San Diego Gun Owners PAC applauds federal guidelines for opening gun shops as essential businesses

SAN DIEGO COUNTY – San Diego County Gun Owners, a political action committee promoting Second Amendment rights, is applauding recent federal guidelines that have classified gun shop retailers as essential businesses to remain open during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

“Despite what you might be hearing from overreaching, power-hungry politicians, gun shops are protected by the federal government and are absolutely deemed essential,” Michael Schwartz, executive director of SDCGO, said.

“This virus pandemonium has uncovered politicians who will use a crisis as an opportunity to restrict constitutional freedoms and threaten everyone’s Second Amendment civil rights. Law-abiding Americans must never be deprived of the right to defend themselves and their loved ones at any time,” Schwartz said.

In a memo dated March 28, 2020, the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency identified “workers who conduct a range of operations and services that are typically essential to continued critical infrastructure viability.”

Appearing on Page 6 of the 15-page CISA document that lists essential critical infrastructure workforce is the following: “Workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors and shooting ranges.”

The government document, which is available at http://www.SDCGO.org/GunShopsEssential, includes a list of essential workers is “advisory in nature” and “intended to help state, local, tribal and territorial officials as they work to protect their communities.”

“While the CISA document is not the law, state and local governments have chosen to rely on federal guidelines regarding what businesses are considered as essential,” Schwartz said. “We expect state and local government will continue to be consistent by following the federal guidelines for the safety of society and first responders. We’re telling our gun shop members to stay open and not be bullied or intimidated by gun control activists or politicians who are intent on an abuse of power.”

Schwartz said the PAC’s 1,800 members have a message for public officials dealing with the virus hysteria.

“Our members have asked us to encourage all elected officials and health professionals to consider their words carefully and proceed with caution when considering public policies that trample on freedoms central to American life and the economic security of the country,” Schwartz said. “In the case of gun shop owners as small businesses who are struggling to survive during this hysteria, the economic shutdown has been devastating. Of course, gun shop owners believe that every life matters, and that it’s important to thwart the spread with social distancing. But an economic recession and social crisis has been created with extreme measures intended to solve a medical crisis. Gun shops have been castigated for their attempts to simply serve their customers.

“In addition, the situation has been made worse by overreacting politicians who stroke public outrage with their incendiary and reckless comments as they flex their egos in the name of safeguarding public health. During a time when people are trying to make sure they remain safe and secure is not a time to advance your political agenda. For the sake of the safety of all San Diegans, please be a part of the solution rather than creating yet another problem,” he said.

Submitted by San Diego County Gun Owners PAC.