bearingarms--2020-05-21--PA School Board Member Who Threatened To Shoot The Unmasked Resigns

Earlier this week we told you about a doctor and school board member in Selinsgrove , Pennsylvania who vented online about shooting anyone who got closer than six feet from her without wearing a mask .
After Dr. Jennifer Rager-Kay ’ s Facebook post started getting attention in the community , she issued a sanctimonious and self-serving “ apology ” and vowed to remain on the local school board , despite growing calls for her to resign .
“ I would like to publicly apologize to anyone offended by my recent post regarding the hypocrisy of those who refuse to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carrying guns .
“ I am in a profession where the threat of someone approaching me not wearing a mask while in the midst of a pandemic is equivalent to the threat against my life .
Just as it would be if they approached me with their gun drawn and pointed at me .
Rager-Kay must have been shocked that her non-apology went over about as well as her original comments , but the storm of criticism failed to blow over after her statement , and now the doctor is out .
Even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsibility for her own words , and in her self-serving resignation letter she continues to blame others for their response to her idiotic statement .
This private social media post , that Snyder County Commissioner Joe Kantz elected to capture and share , has confirmed the state of affairs that prompted me to post it in the first place .
Our society is so divided and entrenched with the “ you vs. me ” selfish mentality , that we fail to recognize the level of hypocrisy this represents .
Someone approaching me or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the midst of a pandemic , and refusing to back off if asked , represents a potentially deadly threat .
Those who carry their rifles to rallies and protests speak so passionately about the right to personal defense , are the same ones now attacking me for boldly asserting that I would meet a deadly threat with deadly force .
So why am I being crucified for practicing the same rights given by the Second Amendment , Stand Your Ground Law , and the Castle Doctrine ?
Good lord , lady .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” for asserting that you would meet a deadly threat with deadly force , and if you really believe that you are , go talk to your local District Attorney and see what they think .
In fact , your husband was , until quite recently apparently , the Snyder County Public Defender .
Why don ’ t you run your legal theory by him ?
Rager-Kay confuses “ a potentially deadly threat ” with an actual immediate threat to life .
Pulling out your gun over a potentially deadly threat will likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in self-defense when your life is actually threatened .
I ’ ve written before about wearing a mask , and why I think it ’ s consistent for those who carry a firearm in self-defense to also mask up in public to defend against the coronavirus , but when I run across an unmasked shopper in the grocery store I don ’ t freak out on them or whip out my gun to warn them away , both because the odds are that the unmasked shopper doesn ’ t have the coronavirus and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or my family , and more importantly , that would be a completely insane and illegal overreaction .
After complaining about her political crucifixion , Rager-Kay then points the finger at the local critics who demanded her resignation .
Several of those criticizing me publicly are also demanding my resignation from the school board , including Commissioner Kantz , Gerald and Amy Stauffer , Todd Shimko and Boyd Martin .
And while their comments are accusatory , and many others threatening , they do not get credit for my decision to resign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ discussing with my husband , my ultimate decision is ironically the same reason I ran for school board , my family .
No amount of inequity or injustice is worth the risk to my family and my profession .
And if I must serve as the scapegoat to call attention to the extreme level of hatred and ignorance that exists and continues to pervade our community in attempt for reconciliation , I will gladly accept that burden .
I can only apologize to those who have supported me and may share in my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right here .
It would be funny if it weren ’ t so sad .
Actually , it ’ s so over-the-top that it ’ s still funny to me .
Obviously threatening Rager-Kay isn ’ t appropriate , and any serious threats should be investigated and prosecuted if actionable , but she also simply can ’ t admit that the whole reason people are upset at her is because of her unhinged threats .
If there was an Olympic event for avoiding responsibility , Rager-Kay would be a gold medal favorite .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ bail on the event because there would be too many people in the stands not wearing masks , but if she actually competed , I think she ’ d bring home the gold .
Rager-Kay still refuses to acknowledge or is truly incapable of understanding that all of this could have been avoided if she had simply said something like this : “ Like most of us have done at one time or another , I said something in the heat of the moment on social media that was utterly stupid and completely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who don ’ t wear masks in public , because I believe they are putting all of us at a greater risk of contracting the coronavirus , but comparing an unmasked shopper with a home invader or an armed robber is ridiculous , and I regret letting my emotions get ahead of my rationality .
I ’ m truly sorry for comment , and I hope that the parents , students , and staff I serve as a school board member will accept my apology.
” That ’ s it .
