NRA Tweets Bullets Beside Lawmakers Who Announced State Ammo Limit Bill

Two Brooklyn lawmakers are condemning an image published by the National Rifle Association that shows photos of them with a few bullets beside them. This development comes after Sen. Roxanne Persaud and Assemblywoman Jo Anne Simon, two Democratic gun control advocates, introduced a bill to control ammunition sales last month, reported the Associated Press. The introduced bill would limit the amount of ammunition gun owners could purchase within a 90-day period. Now, they would be restricted to buying ammo that amounts to as much as twice the capacity of their weapons before they reach a "sales cap."

In response, the NRA published an editorial in its online newsletter, America's 1st Freedom, where it opposed the measure and featured the picture in question. The newsletter details some of the flaws with the legislation, such as the fact that it limits the amount of practice a gun owner can participate in or that the bill does nothing to address crime, and only impacts law abiding citizens.

The two lawmakers "simply don't care about" gun owners and the amount of ammunition they reasonably need, journal editor Mark Chestnut wrote.

"In truth, such legislation should simply be laughed off and quickly forgotten," he added. "Unfortunately, the anti-gun climate in New York requires that we all take it seriously. New York gun owners should make sure their representatives know how strongly they oppose this ridiculous assault on their rights."

The picture was criticized by Persaud and Simon, who said the NRA is trying to intimidate them by posting the picture but just comes off as irresponsible in doing so.

"I think it is irresponsible in the times that we are living in to place a target around someone," Persaud said, according to the New York Daily News. "By placing someone's picture with bullets next to them, you are playing on the fears of people."

Persaud added that the picture has "the potential to cause harm" because a gun supporter upset about the proposal may react violently after seeing the imagery. Simon agreed with the sentiment adding, "They are clearly trying to be intimidating and it is not working."

This photo is reminiscent of one posted on Facebook in 2010 by Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) that listed several Democrats who voted for the Affordable Care Act and their districts in rifle crosshairs. In early 2011, Palin drew ire for that same photo after a mentally ill gunman in Tuscon, Ariz. killed six people and seriously wounded Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.), one of the representatives who appeared in the photo.

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NRA, New York City, Brooklyn, Gun control, Legislation, Bill, Gun violence, 2nd Amendment