S.E. Cupp has the story here. Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg made a big splash shortly before the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits, announcing he was consolidating two groups, Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG) and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, under one umbrella group called Everytown for Gun Safety, and was going to put $50 million into the campaign to out muscle the NRA. He named an advisory board that included former Republican Governor of Pennsylvania and former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge. But news came yesterday that Ridge was parting ways with the group after only 10 days:
“When I signed on as an adviser to Everytown,” Ridge said, “I looked forward to a thoughtful and provocative discussion about the toll gun violence takes on Americans. After consultation with Everytown, I have decided that I am uncomfortable with their expected electoral work.”
That comes on top of the comments of numerous mayors who had joined MAIG then quit after they learned Bloomberg's real agenda:
Rockford, Ill., Mayor Larry Morrissey: “The reason why I joined the group in the first place is because I took the name for what it said: against ‘illegal’ guns. The focus should not be against law-abiding citizens. We should be focusing our enforcement on folks who have no right to carry a gun, concealed or otherwise."
Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Mayor John Tkazyik: “It did not take long to realize that MAIG’s agenda was much more than ridding felons of illegal guns . . . MAIG intended to promote confiscation of guns from law-abiding citizens.”
Sioux City, Ia., Mayor Bob Scott: “They’re not just against illegal guns, they’re against all guns.”
Danbury, Ct., Mayor Mark Boughton: “I joined because I believe enforcement of existing gun laws is preferable to creating new gun laws. It is clear in recent months, however, that Bloomberg’s mission has changed from law enforcement to simply increasing gun regulations.”
Finally, while it was no surprise that the NRA was not going to take Bloomberg's challenge lying down, they unveiled a very smart response at the Annual Meeting last weekend.
That's the tag line for TARGETVISION, one of the products I saw today at the NRA Annual Meetings. TargetVision is a fixed lens, portable, battery powered, wireless target camera that can be viewed from a phone, tablet or laptop. With a range of one mile and a run time of 16 + hours. TargetVision lititature states:
TARGETVISION is the perfect companion for long range shooters, competitive shooters, and people who are looking for a more interactive and entertaining shooting experience. This unit is able to clearly see .17 caliber bullet holes and larger at any distance up to a mile. TARGETVISION consists of two pieces, the transmitter/camera and the receiver. The transmitter sits down range about 10-15 feet from the target and can be moved within that range to adjust the field of view. The receiver is built into the carrying case and sits next to the shooter while shooting.
It isn't inexpensive at $1295.00 but serious competitors might consider the price a good investment.
I spoke with Ryan Hyde and Tim Rush at the GunBox booth a few moments ago. Ryan is the inventor of the GunBox. Today is the launch of The GunBox version 2.0 and, according to the press release, "includes new features to further enhance secure storage and rapid access to a handgun." They are also developing a model for long guns.
The new features include:
A bidirectional locking mechanism to resist shock
New RF ring access capabilities (customized rings with an RFID chip embedded)
Additional options for Mounting The GunBox in any orientation such as upside-down below a desk, or vertically behind a nightstand.
The GunBox CEO Ryan Hyde told me the product is designed to defend our freedoms while protecting our children. The product is offered in three versions: 1)RF, which provides access through the RFID bracelet, sticker or ring, 2)Biometric adds and additional layer of security with biometric fingerprint technology to open the GunBox, and 3)Premier adds GPS tracking and 24/7 monitoring, tracking and alert notifications (with a yearly subscription fee). You can find out more about why Ryan developed this product here.
I'm in Indianapolis for the 2014 NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits. Over the next three days, look for posts and photos about new products on display. Right now the exhibitors are working feverishly to complete their booths. There will be a live taping at 2:30 of NRA's Gun Gurus and the annual NRA Foundation Banquet. The Wall of guns is also being set up and there are a lot of great guns that will be won this weekend. So, check back over the course of the weekend to get a flavor of what and estimated 70,000 people will see this weekend.
Got an email from CSGV around 11:00 this morning alerting me to the rolling billboard they will have in Indianapolis during the NRA Annual Meeting and said they wanted me to be one of the first to see it. They also asked for money. Below is the image that accompanied the email.
The email went on to say:
As I explained previously, the NRA is hoping to dominate the media cycle with their usual propaganda about freedom, liberty and "good guys with guns" during the convention, but we are not going to let them get away with it. It's time the media and public learned that the NRA is run by a group of extremists who routinely trample on any freedom that gets in the way of gun industry profits and unfettered access to firearms.
The billboard is supposed to circle the convention center all weekend and highlight the "offensive remarks" by NRA Board Members and staff that the group says it has catalogued. They also plan to send Lori Haas, mother of one of the Virginia Tech shooting survivors and former member of Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe's transition team to Indianapolis to speak for the group.
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