From the NSSF:
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker closed federally licensed firearm dealers after briefly listing them open as “essential” services. The move effectively denies Massachusetts residents of their Second Amendment civil rights, under the guise of emergency health orders.
Gov. Baker quietly updated the Bay State’s COVID-19 guidance to mirror the updated guidance published by the Department of Homeland Security, listing firearm manufacturing, distribution and retailers as “essential critical infrastructure” that should remain open during the coronavirus pandemic.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearm and ammunition industry, alerted Massachusetts member retailers of the updated state guidance. Just hours later though, Gov. Baker reversed course, ordering firearm retailers closed. The language that originally included firearm retailers and ranges was struck and no longer appears on the guidance.
When NSSF inquired about the reversal, the answer received was “to keep as many people home as possible.” That doesn’t align with other businesses allowed to remain open in Massachusetts as essential. Gov. Baker’s order keeps liquor stores open yet denies law-abiding citizens the ability to lawfully purchase firearms for self-protection, a Constitutionally-protected individual civil right.
“This antipathy for the respect of the right of Massachusetts citizens to protect themselves is alarming,” said Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for NSSF. “Every other governor in New England is permitting their citizens the right to acquire a firearm. Even the governors of New Jersey and Pennsylvania have now recognized the limits of their authority to infringe on fundamental American rights and reversed course. Gov. Baker’s using a health crisis to further an antigun agenda that denies Americans their rights is inexcusable.”
Gov. Baker’s antigun bias is well documented and also recently extended to denying firearm retailers he forced to be closed from accessing emergency small business loans. Gov. Baker listed firearm-related businesses as ineligible for the aid yet denies them by force of order from operating their businesses. The NSSF is calling upon Gov. Baker to respect the Constitution, follow the Department of Homeland Security’s guidance as have other governors and allow federally licensed firearm retailers to be open as the essential businesses.
An individual’s choice to exercise the right to keep and bear arms begins with the ability to access the gun counter. When governments issue emergency orders to block that access, it cannot be considered anything less than an outright denial of rights. Firearm retailers across the country are operating within CDC guidelines, enforcing social distancing guidance, cleaning and sanitizing common surfaces and taking additional measures to safeguard the health of their employees and their customers, as has been strongly recommended by NSSF.
Mass is as bad as Virginia & Calif
Can’t blame anyone except the voters.
He is as RINO as it gets.
Yes, but not the minority of conservative, 2nd Amendment supporters in the state. The thing about being a Constitutional Republic, is that the RIGHTS of the minority are SUPPOSED to be protected from the majority.
I see far too many people that were fortunate enough to be born and raised in free states quick to criticize their like minded bretheren born and raised in restricted states.
I hope the governors get sued so that the courts rule against them to put a stop to this nonsense regardless of the state.
These political inepts need to be tried for violation of 18 USC 242 and held accountable. Not sued in their official capacity where we taxpayers have to foot the bill. Fines paid out of their own pocket and incarceration is the only action we should take. Maybe when the first few are made an example, the rest will have the ultimate “AW SH*T” moment and change their ways. (Like that will ever happen.)
“These political inepts need to be tried for violation of 18 USC 242 and held accountable. Not sued in their official capacity where we taxpayers have to foot the bill. ”
Two distinct issues, here: personal and public liability. A government official can be personally, and separately charged with violations of law. It must be proven that the official was incontrovertibly acting beyond delegated authority. And of course, two other government officials must be persuaded prosecutors and judges.
One of the interesting features of 18 USC 242 is the dearth of data on the raw numbers of arrests and prosecutions of government officials. Having spent several hours over the years trying to discover an appropriate data base, the only one found was for 2000-2006, and the report is behind a paywall. Admittedly, I did not look up every case filed under 242, and create my own database.
And then there is the blanket protection from the public afforded under the “good faith effort” idea (not to mention the SC ruling that police are not required to know applicable laws related to arrests/suspicion of crime). The people you want held accountable are the system (regardless of political ideology)
Commie pig. If they need help trump should tell them no. This isn’t the first time the’ve dealt with this issue and they didn’t learn the first time. How many home owners were killed during home burglaries the first time this state banned guns. Kind of like New York right now as I recall.
Well, at least he isn’t confi….oh…damn it!!!
File a Civil Rights lawsuit against him, not the governor. Get gun owners to file individual civil rights lawsuits against him and do not drop them when and if he reverses his last decision.
Absolutely, that is how scientology became a tax-exempt religion by the US government. Getting thousands of people to file individual lawsuits to choke the system instead of a class action suit.
Scientology filed lawsuits against the individual investigators and then said to the IRS the cases will disappear if they get tax exempt status. Lawfare and extortion. Shame RICO laws weren’t in effect then.
