On Saturday, March 28th, Christopher C.Krebs, Director of Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a list of what businesses are considered essential. Gun owners were relieved to see that the Trump official considered gun manufacturing and retail stores to be essential during the Corona Virus crisis.
An offshoot of the Secretary of Homeland Security’s office, Krebs explained that CISA had created an “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce” task force. Those people, working with federal, state and local officials had determined what businesses were deemed ‘critical’ for the nations infrastructure.
This task force released a comprehensive list of business considered essential, and included gun manufacturing and retail on it.
- “Workers supporting the operation of firearm or ammunition product manufacturers, retailers, importers, distributors, and shooting ranges.”
- “Workers supporting the manufacturing of safety equipment and uniforms for law enforcement, public safety personnel, and first responders.”
To clarify, this DHS list is considered a guideline, not a law that must be obeyed. This means that individual states or counties can still close gun manufacturing facilities, retail gun stores, and more.
But in unknown waters like these, everybody is always looking up the chain to see what is being done. After all, if you just do what the guy above you recommends you do, it can’t be your rear on the line, right?
They’re Essential Without Any Govt. Stamp of Approval
Just to be clear, we’re not big fans of bureaucrats 10,000 miles away sitting down with other suits and planning out whether or not a business is considered essential or not. Any time you have that level of authority vested in a committee of bureaucrats, bad things can happen.
After all, what if they had decided that gun stores were NOT essential? Thousands of anti-gun legislators and police departments could have used these guidelines as justification for closing all of those businesses.
It’s not at all hard to image that under a different president down the road, under the threat of a different emergency, this could swing the other way. In that case, gun owners don’t have any recourse, and that’s a terrible spot to be in.
Public Outcry From Gun Owners Always Helps
Still, for today it’s a victory for the Second Amendment. This sort of list from the Department of Homeland security lends credibility to our arguments. Then add in thousands of angry gun owners declaring that their rights will not be infringed. That situation makes it more difficult for local officials to get away with violating our gun rights.
A case in point is the Sheriff of Los Angeles County, CA. Earlier last week Sheriff Villaneuva declared that gun stores were going to be closing, as he deemed them non-essential. But the public were outraged, and made their opinion loud and clear to him. Less than 18 hours later, Villaneuva held a press conference reversing his position and saying that gun stores would remain open.
Such is the power of America’s gun owners when moved to action!