The anti-gun nonprofit 97Percent has slithered back into the spotlight, rebranded and repackaged under the leadership of Christopher Carita, a former cop who couldn’t even secure a PTSD disability pension. Previously helmed by Elizabeth Troye—the ex-Trump administration official who pivoted to gun control after failing upward—this group’s return reeks of astroturf revival, complete with massive internal shakeups that do nothing to mask its core agenda. They’re still peddling the same tired playbook: assault weapon bans, high-capacity magazine restrictions, red-flag laws, and a laundry list of encroachments on Second Amendment rights, all dressed up as common ground with gun owners. Spoiler: the only common ground here is the one they’re trying to erode under our feet.
Dig deeper, and Carita’s backstory adds a layer of irony thicker than a suppressed AR-15 barrel. Denied a pension for alleged PTSD, this ex-cop now fronts an outfit that’s weaponizing mental health narratives to disarm law-abiding citizens via red-flag schemes—laws that have already led to no-knock raids and suicides in states like Colorado and New York. It’s classic projection: a guy claiming personal trauma leads the charge to preemptively strip rights from others based on mere suspicion. 97Percent’s 97% claim, by the way, stems from a cherry-picked, methodologically flawed poll from 2016 that ignored the vast middle ground of Americans who support self-defense rights. This isn’t evolution; it’s the same Bloomberg-funded machine recycling failed leaders to keep the pressure on.
For the 2A community, this resurrection signals red alert: expect a fresh wave of astroturf ads, social media blitzes, and state-level pushes timed for the midterms. Groups like this thrive on division, painting gun owners as extremists while their policies disarm the vulnerable—think urban minorities and rural hunters alike. The implication? Double down on voter turnout, support pro-2A legislators, and expose these grifts. 97Percent isn’t seeking dialogue; they’re reloading for the long game. Stay vigilant, armed, and informed—our rights depend on it.