U.S.A. – -(Ammoland.com)- “Bay Area orders ‘shelter in place,’ only essential businesses open in 6 counties,” the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday. “Businesses that do not provide ‘essential’ services must send workers home. Among those remaining open are grocery stores, pharmacies, restaurants for delivery only and hardware stores.”
What about gun stores? If we’re talking that which is essential, what is it the Founders deemed “necessary to the security of a free State”? How is that not relevant in this situation that has developed into what we are being told is a national and global state of emergency? We’ve already seen government has been utterly incapable of protecting the populace, and it appears things are only going to get worse and resources more strained. What do we do if civil order collapses, those resources are triaged and most areas are essentially left to fend for themselves?
I sent a copy of the City and County of San Francisco order to a prominent name in the “gun rights” movement with resources to file legal actions and was essentially dismissed when he replied, “since there are no gun stores left in San Francisco it is of no consequence.” I’m not going to name him here because we have enough to tackle without starting another internecine squabble and I suspect he’ll come around. Remember, we’re talking “6 counties” and the Chronicle report notes “the orders…are all similarly worded.”
There are plenty of gun shops in the Bay Area. And they are not specifically deemed “essential,” which means they interpretively fall under the closure order. The thing is, there’s not a lot out there right now to corroborate my opinion coming from either government or “news” sources, so I checked some of the websites and social media accounts for some of the stores listed at the above link.
“Dear customers, we are CLOSED by order of Santa Clara County due to COVID-19.”
“Reed’s will be closed through April 7th. If you have a gun to pick-up, you will receive a call with further information.”
Reed’s also included a link to the Santa Clara County order in their post. See “Section 10.f.” for those businesses declared “essential”:
What this means is, the Bay Area’s anti-gun (in private hands) rulers could be having an eye-rolling feeding frenzy come true and be exploiting the crisis to make sure that citizens who don’t have guns and/or ammunition stay disarmed as it worsens and turns into who knows what?
I put in inquiries to a couple of other places Tuesday night but they have not responded at this writing. I just got off the phone moments ago with one where the clerk confirmed they were affected and who referred me to his manager, who was understandably reluctant to speak to anyone from the media. You can’t blame him, the unfair way these guys are consistently treated. Another store manager, who was not willing to go on the record due to the same reluctance to talk to media, informed me not all stores are closing including his, and that they interpret the order to exclude essential businesses, of which they consider themselves.
That’s the proper and principled attitude to take, but it may not prove to be one that holds up in enforcement actions, especially in the Bay Area, so I called Santa Clara County for clarification. Their rep wouldn’t give me a direct answer and I am now waiting for him to email me a hotline number accessible from out of the area. If this article is posted before I get the information, I will update it when and if I do, but note when he found out what I wanted he couldn’t seem to hang up fast enough (and I subsequently sent them a Facebook message).
And this just in:
But after customers lined up around gun stores in several counties Tuesday — including outside the Bullseye Bishop in San Jose — San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo declared that “gun stores are non-essential.”
While some will no doubt conclude Bay Area constituents are getting just what they voted for, good and hard, we have no real assurances that the same ordered closures will not happen at the national level — especially if we start seeing increased urban violence and Astroturf disarmament zealots, control freak politicians, and the media start screaming.
Case in point, check out what the U.S. Department of Homeland Security considers to be “National Critical Functions”:
“The functions of government and the private sector so vital to the United States that their disruption, corruption, or dysfunction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination thereof.”
Anybody see anything in there about the Constitutional Militia, or the right of the people to keep and bear arms? Will there ever be a time to activate “the Militia of the several States”? Before it’s too late and some of us just say the hell with it and activate ourselves out of raw survival instinct…?
Of course not—the intent is for the populace to turn to a provide-all government interested primarily in maintaining and increasing its power, even when they clearly don’t know what the hell they’re doing and opposing factions are exploiting the crisis for political advantage. That’s especially troubling considering our supposedly “pro-gun” administration is still of the official opinion, even after being publicly petitioned, that “The Second Amendment gives citizens the right to bear arms.”
