King Michael, Fighting the Tide

I’m sure many of you have heard the apocryphal story of King Canute (Cnut the Great) and the tide. Canute was the king of England, Denmark, Norway, and parts of Sweden in what was known as the North Sea Empire from 985-1035 AD.

Advertisement

His story was told one of two ways.

Early historians, such as 12th Century historian Henry of Huntingdon, told the story of a wise king, tired of flattery from courtiers. Canute ordered his throne brought the the beach at low tide. He then commanded the waves to stop… knowing, of course, that they would not. When the waves lapped at his thrown and wet his feet, Canute leapt up and expressed the futility of the power of earthly kings to stop the tide.

More modern versions corrupted the original tale of humility into one of pride, where an arrogant and incredibly powerful man sincerely thinks he had the power to to control the tide rolling against and over him.

mike_bloombergs_opinion_section_will_feature_only

We’re seeing that modern day tale of arrogance played out in the saga of Michael Bloomberg.

The billionaire and former mayor of New York City has long thought that his success in business makes him better than everyone else, and that his success in one field entitles him to dictate everything to us lesser mortals, from what people may eat and drink to which natural rights they are allowed to have.

Towards that latter end Bloomberg has dedicated tens of millions of dollars to create various gun control projects as strawmen to carry out his personal will.

Among them are gun control groups such as the now nearly-defunct Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), Moms Demand Action for Gunsense in America, the short-lived Demand Action, Everytown for Gun Safety, and a new Media Matters-style propaganda effort called The Trace (ignorantly and ironically named, as “the trace” is a term for the vapor trail left by a bullet that helps marksmen know if they are on target).

Advertisement

Bloomberg also has donated millions to “public health,” which he’s used to effectively purchase the services anti-gun activists within the medical community to churn out misleading “research” to  support his aims.

He’s incredibly powerful, and so incredibly invested both monetarily and with his pride that he simply has to be seen as winning:

It’s long been conventional wisdom that fighting for gun control is a good way to end a politician’s career.

But advocates of tighter gun laws are pointing to a pair of victories in the Pacific Northwest as evidence that the tide is shifting.

Last year in Washington, voters overwhelmingly supported mandatory background checks on private gun sales. Lawmakers in Oregon approved similar legislation this year, and last week it became clear there wouldn’t be political consequences. Gun-rights supporters were unable to gather enough signatures to force recall elections for the bill’s supporters.

“We are seeing it again and again, that this is actually a winning issue and you can vote to protect the American public and make the American public safe, and your political career will flourish,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, an advocacy group backed by millions from billionaire Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor.

Advertisement

For all his success in business, Bloomberg has seen very limited success in his efforts to strip Americans of their natural right to armed self-defense.

He spent tremendous amounts of money to pass a gun control referendum in Oregon that sheriff’s refuse to enforce. A similar initiative he effectively purchased in left-leaning Washington exists on paper, but similarly cannot and will not be enforced by law enforcement officers.

Bloomberg is the modern day Canute, commanding the masses to obey him, even as the legislative tide and tsunami of public opinion rush against and over him.

The majority of Americans—59-percent—think we have enough gun laws, or too many.

There are more gun owners now than at any prior point in American history, and that figure increases, Every. Single. Day.

The fastest growing demographics among gun owners are the young, urban, and female. Shooting sports are the fastest-growing high school sports in many states, and as these people grow older and have children of their own, they’ll be creating an even stronger, deeper and wider gun culture.

While Bloomberg and his hired gun Feinblatt can boast of these several minor accomplishments purchased at a high personal and political price, they do so ignoring the tide washing over them, as pointed out by NRA spokesperson Catherine Mortensen.

Advertisement

“In their own words, Michael Bloomberg’s groups are willing to do ‘whatever it takes’ to push their unpopular gun control agenda. Apparently that includes spinning the truth to make people believe they are winning the gun control debate. The fact is, over the past 3 years, states across the country have signed into law nearly 300 new measures protecting and expanding Second Amendment Rights. That’s almost ten times the number of new anti-gun laws.”

Michael Bloomberg has spent tens of millions from his personal fortune in order to rage against the tide of liberty rushing against his futile efforts.

King Michael is all wet.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Advertisement
Advertisement