Democrat: I Don’t Think Gun Stores Are ‘Necessary Businesses’
Rep. Bennie Thompson calls for 'South Korea' style lockdown
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Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) has called for a lockdown of gun shops in Mississippi amid the coronavirus, citing a similar move in South Korea, which they do for “gun shops and a lot of other places, not the necessary businesses that we need to have open.”
Speaking on MSNBC’s “AM Joy" on Saturday, Thompson said:
“If you look at what South Korea did, they did a wonderful job at getting their hands around it, but what the leadership in that country did was they locked down the country so that people could not move around."
"And so, what we’re going to have to do here in Mississippi is something similar, but gun shops and a lot of other places, not the necessary businesses that we need to have open," he added.
Thompson was reacting to the Trump Administration's recently released guidelines concerning the coronavirus shutdown restrictions.
Trump declared manufacturers "essential businesses" nationwide on Friday.
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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released updated guidelines on Saturday.
Firearms manufacturers and retailers are now listed as essential, meaning they are to stay open and operational nationwide during a Chinese virus lockdown.
The updated rules also include exceptions for companies providing supplies for law enforcement and first responders.
Listed as essential under the DHS guidelines are:
- Workers supporting the manufacturing of safety equipment and uniforms for law enforcement, public safety personnel, and first responders.
- Workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges.
But the leftist media are arguing that the surging gun panic buying could lead to more homicides.
NRA sues California for shutting down gun stores during pandemic
— Neon Nettle (@NeonNettle) March 28, 2020
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As The Hill reported that one study, from the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, found that "for each 10 percent increase in household gun ownership rates, the findings show a significant 13 percent increased incidence of domestic firearm homicide.”
But others argue gun ownership is more essential than ever.
"A lot of people may find themselves in situations where they may need to be their own first responders," said Michael Cargill, who runs Central Texas Gun Works in Austin.
Gun owners, he said, "want to protect their family in case things go the other way."
John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, which advocates for gun control measures, said labeling gun retailers as "essential" in the midst of a global pandemic is not in the public's best interest.
"Guns will not make Americans safer in the face of COVID-19," Feinblatt said.
"Gun stores do not deserve special treatment. In fact, a surge in gun sales will put many communities at greater risk if guns aren't stored securely, and if background checks aren't completed."
