The gun ban lobby is livid following the Trump administration’s decision to add firearms dealers and manufactures to its list of essential services that should remain open during the COVID-19 crisis.
Politicians and law enforcement officials across the country tried to close gun shops and manufacturers as part of the nationwide shutdown, but the pro-gun community fought back by threatening lawsuits and asking the White House to protect the Second Amendment rights of American citizens.
This week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) added “workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges” to its list of essential critical infrastructure workforce.
The anti-gun group Everytown for Gun Safety immediately attacked the move in a letter to the DHS, arguing that “firearms won’t make people safer in the face of this pandemic.”
“The gun industry has been fear-mongering to stoke gun sales throughout this pandemic, pedaling a fiction that the only way to stay safe right now is to buy a gun — even in a time when there are troubling indicators of increased risk of domestic gun violence and gun suicide,” the letter states.
John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, accused the National Rifle Association of spreading the lie that COVID-19 could be killed with a firearm.
“There’s no reason why gun dealers should be deemed as essential as police, first responders, and hospital workers––people who are risking everything to save lives,” he said in a press release. “While there is much we don’t know about COVID-19, this much is clear: guns don’t make you safer from it. Because despite what the NRA would like you to believe, you can’t shoot a virus.”
SEE ALSO: Inmates Released to Protect Against COVID-19 Already Committing Murder
Gun rights groups applauded the move. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) noted that the military, law enforcement, and private citizens all rely on gun makers to supply firearms for protection in times of crisis.
“We have seen over the past week hundreds of thousands, even millions of Americans choosing to exercise their right to keep and bear arms to ensure their safety and the safety of loved ones during these uncertain times,” said Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for NSSF. “Americans must not be denied the ability to exercise that right to lawfully purchase and acquire firearms during times of emergency.”
Second Amendment Foundation founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb also praised the Trump administration and hypothesized that the coronavirus threat has forced Americans to reconsider the importance of the Second Amendment.
“It could be that the American public, by heading to gun shops and sporting goods stores as the Coronavirus panic spread, reminded government officials what the Second Amendment is really about,” Gottlieb observed. “Even people who never before owned a firearm rushed to buy one as the pandemic has spread. Instinctively, people headed to those places where they could buy guns and ammunition, which underscores just how essential those businesses really are.”
SEE ALSO: Ammo Makers, Gun Manufacturers Issue Statements Responding to COVID-19 Crisis
Even though the guidance from the DHS is not legally binding, it appears to be having its desired effect. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who had previous ordered gun stores closed and discouraged residents from purchasing firearms, reversed his decision on Monday.
“Based on further input from the federal government, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will not order or recommend closure of businesses that sell or repair firearms or sell ammunition,” Villanueva said in a written statement.
The sheriff admitted that the DHS guideline was an advisory only, but “…nonetheless, the federal memorandum is persuasive given the its national scope.”
“You can’t shoot a virus.”
Apparently you can’t cure it with an experimental mRNA therapy or slow it down with lockdown, face maskes, and social distancing either.
MWHAHahahahahaha!
“The gun industry has been fear-mongering to stoke gun sales throughout this pandemic, pedaling a fiction that the only way to stay safe right now is to buy a gun…” What a crock. All the fear-mongering has been done by the Demonrats, BLM, Antifa, and all the coverage they get from their toadies in the national media. The PEOPLE see owning guns as the only way to stay safe as spineless politicians stand back and order law enforcement to stand down while these communists try to take over our country.
In time of civil unrest, everyone needs to have means to defend their families and businesses and properties. Those were vandalized by looters suffered a lot, some even died because they were not prepared to defend themselves. It happened so fast caught people off guard. Government known in history is one that slaughtered its citizens by the billions. We can never trust any government to protect us. Stupid people have no common sense how to govern so when civil unrest happened they only craved in & let it happened. If you don’t have means of firearms to defend yourself, you can get rape, beaten, robbed, or even killed. Criminals know most household in America have guns that’s why they don’t break down the door to rob people. Citizens that have no guns in other countries, their government deal with them like nothing. Cities that suppressed 2nd Amendment in America, crimes are higher not less. When are people going to learn? “If man has learn anything from history, man has not learn anything from history.” “Nothing new under the sun.” King Solomon
That’s a man, man.