That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Instead , Rager-Kay made herself out to be even more of an insufferable ass with every additional comment , culminating in her over-the-top resignation letter declaring herself to be a martyr to “ hatred and ignorance.
” She said she would shoot people who approached her without wearing a mask , and now she ’ s portraying herself as a champion of reconciliation , love , and wisdom while blaming everyone around her for her own stupid mistake .
Rager-Kay says she ’ s a gun owner , but I can ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to ever pick up a firearm .
Gun ownership is all about personal responsibility , and the doctor has demonstrated she ’ s clearly just as terrified about accepting personal responsibility for her actions as she is about catching the coronavirus from the unmasked masses .
At the very least , she could use some range time and firearms instruction on how to be safe and responsible with a firearm .
It ’ s just a shame there aren ’ t any classes that could teach her how not to be a @ @ @ @ @

Earlier this week we told you about a doctor and school board member in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania who vented online about shooting anyone who got closer than six feet from her without wearing a mask. After Dr. Jennifer Rager-Kay’s Facebook post started getting attention in the community, she issued a sanctimonious and self-serving “apology” and vowed to remain on the local school board, despite growing calls for her to resign.
“I would like to publicly apologize to anyone offended by my recent post regarding the hypocrisy of those who refuse to wear face masks yet walk around openly carrying guns. “I am in a profession where the threat of someone approaching me not wearing a mask while in the midst of a pandemic is equivalent to the threat against my life. Just as it would be if they approached me with their gun drawn and pointed at me.
Rager-Kay must have been shocked that her non-apology went over about as well as her original comments, but the storm of criticism failed to blow over after her statement, and now the doctor is out.
A Selinsgrove school board member and former Democratic state house nominee is resigning two days after a controversial Facebook post saying she’d shoot anyone who came within six feet of her or her family without a mask. On her Facebook page, Dr. Jennifer Rager-Kay announced Wednesday she sent a letter of resignation to the board after receiving threats ‘against her personal and professional well-being.’ She says her husband has also resigned effective immediately as Snyder County Chief Public Defender.
Even now, Rager-Kay can’t take responsibility for her own words, and in her self-serving resignation letter she continues to blame others for their response to her idiotic statement.
This private social media post, that Snyder County Commissioner Joe Kantz elected to capture and share, has confirmed the state of affairs that prompted me to post it in the first place. Our society is so divided and entrenched with the “you vs. me” selfish mentality, that we fail to recognize the level of hypocrisy this represents. Someone approaching me or my family not wearing a mask while in the midst of a pandemic, and refusing to back off if asked, represents a potentially deadly threat. Those who carry their rifles to rallies and protests speak so passionately about the right to personal defense, are the same ones now attacking me for boldly asserting that I would meet a deadly threat with deadly force. So why am I being crucified for practicing the same rights given by the Second Amendment, Stand Your Ground Law, and the Castle Doctrine?
Good lord, lady. You’re not being “crucified” for asserting that you would meet a deadly threat with deadly force, and if you really believe that you are, go talk to your local District Attorney and see what they think. In fact, your husband was, until quite recently apparently, the Snyder County Public Defender. Why don’t you run your legal theory by him?
Rager-Kay confuses “a potentially deadly threat” with an actual immediate threat to life. Pulling out your gun over a potentially deadly threat will likely land you in jail, unlike acting in self-defense when your life is actually threatened. I’ve written before about wearing a mask, and why I think it’s consistent for those who carry a firearm in self-defense to also mask up in public to defend against the coronavirus, but when I run across an unmasked shopper in the grocery store I don’t freak out on them or whip out my gun to warn them away, both because the odds are that the unmasked shopper doesn’t have the coronavirus and poses no threat of infection to me or my family, and more importantly, that would be a completely insane and illegal overreaction.
After complaining about her political crucifixion, Rager-Kay then points the finger at the local critics who demanded her resignation.
Several of those criticizing me publicly are also demanding my resignation from the school board, including Commissioner Kantz, Gerald and Amy Stauffer, Todd Shimko and Boyd Martin. And while their comments are accusatory, and many others threatening, they do not get credit for my decision to resign. After spending a significant time praying and discussing with my husband, my ultimate decision is ironically the same reason I ran for school board, my family. No amount of inequity or injustice is worth the risk to my family and my profession. And if I must serve as the scapegoat to call attention to the extreme level of hatred and ignorance that exists and continues to pervade our community in attempt for reconciliation, I will gladly accept that burden. I can only apologize to those who have supported me and may share in my disappointment.
