question was asked, that question was answered....

[friendly_iconoclast]

10. They WERE able to pass a background check. You've been played..

...like a Wii by Bloomberg.

All the 'ineligible buyers' were agents of Kroll International, a private detective agency hired by New York City.

They shammed being ineligible for the investigation

[virginia mountainman]

12. Are you Serious?? NT

[friendly_iconoclast]

14. Yep. Page 14 of Bloomberg's report:

http://www.gunshowundercover.org/images/FE/chain266siteType8/site226/client/Gun_Show_Undercover_report.pdf

The paragraph titled "The Investigators"

Of course, if any of these sales were illegal, it would mean Mayor Bloomberg organized a conspiracy
to violate Federal and state gun laws, which would be a criminal offense.

That just can't be true, as it would give credibility to the ad in question. (snork)

[slackmaster]

28. You mean Bloomberg's investigators LIED?

I am shocked, SHOCKED!!!

[JonQ]

9. When people stop trying to undermine/do away with entirely

the 2nd amendment.

I guess it won't be completely irrelevant, it could still offer classes and such. But when the attacks cease it's importance politically will disappear.

I always laugh at the hysterics on here over the NRA, followed up by demands to strengthen gun control laws. You are the reason it exists.

[villager]

11. I always laugh at the naive apologias for the NRA over here

But your successful brainwashing is indeed the reason they still exist.

[friendly_iconoclast]

15. The NRA is just making money off the ACLU's double standard

Don't worry, all the NRA-ILA's propaganda hasn't yet persuaded me to join or give them a dime.

Works a treat on the wingers, though

[aikoaiko]

13. Bloomberg made himself into the Willie Horton of gun control.

Bloomberg causes more problems than solves.

[friendly_iconoclast]

16. McDonnell is giving some payback for a an ad of Bloomberg . FTA:

Bloomberg financed an ad in April in Virginia criticizing McDonnell for efforts to keep the gun show loophole open. It features the brother of one of the students killed in the Virginia Tech shootings and closes with this: "Ask Bob McDonnell why he’s protecting criminals instead of protecting us."

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/13/bloomberg-finances-gun-control-ad-in-virginia-race/

[spin]

17. Several pro-gun posters here are in favor of requiring a NICS background check...

for ALL private sales of firearms.

It's not imposable, a licensed dealer could run the check for a minimum charge, say 10 to 20 dollars.

True, there are problems with this concept but they could be worked out. It's not rocket science.

When I sell firearms, I only sell them to a person that I personally know who has a current concealed carry permit. That limits the number of people I can sell to substantially. I would be more han happy to let a dealer run the check and add the cost to the price of the firearm.

[friendly_iconoclast]

18. It's not like Bloomberg is a fan of many Constitutional rights. Google "stop and frisk"

http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/140201

Stop-and-Frisk Becomes Issue in Mayor's Race
by Bob Hennelly

NEW YORK, NY September 05, 2009 —The NYPD's stopping and frisking of hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers every year has become an issue in the Mayor's race. WNYC's Bob Hennelly reports.

REPORTER: In the Democratic primary, Councilman Tony Avella opposes stop-and-frisk outright as unconstitutional. Comptroller Bill Thomspson says it's a valid law enforcement tool that needs oversight. This week Mayor Bloomberg expressed support for the police tactic, but only with safeguards to prevent racial profiling.

BLOOMBERG: And we want to make sure that they follow those rules and not just pick people totally at random and certainly not pick people based on things that they shouldn’t.

REPORTER: Critcs says nearly 90 percent of the more than a half million New Yorkers stopped and frisked are people of color, who committed no crime. Only 4 percent of the stops actually produce arrests. But the NYPD says in 2008 alone, the practice yielded 747 handguns, more than 80 rifles and assualt weapons, as well as nine machine guns....

You'll find that people of color and civil rights activists don't dig this much at all. Nor do I.

But let Mayor Mike go after Teh Evil Gunz, and some 'progressives' go into the tank for him the way NOW did for
Bill Clinton during the Monica Lewinsky brouhaha...

[krispos42]

19. Great. More Italian-mobster stereotypes....

...says this half-Italian.


If this was a couple of black guys in matching shiny sports-team uniforms, sideways baseball hats, and a surfeit of "bling" saying the same thing in a urban accent with thumping rap in the background... oh, man, this place would explode.

K&R for NRA stupidity.