Easy for him with his security detail. I would bet he would have a different point of view if he was forced to defend himself. WAKE UP PEOPLE.
Defend himself? Why would he do that? Plebes have to defend themselves not us elites! ….. Oh!! I get it!! It’s April Fools Day!! Very funny!! Lol my friend!
Eric Swalwell 2020
But..but…it’s to protect the people…and the children….
Planned “Parenthood” still slaying? A good bet that is a YES.
Assuming that’s a real question, Ohio and Texas issued orders prohibiting abortions, were both slapped by separate federal judges, you know, if that really bothers you, the correct approach is to begin the process to pass a Constitutional Amendment, isn’t it curious that after 47 years (!!!) of constant screaming outrage, no one has thought of that? It’s because everyone knows it’s a waste of time and money, it would never pass.
Yeah. Let’s pass a Constitutional Amendment. We can call is something special….. like “The Second Amendment”….. and we can put straight forward wording into it ……. like ” Shall not be infringed.”
Why did I escape from the People’s Republik?
Oh, yeah!
Baker wants to outdo Healey’s anti-Rights policies? Good work, sir.
I matters little for new gun owners as PDs have put a hold on LTCs and you need one to buy (or, depending on the shop) or touch a gun.
“_ It _ matters…”, not “I matters…”.
Where’d the “edit” button go?
You gotta click the box, Rick!
This is NOTHING new! As a taxpayer and Voter I’ve been saying this for years! The People’s Republic of M Assachusetts is a Socialist STASI Police-State…That constantly uses the MA. local/state police to absolutely infringe upon a residents constitutional 2nd amendment rights! You CAN NOT exercise YOUR rights without lengthy Police Permissions/Arbitrary and Capricious Rules and Safety course$/and Special Privilege Cards & Permits! So yes, THEY violate MA. State constitution and our National Constitution with impunity…(Re: ” Deprivation and Suppression of rights under color of law!) This is Authoritarianism at it’s finest…Authoritarianism is tyranny! We are political prisoners in our own state!
Massachusetts, the home of shelter in place. I’m glad I don’t live there anymore.
Unfortunately, some of us do…Soon it may be the next “Escape from NY movie 🎥…”
Why did you all vote this butt faced pig into office, didn’t you learn from your mistake in the 70’s?
The birthplace of liberty! Our founding fathers would roll over in their graves of they were alive to see Bakers flip-flop.
No, they would physically take the state back and put him and his followers in a row boat and send them across the ocean.
The Governor should be jailed for treason
…And the complicit law enforcement community can join him….(re: add compensatory dispensation for infringements of NOT less than 250k- per event, fines, defunding PDs, and individual civil suits! That would be a go start…)
I know there are some good folks in the NorthEast that are just trapped in the Constitution abusing states. I don’t mean to paint with a broad brush and I don’t.
That being said, how in the hell did so many want to be slaves to governemnt get located in such high densities in the NE states? What the hell was taught to these natural born demagogue socialists.
The only useful purpose they serve is to provide a clear line of demarcation for the coming disunification of the former United States of America.
The Massachusetts would be petty Tyrant Charlie Baker needs to be made a example of when one violates the U S Constitution,PERIOD.
I left the Socialist Scheisshole of Massholechewsetts 45 years ago and haven’t looked back. It is populated with socialists and sodomites, freaks and geeks and dopers and drunks. Baker aka Tall Deval is a pansy ass, rumpswab RINO.
…That sounds about right….Don’t forget…The Mormons took in our other ex-gov./ RINO GOP Globalist…..
Don’t hold back your feelings, let them out .
Anti-2A Massachusetts AG Maura Healey, who has a bigger penis than Charlie Baker, really runs the state. Healey is the governor all but in name. I left Massachusetts YEARS ago after being UTTERLY discriminated against and treated like a criminal by the Boston Police Department after applying for a handgun permit. Both Baker and Healey should be in prison for deprivation of rights under color of law.
Pretty sure he got a nasty gram from Soros and/or Doomberg!
It is time for Veterans and Patriots to honor their oath to the Constitution and “Bundy Ranch” all gun shops and guns and ammo manufacturers. NICS checks and waiting periods are void. Bad guys can buy firearms anyway. Might as well let the good guys buy guns and ammo too.
Maybe Gov. Baker should be ‘Baker’ acted and put away for observation for 72 hrs. Obviously he is delusional /crazy and does not know what he is doing. Put him in one of those rubber rooms so he can bounce around for a while. Maybe we can throw sleepy/creepy Joe in with him.
Bloomberg and Soros must have threatened to stop further donations, I mean payoffs
What’s the point of fighting for, and achieving, political power, if you can’t abuse it?
Politely put, Double Talk, Double Think from the governor.