Shannon Watts became addicted to “the spotlight”. Now, being “famous” is far more important to her than any cause.
Dang, too bad the way she thinks…..she’s pretty hot…….how about posting some “Dad’s Demand Action” pics…..
I was recently verbally assaulted (cursed at vigorously) by a woman who is a current member of Moms. I quietly let her curse, until she had to pause for breath… when I tilted my head and asked “Moms Demand Action”? She frowned but nodded her head yes. My eyes lit up and I exclaimed, “I remember that! A famous porn movie in the late 1980s!! Wow. What role did you play?” My wife hurriedly pulled me away, but I heard the woman resume her cursing… all in all, I enjoyed that day!
These anti-gunners must think people are stupid to make the arguments they’re making. Just ask them what happens if half the police force gets sick with coronavirus? Who’s going to protect us?
Arguing with a liberal is like playing chess with a pigeon. Win or lose, they’ll strut around squawking, knocking all the pieces off the board, shitting all over the place, and thinking they won. It’s just pointless…
Ed, The Supreme Court has ruled that it is not the police forces job to protect you.
Duh! No idiot, you can’t shoot a virus, but you can shoot the Adam Henry that breaks into your house to rob you, or worse. How do these everytown people live? Seems they don’t have the brains to understand anything. Oh yeah, I forgot they are “liberals.” They only understand what they are told to believe by Little Mike and George Soros, who want to take away our guns so they can install their “New World Order” government.
Better to have it and not need it, than not have it and need it. This too Shall Pass…
Funny her name is Watts, like in lightbulb wattage, ’cause she’s not too bright.
Go fly a kite!!! Why don’t you take your indignation for the lawful ownership of guns and take on your corrupt government in the same way.
“John Feinblatt, president of John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, accused the National Rifle Association of spreading the lie that COVID-19 could be killed with a firearm.”
THAT is outright lie! As an NRA member, I have not had a single communication from them expressing that insipid idea. I’m calling-out John Feinblatt and Everytown for Gun Safety for the big liars and disinformation
peddlers that they’ve always been. All they do is attempt to foment emotional hysteria among the ignorant masses; their supporters.
Feinblatt is a NYC lawyer, former advisor to Bloomberg, supports “immigration reform,” and is gay.
About says it all, doesn’t it?
To paraphrase Dan Ackroyd, from back in the day when Saturday Night Live was actually funny, and not a branch of the Demonrat Party propaganda machine, “Shannon, you ignorant slut”.
You are nothing more than a paid shill for an organization that is completely ignorant of what the Constitution says and means. Why aren’t you demanding that the thousands of laws that actually DO PUNISH the criminals be enforced? Why aren’t you demanding that sentencing laws be enforced?
Because YOU ARE A FRAUD! You and your ignorant followers are using the boogeyman of “GUN CRIME” for a deeper purpose. We are on to you and your puppets. You will never disarm the American people. We will never surrender our God given right to protect and defend ourselves from those who would do us harm, physically AND politically.
And the simple fact that every time you speak, or present any kind of data to support your position, it can be proven in a matter of seconds to be a complete and total pack of lies. If you actually had a true and valid argument to make, you wouldn’t have to couch your argument in a steaming sack of lies. You will fail Shannon, and soon be relegated to the ash heap of irrelevance. A just reward for the litany of lies that your life has become.
Madam, you ARE an idiot.
i wonder how many EVERYTOWNERS ran out and bought a gun for protection?
. ” Inmates Released to Protect Against COVID-19 Already Committing Murder” John Feinblatt is a total mindless idiot. The more the Government and state governments continue to close down the economy, the worse things are likely to get. No one is saying that John Feinblatt has to be armed in order to protect himself. In fact, maybe he should run around with a sign on his back saying, ” I am unarmed” so that criminals will know that he is a mindless idiot and an easy prey.
Maybe you can’t shoot a virus but you can shoot a turkey to feed your family.When the store shelf’s are bare.
Spring Gooble is just around the corner.
You can’t shoot a virus is correct, but you can shoot a virus carrier, or a sub-human 2 legged virus who’s trying to kill you.
You can’t shoot a virus but you can shoot a murderous thug who was released from prison because of the virus.