The marketplace is essential to freedom. Constitutional scholar Edwin Viera Jr. has demonstrated, among other places, in his Motion for Leave to File Brief Amici Curiae to the Supreme Court of the United States in Kolbe v. Hogan:
“This reliance on a permanent private market for firearms guaranteed that most militiamen, through their own efforts, could always obtain firearms suitable for both collective and individual self-defense, and forestalled tyranny by precluding rogue public officials from monopolizing the production, distribution, and possession of firearms.”
The president doesn’t shy away from issuing executive actions on guns when they serve his purposes and he is depending on gun owners to be reelected in November. It would be more than appropriate if he ordered Homeland Security to recognize the need of the people to lawfully obtain guns during national emergencies to the point that a disruption in supply “would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination thereof.”
Do it, Mr. President.
Unless it’s all been just words and the Second Amendment is now officially deemed “non-essential.”
Afterword: Following the submission of this draft, new questions are arising concerning the potential disruption of NICS.
Also see: Coronavirus Hysteria Raises Legitimate Gun and Freedom Concerns
About David Codrea:
David Codrea is the winner of multiple journalist awards for investigating/defending the RKBA and a long-time gun owner rights advocate who defiantly challenges the folly of citizen disarmament. He blogs at “The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance,” is a regularly featured contributor to Firearms News, and posts on Twitter: @dcodrea and Facebook.
So all the gov’t has to do is declare ‘gun violence’ as an emergency and voila, all gun stores are closed. CA residents had better get a clear definition of what an actual emergency is.
The good folks of northern California know that! As do the good folks of southern Oregon! Unfortunately they’re hamstrung by the peckerheads in control.
PHYSICALLY remove them from control, when they are elected and FAIL to the will of the Const, and the people, It’s YOUR DUTY TO remove them, BY FORCE if necessary.
I guess I’m naïve, however, I have a few simple questions: How can a city, county, or state “official” ORDER the citizenry what not to do or what to do “what-ever?” Doesn’t an “Order” have to be based on law? What “law” has been passed & by whom? From what I read the Fed’s have made “suggestions”. Does LE have the legal authority to arrest someone if they do not shelter in place or what-ever the Order directs? What are the consequences (penalty – penalties) if the Order is not followed? Along with the Order is the offense spelled out,… Read more »
Graystone —
It’s a fine line the Gov treads, and that we the people allow for. To allow unfettered freedoms under these conditions is to allow for death and destruction on a grand scale, and a gun slinging mayhem that would make “The Purge” proud. These are trying times to be sure, and especially trying when it’s up to us to keep watch. What’s trying to be kept under wraps is death and dying and massive civil disobedience. No country would survive long under these conditions.
It’s a valid point, and yes, most states are talking about a mandatory quarantine as a “strong suggestion” without proposing a penalty, which makes sense. If these orders came with penalties then people would be screaming about tyrannical government and infringement on their rights. So they’re actually going about it the right way for a change.
All California orders carry misdemeanor penalties. If you watched the news conference by the San Jose police chief he said they are looking for every health, license and code infraction they can apply to force compliance. Like every evil, this was sold as do it for the common good, now the communist jack boots are forcing people to wake and see this is about control over the people. It wont stay calm if the communist in California’s city, County and State government employee position’s continue to threaten their bosses.
It’s California, what did you expect?
This is simply one unreasonable impediment stacked upon an entire pyramid of unreasonable impediments that render your right to keep and bear arms moot in Kalifornia and other blue utopias. Other such impediments are the DoJ “safe” list of certified safe handguns. Note that many police departments carry and issue guns not on that list. Go figure. Ten day waiting periods The state’s own and often incompetently managed Dealer Record of Sale Database system. Are those folks ordered home as well? .Don’t get me started on magazine bans, feature bans and the rest. In the end, getting a gun through… Read more »
TO::Anyone on the left coast
Have a nice BCM slightly used with a sig romeo 4dr red dot and 1 p mag with 30 rounds in it too!! For the low low price of $ 8999.00 cashiers check only no background check no wait time…lol fools
We told you
We warned you
Now look atcha..sanctuary city doesn’t sound so good now does it…good luck Y’ALL
@SEMPAI, Yep, from sanctuary to “sunktuary.”
