Keep and Bear Arms - Gun Owners Home Page

As Home Defense Sales Rise, So Do Calls for Safe Gun Storage
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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As fears of the coronavirus have increased dramatically in recent weeks across the U.S., so have sales of handguns, shotguns, tasers, pellet guns, and pepper spray, many to first-time buyers of these products, retailers say.

Accurate consumer firearm sales figures are hard to come by, but statistics from the FBIs National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which cover all types of guns ranging from pistols to shotguns, are often used as a proxy for the gun market.

CO: Denver DA declines to file charges in shooting death of 19-year-old
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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The Denver District Attorneys Office declined to charge a person in the shooting death of a 19-year-old Saturday night after determining that it was in self defense.

We did not believe we could prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt after the evidence showed the suspect was acting in self-defense. Therefore, we refused it for filing, Carolyn A. Tyler, Denver District Attorneys Office spokeswoman, said.

Bel Air man slashes would-be burglar Wednesday with knife, will not be charged, sheriffs office says Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
A Bel Air man stopped a would-be burglar from entering his home after he refused to give him money Wednesday night, according to the Harford County Sheriffs Office. Deputies responded to the 1200 block of Athens Court in Bel Air around 11:50 p.m. for a report of an attempted burglary. As they drove there, deputies were told the person was still trying to force his way into the house.

MN: Governor Walz Issues Executive Order in Response to Covid 19
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Tim Walz has issued Executive Order 20-20, the Stay at Home order which takes effect tomorrow. This order includes a requirement for all individuals to suspend activities unless they are obtaining products needed to maintain the safety, sanitation, and essential operation of homes and residences, businesses and personally-owned vehicles. His order failed to mention anything specific regarding firearm manufacturers or retailers. For now, gun stores in Minnesota are open and operational. During this time of uncertainty, it is critical that law-abiding citizens remain able to access their Second Amendment right to self-defense.

CA: Sheriff: Gun stores offer 'essential' services under stay-at-home order
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
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The Shasta County sheriff has determined that gun stores provide "essential services" under the terms of the governor's stay-at-home order.

Gov. Gavin Newsom was asked Wednesday during a news conference about gun sales during the stay-at-home order and he said he was leaving it up to individual county sheriff's to determine whether gun stores provided essential services under the terms of the order.

On Thursday, Sheriff Eric Magrini said he deemed stores that sell guns and ammunition provide essential services.

Guns not always used to take life Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Rev. John Daniels offers us the opinion that firearms are "designed to take life away (Missoulian, March 21). I do not doubt that Daniels correctly expresses how he would use a firearm. Daniels is surely the expert on himself. However, he should not so quickly project his own character and intent onto the rest of us.

What We Have Here...is a failure to communicate Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
Reporting from the totalitarian Garden State, gun-grabber-Phil Murphy, in his race to the bottom with other Radical-Liberal-State-Governors has not only ordered a stay-at-home for non-essential businesses, but now closed all retail businesses selling firearms, ammunition, along with the online portal (NICS) for firearm background checks; plus all public and private practice ranges. Why?

NJ: Glassboro gun shop sues Murphy in bid to resume weapons sales Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
A Glassboro gun shop has gone to court in an effort to operate under New Jersey's state of emergency. Bob's Little Sport Shop is one of three plaintiffs in a lawsuit that contends Gov. Phil Murphy's stay-at-home order violates the civil rights of people who want to buy firearms. The governor's March 21 order imposed a statewide shutdown on "non-essential retail businesses," including gun shops.

MA: Law-abiding gun owners deserve to have them
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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The reason why gun shops have lines out the door can be easily explained by the popular bumper sticker WHEN SECONDS COUNT THE POLICE ARE MINUTES AWAY.

We see what people will do for a four-pack of toilet paper. What do you think they will do for that last package of hot dogs? The Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts has been saying for years that self-defense is a civil right. Some politicians in Nannychusetts think that taking guns away from law-abiding citizens, especially in a time of civil unrest (killer virus!) is a solution.

Coronavirus crackdowns causing friction as gun stores deemed nonessential businesses
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Grocery stores, pharmacies, banks and gas stations are obvious answers, but there is one industry that has divided local officials and citizens over whether it is really an essential business: gun stores.

With firearms and ammunition retailers from New York to California reporting record sales over the last few weeks, state governors are deciding whether to allow dealers to keep their doors open or not.

As of Thursday, seven states in total Delaware, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York and Washington have issued orders for gun dealers to close up shop for the foreseeable future, while 17 others have explicitly allowed them to stay open, albeit in some cases with customer and operating restrictions.