[ManiacJoe]

20. That ad was great!

We need more ad makers with a sense of humor!
:rofl:

[Euromutt]

21. Doesn't it follow that the character in the ad would NOT be a mobster?

Seems to me that someone who's expressing unquestioning support for Bloomberg's efforts to fight crime would logically not not an organized criminal. Not of the violent variety, anyway; more like a corrupt party functionary or something. Yeah, that's a stereotype too, I know, but there is a difference. But why let that get in the way of a catchy headline, eh?

Not that Bloomberg hasn't behaved (and continues to behave) in a pretty thuggish manner, what with the dispatching of private investigators to other jurisdictions. Look, if he's got a legitimate beef, well, there's a whole federal agency whose job is specifically to investigate that sort of thing, namely the ATF. But are Bloomberg's antics actually helping? Well, the ATF says his publicity-seeking "sting" operations have already fucked up several of their investigations by alerting firearm traffickers and causing them to "change up" their procedures, thus destroying whatever progress the ATF had made towards nailing these guys. Nice work, your honor!

[proteus_lives]

22. While I don't agree with the stereotyping (that's more an antis trick)

I think it gets it's point across.

Fuck Bloomberg.

[villager]

24. "I don't agree with the stereotyping, except I've just stereotyped 'antis'"

n/t

[proteus_lives]

25. You're right, excuse me.

"I don't agree with the ethnic stereotyping. (That's more of an antis trick.)"

[villager]

26. So your "apology" is another stereotyping of the "antis?"

Gungeonites sure are cute -- and entirely predictable.

[proteus_lives]

27. Oh, we're not as cute and cuddly as anti-rights gun banners.

Who wants to take away rights from other Americans?

You do! Yes, you do!

[villager]

29. Why am I reminded of the Rodgers & Hart tune, "Sing, Johnny One Note?"

n/t

[proteus_lives]

32. I'm unfamiliar with the tune.

Is it anything like the anti anthem, "Let's ban tools that scare us because we're too cowardly/lazy to tackle the real problems."

;-)

[villager]

33. well, the clockwork-like repetitive precision of your inflexible, misguided motifs

show a certain embodiment of the song's themes, at least....

[proteus_lives]

34. Inflexible! There's a good word for you.

You embody it pretty will. Misguided would be a goodish middle name.

At this point I would suggest if you want to change your name, you should stop trying to take away our rights when we're not trying to take anything from you.

[villager]

35. the obsession with the last word, etc...

n/t

[proteus_lives]

36. Obession? Last word? No.

I know a guy who is much worse at that then I am.

(Bonus points if you name the movie quote.)

[villager]

37. Well, you stumped me. Though I'm glad to see the turn toward a more genteel conversation

less loaded with sweeping pronouncement, second guessing, and all those other harbingers of one party or the other reaching for the "ignore" tab!

;-)

[proteus_lives]

38. Well, we've both laid our cards on the table.

No reason to reach for our six-shooters. Forgive the gun-pun.

The quote is from Zombieland BTW, great movie. It's funny and double-plus if you like zombie movies. I recommend it.

;-)

[villager]

39. Like them? Hell, I'm writing a zombie book right now!

One reason I haven't seen Zombieland yet -- might wait 'til the current draft is finished...

Then again, might not....

[proteus_lives]

40. Zombie book? Nice!

I've been a fan of zombie fiction for many years now. I hope it goes well. I trust you're a fan of Max Brooks.

Zombieland is a must be it sooner or later. Woody Harrison is so good in it.

(One more thing, the US would be a good place to be in the zombie apocalypse because of all our civilian arms. ;-))

[villager]

41. Well, if you watch your Romero (or your Boyle) closely, you notice those guns always get turned on

the living, by other members of the "living," sooner or later.

Apt indeed for the U.S., I guess...

[proteus_lives]

42. Or they use those guns.....

To defend themselves against zombies and roving bands of human marauders.

Those without guns are usually eaten/killed by the third act or cower in the corner or run off to cornered in an alley/closet.

[villager]

44. Hmm -- have you ever actually watched a Romero movie?

The end of "Night of the Living Dead," for example.

Or "Dawn of the Dead."

Or, you know, "Day of the Dead?"

[proteus_lives]

45. Only about a thousand times.

How would they have cleared the mall without guns?

How would they have escaped the zombie pen in Day without guns?

Explain how you survive in a ZA without guns.

[villager]

46. I know the gun parts excite you a whole lot

and it's hard to think of "subtext" after the cool shooting erupts....

