U.S.A. –-(Ammoland.com)- The Trump administration, as part of the struggle to contain and slow the spread of the Wuhan Flu, has issued a list of “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers”. The list has come from the Department of Homeland Security.
While the list is advisory, is not a directive, and has no penalties attached, it shows the thinking and priorities of the administration.
Producers, distributors, and retailers of firearms and ammunition are considered essential. In the excerpt below, the highlighting has been added. From cisa.gov:
There are many more categories listed beside the nine public safety categories above. The entire list includes 13 healthcare categories, the 9 public safety categories listed, 15 agriculture categories, 40 energy categories, 9 water and wastewater categories, 19 transportation categories, and 6 public works categories.
The inclusion of gun stores and shooting ranges may be taken as a warning to cities and states which have attempted to close those establishments by government fiat. Those attempts have met with strong resistance. The Los Angeles County Sheriff backed away from his attempt to close gun stores, then renewed his attempt to close them to all but state-sanctioned security forces. A lawsuit is in progress. From the latimes.com:
Villanueva sought to implement the closure earlier this week but was told by county lawyers that gun shops could be considered essential under county and state measures to encourage social distancing and cut the spread of the virus. The opinion forced the sheriff to backtrack and suspended the closure. But then Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said sheriffs do have the authority to make such closures. The cities of Pasadena and Los Angeles have also closed their gun stores.
The closure of gun stores in California is especially egregious, as California has banned private sales. All gun sales are required to obtain government approval through a government licensed gun store.
A common marker that Second Amendment supporters see as an indicator of incipient tyranny, is the shutdown of gun and ammunition sales. Banning the sale of firearms and ammunition shows a government entity regards armed citizens as more of a threat than an asset.
The Trump administration is showing it regards armed citizens as an asset, and the ability to provide for self and community defense as critical.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.