ME: Gun Stores Being Shut Down
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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In response to COVID-19, Governor Mills issued an executive order that required all non-essential businesses to close their physical locations that allow in-person contact until April 8th. Today, Kittery Trading Post a gun store was shut down as a non-essential business!

Please act now and call on Governor Mills to correct this egregious error and make firearm dealers essential businesses. It is extremely unfortunate that in these uncertain times, an elected official would limit the ability of law-abiding citizens to exercise our inherent right to self-defense. Firearm dealers are essential to exercising this right!

PA: Gun Shops Allowed to Reopen on a Limited Basis Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are no comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
During the current Covid 19 outbreak, many businesses were forced to close because they are considered non-life-sustaining. Up until yesterday, Governor Tom Wolf considered gun stores, and by extension the Second Amendment, non-life-sustaining as well. With customers lined up out the doors attempting to exercise their Second Amendment rights, gun stores were forced to close.

ID: Governor Little Protects the Second Amendment Gun Stores Will Remain Open
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Governor Brad Littles recent Order to Self-Isolate designates firearm-related businesses, including gun stores, as essential, exempting them from being shut down during this state of emergency. In doing so, Gov. Little reaffirms that the Second Amendment is the law of the land while other jurisdictions are using the pandemic as an excuse to strip Americans of their fundamental right of self-defense.

FL: Declared as essential businesses, gun stores thrive as other businesses close down
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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On Wednesday, amid the widespread shutdowns triggered by the coronavirus outbreak, a cluster of men and a single woman paced around the parking lot of the Shoot Straight Fort Lauderdale gun shop.

The shooting range was closed but customers, several wearing face masks and surgical gloves, were being allowed into the store four at a time. Some had to wait for three hours.

Sales have been brisk for Floridas gun shops since the virus started its march across the U.S.

Truckers Call for Second Amendment Right Nationwide During Emergency Submitted by: Mark A. Taff Website: http://www.marktaff.com	There are 2 comments on this story Post Comments \| Read Comments
A group of small business truckers has sent an email to the Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. The email asks that, as part of the national emergency involving the Chinese virus, the federal government declare the Second Amendment overrides state law and federal regulation forbidding truckers from exercising their Second Amendment rights.

WA: Firearm businesses deemed non-essential in Washington: 'It's a violation of people's Second Amendment rights'
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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With Washington Governor Jay Inslee and Idaho Governor Brad Little issuing stay at home orders during the coronavirus outbreak, they've both released lists of what is deemed an essential business in their respective states.

You can read those lists here (Washington & Idaho), and you'll notice there are a lot of similarities: such as health care workers, first responders and grocery store workers.

However, there is at least one glaring difference between the two: firearm businesses.

NJ: Pennacchio to Governor: Honor U.S. Constitution and Second Amendment Rights
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Senator Joe Pennacchio today called on Governor Murphy to respect the Constitution of the United States and classify firearms retailers as essential so they can reopen for business during the coronavirus emergency.

Now is not the time to make decisions based on political ideology and violate the Second Amendment rights of citizens, said Pennacchio (R-26). The governor should reconsider his order closing gun shops that effectively bans the sale of guns. There is too much at stake during this pandemic to trample on the rights of people who are justifiably worried about the health and safety of their families.

Bidens Odious Remarks on Curtailing 2nd Amendment Rights Part 2
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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Biden, like all scheming Anti-Constitutionalist Anti-Second Amendment Neoliberal Transnationalist Globalist Collectivist Establishment politicians, is an obsequious, compliant stooge of the secretive Billionaire Globalist Corporatists. He duplicitously and hypocritically claims to support the Second Amendment, when he does not. He suggests that compelling Americans to compromise the exercise of their fundamental, primordial, immutable, unalienable rightsuch as forcing Americans to surrender their semiautomatic firearms, and confining ammunition magazine capacityis fully consistent with his claim to support preservation of the elemental right of the people to keep and bear arms.

WA: Edmonds mayor changes mind on emergency firearms amendment
Submitted by: Mark A. Taff
Website: http://www.marktaff.com

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At the meeting, scheduled at 3 p.m. Friday, March 27, he will ask councilmembers to support an amendment to Section 6.60.090 of the City Code ("Disaster Preparation, Emergency Coordination, and Civil Emergencies") which lays out items that could potentially be invoked by order of a mayor in case of emergency by removing the subsection, which relates to "carrying or possessing firearms with intent to do bodily harm."

On social media and in messages to the Edmonds Beacon, numerous readers have contended that Nelson is overreaching and tampering with the Second Amendment's right to bear arms.