Ironic, isn’t it, that here we have the ideal solution to give criminals what they truly deserve, and not what the corrupt, morally bankrupt legal system metes out to them. Keep them in prison and let Nature take its course in the form of Covid-19. As Capt. Picard would say: “Make it so.”
Agreed. It would also take care of that pesky “prison overcrowding” problem we have. Two birds. One stone, named Covid-19
Perhaps nationwide martial law could override Constitutional freedoms, but to single out the Second Amendment in this case is not enforceable and would have generated lawsuits everywhere down the road. To be honest, considering all the misinformation, hype and hysteria created by the media, it would have been better to shut down the First Amendment of a free press, maybe all the lemmings in the nation would not have jumped off the same cliff.
Shanon Watts is a slimy Weasel who used to be a shill for Monsanto!
Another clueless Dem POS
no but you can shoot a liberal democrat that spreads it just where did the pandemic start in the usa?
A guy on another forum said he had a gun and if the virus came around he was gonna shoot it -THAT sort of lame ‘joke’ is what fuels folks like watts and feinblatt to make their bogus claims. When I pointed that out to the jokester he went all name calling and hostile. Sometimes our supposed allies are indeed our worst enemies. SMH.
As to feinblatt, I certainly hope that if he needs police/fire/ems they are NOT sidelined due to being infected or quarantined – as many of them already are.
I joke with store personnel that if someone violates the “6-ft rule,” I’ll protect myself by shooting them. Most just laugh and say: “That’ll work.”
Good thing Feinblatt didn’t overhear my joke or he’d probably “Red Flag” me!
Where I live the police department has a daily crime report and a map view where they were called to. We have had shelter in place for over a week now yet the calls they respond to have not diminished and now there is a local rights group that wants the jail to release prisoners because they are “at risk”. Well the rest of us are going to be at risk for other things if these people get released. I am prepared.
It’s this simple to explain, to protect those law abiding citizens from all the law breakers who steal, Rob, or borrow, with the intension hurting someone else!!!
I think her last name is misspelled. Drop the “s” at the end of her last name and move a “t” to the beginning!!!
Since she reared her pretty face I have found thst she Can’t Understand Normal Thinking.
Watts wants to disarm us, but she has Armed Security, You can check this out, Put this in Your Search Engine “does shan non w atts have security” then watch “Dana Loe sch confronts Shan non W atts” this should answer all questions.
Ms. Watts can kiss my brown starfish.
If she doesn’t like the Constitution, She is GUARANTEED the right to leave.
They can pass any gun confiscating law they wish, it’s easy to pass crap, a lot harder to enforce it. In my neighborhood it would be all at fire fight.
Shannon Watts is a twit
As Police Departments and Sheriffs are releasing convicted criminals form jails and prisons across the country, there is yet another good reason for citizens to protect themselves and those we love.
The release of those criminals is a direct result of the virus, so, yes, gun stores, ranges and repair shops are indeed critical.
The NRA said that you could kill the virus with a gun? Huh, I guess I missed that press release, along with the ones encouraging everyone to go out and buy guns. When they lie this blatantly, what makes the people at Everytown think that people still believe them? (Rather, I think it is pretty obvious that even the anti-gun everyman has realized the risk from possibly a hundred of thousand dead people and an absence of police on social order and headed to the nearest gun store.)
Hey! You know the difference between a Pedophile and a Yo-Yo!??! A Yo-Yo comes back up after it reaches the end of the ROPE!!!!! Hanging’s to good for them! But it’s a good start
As she is protected by armed security
Technically she is only partially correct because it depends on what the virus is infecting-if infecting people not so much but if the virus(disease) is threatening the safety of your family or infecting rights or freedom then you most certainly can shoot the virus.
They collect big dollar amounts to protest against your 2nd Amendment rights, the last thing in the world they want is for you to loose those rights, they would then be out of a job. Imagine what the money they waste on this BS could achieve if it were directed at real issues.
If sharon watts had any common sense: she would buy a gun too!!! As WuFlu sticks around there will probably be some ND” injuries, suicides that can be tracked to new and untrained owners, its the nature of things. She will plaster those events as “I told you so!”, while ignoring the actions and life saving defensive gun uses. Same sharon shit, different day.
Surely there will be large numbers of coverts from the staunch anti-gun ranks even if the posession of a firearm gave them peace of mind along with a defensive capability.