But consider again in all those movies (or the British "28 Days Later") what they're saying about the various shoot-happy survivors...

[proteus_lives]

47. Excite? no. Make sense? Yes.

And call me a purist but the 28 days/weeks movies aren't zombie movies because they aren't zombies. And even though they were all lord of the flies, the British army unit was in much better shape then the other group of survivors because they could defend themselves better.

Subtext can be what you want it to be. That's one of the great things about zombie movies. The zombies can stand for anything.

[villager]

49. This would be the same British Army unit that murdered other survivors, and didn't survive?

n/t

[proteus_lives]

50. They were able to defend themselves against the infected.

Bringing one on the grounds to study? I don't think either of us would agree to that. And he's released by Jim because of the soldier's behavior. Their behavior was the result of psychological break-down and the failure of the chain of command.

Guns help you survive against the undead. It's really a question of tactics. Because it doesn't matter what weapons you have if you have flawed plans/thinking.

[villager]

52. The same unit that planned on raping the female survivors?

I think the point is, there's more to "survival" than mere guns.

Whereas in this forum, guns seem to be the end-all/be-all of one's self-image as an American, a citizen, etc.

[proteus_lives]

56. Which goes back to the psychological issues and not guns.

I never said that survival is dependent on guns but firearms make it a whole lot easier.

I don't think guns are the "end-all/be-all" but rights and choices are. That's why I don't want mine taken away from me. ;-)

[krispos42]

43. Zombieland is more funny than a serious post-apocolypse story

It's only an hour and 20 minutes.

Anyway, if you need any gun-related technical advice the Gungeon is at your service. I think "zombie self-defense" falls under the Gungeon rules :-)



I've actually been sporadically working on a short zombie story as well.

[proteus_lives]

51. Learning zombie self-defense is vital!

As an acolyte of Max Brooks I am prepared for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.

Zombieland was fun!

Remember, "Organize before They rise!"

[villager]

53. Well, you really can't stop them from rising, if they're the undead, can you?

On which note, I'm off for more late-night revision of my own zombie opus. Or quasi-opus.

[proteus_lives]

57. That's why the guide is important.

To prepare for the inevitable.

We may not be able to halt the outbreak but we can survive it.

[krispos42]

54. "Use your head, cut off theirs"

:-)

[proteus_lives]

55. "No place is safe. Only safer."

:-)

[villager]

58. There you go. Agreement is possible, even in the gungeon!

;-)

[proteus_lives]

60. Everytime there is an agreement in the guns forum, an angel gets his wings.

;-)

[villager]

61. thank god you didn't say "gets his ammo!"

n/t

[proteus_lives]

62. I was tempted along those lines! Believe you me!

;-)

[villager]

63. Oh, I believe you.

;-)

[TPaine7]

30. Fascinating point, considering the source.

I wonder if anyone has ever been surprised by any element of any of your posts on guns--on any position you took or on any "argument" you used to support it? I know I can't recall a non-stereotypical post from you, on either count.

[TPaine7]

31. Some New Yorkers are comparable to Mobsters,,,

Like Mayor Bloomberg.

Isn't the mob a thuggish organization that systematically breaks laws? The typical mobsters disobey laws on prostitution, drugs and gambling; Bloomberg and his cronies violate the Second and Fourth Amendments to the Constitution under color of law.

The ad was aimed at the right New Yorkers.

[davepc]

48. anybody else think this ad is insanley offensive?

As a decedent of Italians living in the middle of 'sopranoland' the whole caricature they're using disgusts me.

[OttavaKarhu]

59. The RKBA Italians I know in NYC...

...thought it was hilarious. Philly, SF, and Chicago too. So did I. Funny, not hilarious. Why shouldn't Virginians think of NYC as mafiosi, given New Yorkers think anyone with a firearm is a redneck? It cuts both ways, paisan'.

And after all, we ARE talking about politics in the age of racial posing. Barack Obama misquoting Redd Foxx (it was Redd Foxx, wasn't it? I don't watch TV) and the Harvard prof going all hilariously street cred because his pedestal got wobbled a bit and Wise Latinas and stuff. So let's not go dragging "caricature" into it. Politics IS caricature. Why do you think they're lining up to vote for Palin?

I don't know from Sopranos. I don't watch TV. But seriously...if you're a "decedent" of Italians, one might say you proved the ad's satirical point.

Budabump.