ther besieged when New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, listed by the NRA as one of “the most virulently anti-gun politicians in America,” mobilized his Mayors Against Illegal Guns organization. The NRA’s Baker says Bloom-
berg “can write a $100 million check and not miss it.” As both sides in the gun-rights battle began to mobilize, a Bloom-
berg organization issued a national TV ad featuring members of a mur- dered family. The group also circulated a
report charging the NRA had “kept the country in the dark about gun violence.” Also in New York, Gov. Andrew
Cuomo, already appearing to vie with Vice President Joe Biden over who could seize the mantle
A Citadel for Gun Enthusiasts T
he least likely spot for gun control in America may soon be the “Citadel,” a walled community being planned in the mountains of Idaho. One condition for ownership there: All able-bodied residents 13 and older must own an AR-15 style weapon — and know how to use it. The U.K. Daily Mail
reports that over 200 families have already signed up to join the community, whose development is expected to begin later this year. Its website, IIICitadel.
blogspot.com, states that the community is the brainchild of an Idaho gun manufacturer, III Arms. The group’s blog states
that a Sandy Hook-type tragedy could never occur within its walls, adding they aim to off er residents “a framework of liberty and security that Patriots can build their own life in.” Special features of the
remote 640-acre gun-lover’s paradise include a gun range, schools, a gun-manufacturer’s shop, an armory, a firearms museum, gardens, a farmers’ market, a bank, a power plant, an underground shelter, an airstrip and helipad, orchards, and a post of ice. The entire community will be enclosed in walls that are fortified by towers. Its organizers say the
52 NEWSMAX | MARCH 2013
as the most anti-gun Democrat in anticipation of the 2016 Demo- cratic primary, rammed through the Empire State legislature a host of restrictive anti-gun laws chosen during closed-door meetings. With every new headline, the
political atmosphere grew increas- ingly charged. When Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., hosted a town-hall meeting in his Demo-
St . Maries
community will practice the values of patriotism, American exceptionalism, and “our proud history of Liberty as defined by our Founding Fathers.” When news of the community first broke
IDAHO
in January, it drew sharp criticism from nervous progressives. The strong reaction suggested it had touched a raw nerve.
Yet the Citadel website
makes plain that “Racists, bigots, sexists, or any other form of ‘ists’ that need someone to hate need not apply.” The site also off ers the proviso: “Marxists, Socialists, liberals and establishment Republicans will likely find that life in our community is incompatible with their existing ideology and preferred lifestyles.” So can a community of
patriots thrive as a business proposition? That remains to be seen. But the group’s leaders state that since the news of their elaborate redoubt broke, they’ve been deluged with inquiries. Their only regret, their
SHOOT FOR PRIVACY The Citadel plans boast a self-contained environment complete with all creature comforts.
blog states, is that “ultimately we won’t have room for everyone who wants to live in the Citadel.” — D.P.
SITE PLAN/COURTESY OF
IIICITADEL.COM
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