Typical. Just another worthless fuck on THE agenda. At least everybody knows his true colors. A virus is a faceless enemy. But that’s not the case here. These fuckers are coming out of the woodwork. Smile, wait for flash. LoL.
To date, the only reports that I’ve see where people are sanding in lines to acquire are water, toilet paper, and guns.
Isn’t it blazingly self-evident what citizens are considering to be “essential”?
This isn’t a tough call, unless of coarse you’re a F’n moron.
BTW, of those three lines mentioned above, the people standing in lines for guns are being a lot more polite.
This is way Iam so glad that I got the hell out of that state years ago,,,,
thats way they call it MY ASS ACHUSETTS
LoL. MY ASS CHEWS IT. Those fool’s. Bend over.
Hard to believe ILL is “marginally” better than MASS. No that ain’t no April Fool😟
These anti gun zealots in massachusetts are a bunch of self serving lowlife dirty diaper democRats. They lured gullible ivory tower parents into believing their kids were safe and secure in criminal magnet “Gun Free Zones.” Everyone tried to warn them about the dangers of posting such signs. They did not listen.
Instead of distraught gullible parents suing those who sold them a false sense of security with a dimestore sign and those who disarmed school personell distraught parents and their attorneys concocted preposterous reasons to file lawsuits against gun manufacturers.
Bottom line is…When you place your loved ones in the hands of others you better be damned sure you know exactly who and what these “others” are all about.
You go Deb!💪
“…dirty diaper democRats.”
I believe the correct term is, “Red diaper doper Babies”
Gov Malignant Mass, there is disarming people in the name of “safety.”
So, the people are the threat, not the good to be protected. Got it.
I kind of figure they’re looking at this from a “trying to keep pressure off the medical system” standpoint.
That’s the argument for keeping liquor stores open and the logic is sound.
That said, it seems to me that we can keep this in the medical realm and still keep gun stores open. Yes, it’s true that guns may be used to shoot people and that this may add to the stress on the medical system. However, the question is the same as it ever was: who gets hurt?
I think there’s a perfectly valid argument that good people being hurt because they can’t procure the tools for self defense is a huge problem whereas criminals getting perforated is “social triage”.
Right now it’s time to be aware that the medical system in your area may be under strain and this requires you to be a bit more careful since any injuries you sustain may be harder to deal with and things that might have been an ER trip a month or two ago might now be fatal. This applies to a cut on your finger, car accidents, falls etc. Why shouldnt it apply to crime too?
I’m not gonna go out an practice tailwhips on my bike without a helmet or drive real fast or take any real, significant risks to my physical wellbeing that I don’t need to right now. I feel like robbin’ & stealin’ falls into that category.
” I’m not gonna go out an practice tailwhips on my bike without a helmet or drive real fast or take any real, significant risks to my physical wellbeing that I don’t need to right now. I feel like robbin’ & stealin’ falls into that category. ”
First of all, practicing tailwhips on your bike is a decision you make. Being the victim of a home invasion is not a decision you make. So closing down the gun shops as a means of easing the load on medical resources is a pretty thin argument. It’s kinda on the level of banning heart attacks until the virus thing is past.
Second, the people that are lining up to buy guns are, I’m confident, not doing it so they can go robbin’ & stealin’. They are concerned for their safety and they are smart enough to want to do something about it. The robbin’ & stealin’ crowd has already got their guns, and if they don’t they don’t need a gun shop to get one. So that makes your argument just that more thin.
There is no reason, medical or otherwise that justifies closing a gun shop when the dry cleaners, liquor stores and Subway sandwich shops are still operating. The only thing that justifies closing a gun store is if EVERYBODY shuts down.
There is a valid medical reason to keep the liquor flowing.
Alcoholics (estimated to be about 10 percent of the US population have problems with it) tying up hospital resources when de-toxing……
That little bitch should be expecting a lawsuit that he will undoubtedly lose.
The slippery slope has opened wide now. First, it was blocking the 2nd amendment. Then when folks were quiet, the 1st amendment and your right to assemble were canceled. Then the right to travel freely under the 5th amendment was gone. Then we jumped up to the 14th amendment in which you could be jailed for exercising your rights under the 1st, 2nd and 5th amendments. See how fast this can take place once the 2nd amendment is gone. And they do under the color of keeping everyone safe. Who determines which of your rights can be waived to keep others safe? Are your rights under the Bill of Rights, determined by who is in office at the time? Pandora’s box is wide open and I am not sure it can be closed back up. Too many folks are complacent and accepting.
“Gov. Baker’s order keeps liquor stores open yet denies law-abiding citizens the ability to lawfully purchase firearms for self-protection, a Constitutionally-protected individual civil right.”
Maybe b/c MA makes bank on alcohol sales taxes, but not so much on guns and ammo. Follow the money.
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