On Wednesday, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he will be donating $50 million to a a newly-formed organization in the hopes of jumpstarting his advocacy for gun control. A long-time proponent of the advocacy, the donation would have Bloomberg changing his tactics to be able to reach out to mothers, police officers and mayors with a more modest goal - safety against gun-related violence, The Christian Science Monitor said.
Everytown for Gun Safety will reportedly aim to build grass roots support on preventing gun violence by lobbying measures such as universal backgrounds checks, gun trafficking, and responsible gun ownership. The group also aims to be the umbrella organization for two, smaller organizations that are already in existence, said CS Monitor: Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
In a statement, Bloomberg said about the new group, "This is the beginning of a major new campaign to reduce the gun violence that plagues communities across the country. There is no question that more needs to be done to tackle this deadly problem."
Perhaps the most controversial of the measures is the background check requirement for gun sales. The bill, which was authored by Senator Charles Schumer of New York in 2013, saw opposition for it to be able to go through the US Congress.
However, Bloomberg is optimistic about the state legislators. In an interview with Savannah Guthrie of the "Today" show Wednesday morning, Bloomberg said at least 16 states in the US has already tightened their requirements for background checks before selling guns. The former New York mayor also hoped that they wil be able to weave all localized pockets of advocacy in a much broader and more resonant message.
"You've got to work at it piece by piece. One mom and another mom. You've got to wear them down until they finally say, ‘Enough,'" he told the New York Times in a separate interview.
