New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s declaration of a “disaster emergency on gun violence” is a desperate attempt to shift blame to guns and the firearms industry to mask his own incompetence in dealing with rising crime in the Empire State, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms said today.
Cuomo announced his “emergency” after 51 people were shot across the state over the July 4 holiday weekend, including 26 in just New York City. Asserting that, “We went from one epidemic to another epidemic, we went from COVID to the epidemic of gun violence,” Cuomo argued that “more people are dying of gun violence than of COVID.” But CCRKBA fired right back.
“Since he brought it up,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “Cuomo’s incompetence in dealing with rising violent crime is as bad as how he botched the coronavirus outbreak by putting COVID-19 patients in nursing homes. Trying to fix blame on gun manufacturers and their perfectly legal products when the fault is with his own policies and his party’s soft-on-criminals agenda is simply pitiful, and I don’t think his broadcaster brother is going to be able to talk him out of this mess.”
The Democrat governor announced plans to use $138.7 million in an effort to prevent crime and create employment programs for “at-risk” youth, with 21,000 summer jobs through local, city and state agencies. But Gottlieb said Empire State residents should be wary of any efforts that “just throw money” at crime problems rather than focusing on making offenders accountable for their criminal behavior.
“Signing legislation that essentially encourages municipal governments to file junk lawsuits against the firearms industry actually runs counter to existing federal law, and Cuomo knows it,” Gottlieb observed. “The governor must think public attention will be diverted by legal dramatics so his inability or unwillingness to take meaningful action against violent criminals will melt back into the shadows. We’re not going to let that happen.
“As governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo has been a train wreck with mass casualties,” Gottlieb said, “and his emergency declaration is an intellectually dishonest maneuver to convince voters none of this was his fault. But he’s the man in charge, he’s been in charge and he’s got to take ownership of this disaster.”
EXPERT GUESTS AVAILABLE TO INTERVIEW ON THIS TOPIC:
ABOUT CAM EDWARDS (In Eastern Time)
Cam Edwards of the Second Amendment Foundation – Cam Edwards is the editor at Bearing Arms-dot-com and the host of the Cam & Company podcast, which focuses on Second Amendment news and information. Cam is originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and has worked in radio, television, and online media for over two decades.
He currently lives on a small farm with his family near Farmville, Virginia and is a member of the board of Citizens Committee to Keep and Bear Arms.
ABOUT GLEN CAROLINE (In Eastern Time)
Veteran grassroots gun rights organizer Glen Caroline is the Director of External Affairs for the Second Amendment Foundation and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. With 29 years of front line experience in the Second Amendment movement, Caroline spearheads grassroots and training programs for both organizations. Glen comes to the SAF/CCRKBA after serving for years as managing director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action Grassroots Programs and Campaign Field Operations division. Glen’s entire professional life has been dedicated to the cause of the Second Amendment and the preservation of Americans’ liberties.
ABOUT LEE WILLIAMS
Lee Williams is also known as “The Gun Writer,” and has been writing about the Second Amendment, firearms, the firearms industry, and the gun culture for more than 10 years.
He is the Chief Editor of the Second Amendment Foundation’s Investigative Reporting Project, and is a frequent contributor to Ammoland News and Armed American Radio. He also serves as a board member of Florida Carry, Inc.
Until recently, he was also an editor for a daily newspaper in Florida.
Before becoming a newspaper editor, Lee was an investigative reporter at newspapers in three states and a U.S. Territory. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as a police officer. Before becoming a cop, Lee served in the Army.
He’s earned more than a dozen national journalism awards as a reporter, and three medals of valor as a cop. Lee is an avid tactical shooter.
ABOUT MARK WALTERS (in Eastern Time):
Mark Walters is a national board member of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and a broadcast media spokesman for the Second Amendment Foundation.
Recipient of the 2015 Gun Rights Defender of the Year Award, Walters is a national columnist for Ammoland, and author of three books, Lessons from Armed America with Kathy Jackson: foreword by Massad Ayoob, Lessons from Unarmed America with Rob Pincus: foreword by Ted Nugent, and Grilling While Armed.
Mark is the host of two nationally syndicated talk radio programs, Armed American Radio, and Armed American Radio’s Daily Defense heard on hundreds of radio stations across the country, six days per week. In addition,
Mark has appeared on national and international radio and television on gun-related stories and is a popular podium speaker on firearms topics. Mark is a husband and father of two children and resides in Georgia with his family.
ABOUT STEPHEN WILLEFORD (In Central Time):
A native of Sutherland Springs, Texas, Stephen Willeford was raised in a family of five on a dairy farm near the First Baptist Church. He is the fourth generation to live on a few hundred acres of land in Wilson County. Stephen has always relied on his faith to guide his life, and his deep roots in Sutherland Springs are a product of his family’s commitment to their community. An avid sportsman, Stephen began shooting at a young age and honed his shooting skills by participating in shooting competitions as he grew older. He made sure his three children were trained in gun safety, passing along his expertise.
After helping stop the deadliest mass shooting in the history of Texas in November 2017, Stephen has become known across the country as the “good guy with a gun.” Stephen credits his unwavering faith and penchant for preparedness as to why he was able to step in during this critical incident, believing that each day of his life prepared him for what happened on that Sunday morning. Stephen has begun speaking publicly about his life and experiences, even delivering a lauded speech at the National Rifle Association Convention in May 2018. Because of his selfless service to his community, Stephen was also an honored guest of members of the Texas delegation at the 2018 State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.
An experienced professional plumber, Stephen earned his license from the Plumbers and Pipefitters Apprenticeship School in San Antonio and has nearly 35 years of experience in his field. In 2018, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Stephen to serve on the Texas Private Security Board. He is a member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), was an NRA-certified instructor and a former assistant scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America. Stephen has been married to Pam Farmer Willeford for 30 years and has three children and three grandchildren.
ABOUT TOM GRESHAM (In Central Time):
Tom Gresham is a spokesman for the 2nd Amendment Foundation. He hosts the nationally syndicated weekend radio talk show ‘Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk,’ carried on 266 stations. He also has created, hosted, and directed several television series about guns including Shooting Sports America on ESPN, and Guns and Gear on NBC Sports. An author of several books, Tom has also written thousands of magazine articles about firearms.
ABOUT ALAN GOTTLIEB (In Pacific Time/ TV only):
Alan is a strong advocate of defense. He’s a nuclear engineering graduate of the University of Tennessee, publisher of Gun Week, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and Founder of the Second Amendment Foundation. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Conservative Union.
ABOUT DAVE WORKMAN (In Pacific Time):
Dave Workman is an award-winning career journalist and senior editor of TheGunMag.com. He also writes for Liberty Park Press, Conservative Firing Line, and several firearms periodicals. He is also the communications director for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
He has authored Op-Ed pieces in several major newspapers including the Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times, and Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has also co-authored seven books with Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation. Workman’s beat is firearms, from politics to the outdoors. He is widely considered an authority on firearms, concealed carry, and gun politics.
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 700,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
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