I can remember a time when firearms were referred to as “hardware.” If only there were a virus which would cleanse this world of unrighteousness. Well, there is but people have to willingly invite Him into their life.
Something that the godless commiecrats will NEVER do. They have grieved away the Holy Spirit.
@OV, Just keep changing the sign. Hardware, Gen. Merchandise, Dry goods, Mercantile store, Notions and other things store … It could be a fun game.
Are you getting all the rain that we are getting? Not a dry place for the animals to stand for two weeks. I have two horses that have come down with abscesses.
Sears and Monkey Wards used to list guns (long and short), amunition, et,c in their catalogues, anyone could buy them by mail, delivered direct to your door by the GreySuits. Or, if you were close enough, simply go to one of their stores, drop the greenbacks on the counter, and walk out. Western Auto, Ace Hardware, and plenty of other hardware and general merchanidise stores had guns, ammo, even full sticks of dynamite, out on the shelves. I used by buy boxes of .22 LF (for aobut two bits) when I was twelve, No one batted an eye or questioined… Read more »
Tionico
I bought a 20 ga. s.s. in 1966 from J.C. Penny’s. Still have it. Still in good condition. Still use it when I can.
Those were the “Good Ol Days”!
I really like the idea that anti-gunners are waking to the fact that tis better to have a gun and not need it, than to need it and not have it. My only hope is that this national crisis will bring them around on what has been their flawed way of thinking. For those that still don’t have a gun, this is where you reap what you sow. And what you have sown is the fact that now many of you will be facing the wrong end of a barrel as you try to scavenge a firearm from those that… Read more »
Don’t think they’ll stay awake. Many of the sheeple who are “discovering” that bad times are better with guns than without, are the same people who “discovered” the same lesson during the LA riots… then promptly forgot it again. Sincere foxhole conversions are few and far between.
Jeremiah had the right idea about where to live.
“The battlefield is a scene of constant chaos. The winner will be the one who controls that chaos, both his own and the enemies.”
Napoleon Bonaparte
Thank you David Codrea for yet another excellent informative article.
This is a common story we’ve seen everytime there is a catastrophic event. We know that the anti-2A will miss NO opportunity to squeeze just a little tighter each and every time! But as we see, in the food and daily necessary items we should have already in place, hype leads to panic and chaos. In that chaos comes the thoughts that “oh crap…..I should get a gun and a box of ammo”! It’s a predictable response that these anti-2A politicians are now prepared for. And sadly the people running to the gun stores, in panic, aren’t prepared mentally to… Read more »
It’s not puzzling at all. Humanity has always been divided between the producers and the moochers. The USA has enough moochers to populate an entire political party, and part of another.
Given that it’s now a fact of life in America that in any right-wing group of three people, two are government informants, self-activation is the only possible means of activation remaining.
As for California, let it burn.
What goes around comes around. Your state is not immune from laws enacted by other states.
That is hands-down the most idiotic, moronic, retarded, uneducated asinine thing I’ve read in the last 48 hours!! One state’s laws are a nullity in another state. Commiefornia laws are of no effect in Indiana. Or Nevada! No state’s laws have been enforceable in another state, EVER!
Good work, Clark. You just won the “Special Kind of Stupid” award for the 3rd week of March 2020!
He’s not exactly wrong WF. Maura Healy in Massachusetts is a perfect example. When one government gun snatcher see’s another’s work they aspire too they will simply create their own version of same. Legality be damned.
@AH – I’m going by a strict construction of what Clark said. It ‘s not smart to assume meanings. But your take points out another problem. When commiecrats are successful in one state with liberty-crushing schemes, they promptly share their ideas, tactics and practices with other would-be tyrants in other states. Dems are very networked because like the Borg, they revere the collective and function best as a part of it. That doesn’t mean a CA law is enforceable elsewhere as Clark Kent suggested. You said what he SHOULD have… that ideas can be viral. And Leftists are a pathogen… Read more »
@WF, You are 99.9% correct. And I am not making superdope’s case for him, and I am sure that he is unaware. There is, however, the Full Faith and Credit clause. Please see U.S. Constitution at Article IV, section 1.
That section is how California, famously, attempted to force their notion of homosexual marriage onto the rest of the country.
I’m familiar with the Full Faith & Credit clause. It was intended by the founders to cover contracts, bank transfers, and other interstate transactions, among other things, since we are one nation. It’s been extended to other useful state actions such as issuing driver licences….
But it was never intended to facilitate the imposition of one state’s unconstitutional actions on the people of another state. No, the matter is simple. We put our foot down and JUST SAY NO! If that doesn’t work, you go and PHYSICALLY REMOVE THE OFFENDERS!!!
@WF, Ok, just thought that I would mention it.
But Full Faith and Credit NEVER works to force California to take their own medicine, does it?
That’s why THEY MUST PHYSICALLY be removed from office BY ARMS if necessary, time we RETOOK our heritage and rights GOD gave us,YOU are their OVERSEERS, if they are NOT ADHERING to the CONST and Federal law you MUST REMOVE THEM.
@Dos, While I admire your positive waves, could we try the next election, before getting into something that is a lot of work, treasure and blood?
Sure it is, LEAD is a great communication tool.
@"MCCLOUD!", Do you have some examples?
Screw the Government, the CONST is the SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND.
I highly oppose gun stores being closed by government during a civil emergency. Meanwhile, I have to question the attitude of anyone who, during times when supplies are high, prices are relatively low, and access is best, does not make decent preparations for possible emergencies. People who sit on their rears until access closes because of runs on supplies, or closures like this, and then whine that the world is being unfair, get no praise from me. My sympathy extends to them a little, because I hate to see people in a fix, but they don’t really deserve that, either.… Read more »
Yesterday, everyone in the communist californiacation was remanded by their governor to remain in their homes for the next two weeks. I wonder how many people have food stores enough for two weeks. There is potential for serious trouble and commie calif has been denying or delaying most every American citizen their GOD given, constitutionally protected RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS for decades. When things and/or times get desperate, people will do desperate things at times.
Arm up, carry on.
Did you notice, the county health department orders had a 21 day end date, communist Nutsomes order has no end date and he has been threatening to keep the schools closed for a year and to order martial law, even said he has reviewed the orders and had them updated.
If by now you don’t have guns & ammo then you were probably for gun control before. Just keep the wool pulled over your eye & use your smart phone.
And don’t call 911. Call 415-433-2062 to get help, and ask for Mark Kelley.
Someone help me with this was it the state of Louisiana that answered this for the state or the Supreme Court of US that stated guns would Not be infringed upon or confiscated during state of emergency, just after hurricane Katrina?
Note article in this edition concerning New New Orleans for Clarification of my point above. It was US Supreme court
It was the City and Mayor of New Orleans that had to answer for it — the state had practically nothing to do with what they did to their own residents.
A Tennessee guntuber on youtube is saying the instant check system is completely offline, and though he showed the website on-camera, I couldnt read it, except for the big red warning message splashed across the page.
https://youtu.be/XYD5J3gILSc
The Feds are SO FAR behind they are not even doing NICS checks, just buy and and do the Commie 4473.
You know, I seem to recall that if the feds can’t get the BGC done in 3 days, the FFL can simply release the firearm to the buyer. Pretty sure I’d seen that in the law, or the CFR.
Or am I wrong?
I’m no fan of NICS. There are non-infringing ways to keep career criminals from buying guns from either brick-and-mortar gun stores or even private sellers. Forgot what it’s called, but there’s one way that I heard of where the verification process is privatized, not run by the government. So I really do agree with you. We also need to abolish the BATF and all federal gun laws, as all of them are infringements. Also state gun control laws that don’t involve criminal misuse of firearms (things like armed robbery, murder, etc.) need to get the ax. Hell, I don’t think… Read more »
@WF, It is kind of a shame as it is the libtards that are trying to get firearms now. We already have ours. But anything that would impede the libtards from completing their firearm purchase would be … very entertaining!
Well then, WB, thank Governor Newscum of Commiefornia. He put his entire state on a mandatory police-enforced lockdown. No one allowed out of their homes except for absolute necessity and he declared gun purchases off-limits, ordering the closure of all gun stores. If anyone bought a gun and passed the BGC and was waiting the mandatory 10 days before pick-up, is now screwed. They won’t be able to pick up their guns at all now. Funny, yeah, but wholly unconstitutional what he’s doing. It is an illegal imposition of martial law. It impedes more rights than I can count. No… Read more »
That was not said to be an absolute statement. What I meant by that was, when the crisis abates, they’ll realize they still hate all guns, realize that while threatened they wanted a gun, suddenly appreciate how hypocritical that made them, then in order to purge their guilt, they’ll get rid of their gun then go back to demanding yours be taken away too. They don’t merely hate our guns, they hate US. They want us rounded up and shoved into gas chambers. Disarming us first is just the means to the end. Hard agree, as long as a socialist… Read more »
Those unable to acquire firearms when they want will also hate those who have firearms – because of the “unfairness” of it all. For many this experience may drive them to push for more gun control. My suspicion is that many of those seeking to get a first gun are doing so out of awareness that we have guns, making us scary. True gun haters do not believe violence can occur without a gun, or if it does it cannot really hurt you. They believe that if they have a gun, in most cases any gun, that alone makes them… Read more »
Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act on September 30, 2006 and it became Public Law 109-295.[4]
https://www.congress.gov/109/plaws/publ295/PLAW-109publ295.pdf
‘‘SEC. 706. FIREARMS POLICIES
120 STAT. 1391
42 USC 5207
Appreciate you providing cite. But “(c) PRIVATE RIGHTS OF ACTION.—” suggests “comply with any violations, and seek redress after”. …
Just another way for the liberals to limit guns!
Yep pedo’s should never be armed but by ALL MEANS, give’em a bullet.
Oh Will, have a heart. Double-tap at least. (Actually, I think some duct tape and a pack of wild boars might be better)
Terry, if I do a double tap on a pedo it’ll probably be one to the nuts and one to the gut. Then toss them into the hog pen slathered in peanut butter and their ankles duct-taped together tight. Then it’s get out the lawn chair, grab some popcorn and my cooler with ice-cold beer.
Alameda County Sheriffs harassed the only 2 gun stores serving the unincorporated areas for 2 days then forced closure yesterday. What we have now is going towards martial law instead of a health order as it has been written. Alameda County must be enjoined to stop these illegal actions immediately.
PEOPLE OF CALI!,when are you going to W T FU and THROW THOSE Cksukers OUT of office?, manually drag their asses OUT.Why do you continue to put up with the COMMUNIST BS these sorry Bstds are PULLING on you?,they are SUBVERTING your INALIENABLE RIGHT to keep and Bear arms.
They are ILLEGAL ORDERS, and they violate the Federal Law and Constitutional LAW,THE CONST say’s they cannot DENY YOU THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR(CARRY) arms.
So GO and retake your rights.Stop being PUSSIES.
Easy to say when you live in a state that hasn’t been taken over by left wing nut cases. You think we didn’t fight all the BS that happened in CA? You think we just sat back and let it happen? We went door to door, we posted signs, we voted for conservatives and what happened? The left wing loonies in LA and SF out voted us. Don’t be too hard on your brothers who live there and can’t leave bc of family and jobs, help them if you can. It could happen to you too! AS for me. I… Read more »
And the state supreme court was paid off to over turn every legal law or ruling in favor and uphold every illegal law and ruling. Rule by law died I this state in late 90’s when the communists took over.
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom announces statewide coronavirus ‘stay at home’ order. The order prohibits gatherings outside and required nonessential businesses to close.”
https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-gov-gavin-newsom-announces-statewide-stay-at-home-order
Fk Newsom, if I saw him I WOULD BITCH SLAP that useless ckskr.
What scares me is precedent. If antigunners can make it stick gun stores are not essential in this crisis, they can claim they are not essential in the next, then that we don’t really need guns anyhow.
This can not be allowed to stand.