This is some serious delusion right here. It would be funny if it weren’t so sad. Actually, it’s so over-the-top that it’s still funny to me. Obviously threatening Rager-Kay isn’t appropriate, and any serious threats should be investigated and prosecuted if actionable, but she also simply can’t admit that the whole reason people are upset at her is because of her unhinged threats. If there was an Olympic event for avoiding responsibility, Rager-Kay would be a gold medal favorite. Of course, she’d probably bail on the event because there would be too many people in the stands not wearing masks, but if she actually competed, I think she’d bring home the gold.
Rager-Kay still refuses to acknowledge or is truly incapable of understanding that all of this could have been avoided if she had simply said something like this:
“Like most of us have done at one time or another, I said something in the heat of the moment on social media that was utterly stupid and completely indefensible. I disagree vehemently with those who don’t wear masks in public, because I believe they are putting all of us at a greater risk of contracting the coronavirus, but comparing an unmasked shopper with a home invader or an armed robber is ridiculous, and I regret letting my emotions get ahead of my rationality. I’m truly sorry for comment, and I hope that the parents, students, and staff I serve as a school board member will accept my apology.”
That’s it. That’s all she had to say. Instead, Rager-Kay made herself out to be even more of an insufferable ass with every additional comment, culminating in her over-the-top resignation letter declaring herself to be a martyr to “hatred and ignorance.” She said she would shoot people who approached her without wearing a mask, and now she’s portraying herself as a champion of reconciliation, love, and wisdom while blaming everyone around her for her own stupid mistake.
Rager-Kay says she’s a gun owner, but I can’t help but wonder why she’d want to ever pick up a firearm. Gun ownership is all about personal responsibility, and the doctor has demonstrated she’s clearly just as terrified about accepting personal responsibility for her actions as she is about catching the coronavirus from the unmasked masses. At the very least, she could use some range time and firearms instruction on how to be safe and responsible with a firearm. It’s just a shame there aren’t any classes that could teach her how not to be a raging narcissist as well.


bearingarms--2020-05-21--Columnist Ignores The Facts In Declaring Gun Stores Non-Essential

It ’ s kind of amazing to me that even as all 50 states begin to lift their lockdown orders , there are still some anti-gun goofballs arguing that gun stores should be shut down over coronavirus concerns .
Cate McClure is the former legal counsel for the Michigan Senate Democrats , and she has a piece at the Lansing State Journal laying out her case for why gun shops should be considered non-essential businesses as well as why she believes it ’ s perfectly acceptable for governors to infringe on the rights of citizens , as long as it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On today ’ s Bearing Arms ’ Cam & Co I dismantle McClure ’ s arguments , which , to be honest , wasn ’ t that difficult since the case she makes is so fundamentally flawed .
McClure ’ s position is simply that governors have extraordinary powers and authority in a state of emergency , and constitutionally protected rights can be trampled on a whim if it ’ s done in the name of protecting the public health .
In the pandemic-driven disaster we currently face , despite NRA allegations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal or public policy reasons to include gun stores as essential services in any of the stay-at-home orders in existence across the country .
The NRA and their affiliates have filed multiple lawsuits – against New York , New Jersey and California among others – alleging that mandatory gun store closures amount to a violation of the Second Amendment .
Yet U.S. constitutional law has always allowed for the curtailment of Bill of Rights guarantees where necessary to protect public health and where the restrictions are of general applicability and neutral , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ particular activity or organization .
McClure mentions several states where the NRA and other Second Amendment organizations have filed suit , but curiously , she leaves one state off the list .
In Massachusetts , U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock recently granted an injunction blocking Gov .
Charlie Baker ’ s order closing gun stores , and made it clear that our Second Amendment rights don ’ t disappear in a state of emergency .
What ’ s more , Woodlock pointed out that the state of Massachusetts couldn ’ t explain any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closed but allowing other retailers to open .
In Michigan , where McClure lives , Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer originally declared that only “ life-sustaining businesses ” were allowed to remain open .
McClure believes that gun stores aren ’ t life-sustaining , but millions of Americans would disagree , including many who ’ ve become gun owners for the first time since the start of the pandemic .
The numerous state and municipal stay-at-home orders currently in place , including ours in Michigan , of necessity impact many of the rights we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to practice religion and the right to free speech among the most obvious .
They correctly do so in order to limit the spread of the virus to a level our public health system can manage , and they are of general applicability , impacting as they do all normal activity except that which is essential to sustaining life .
With our First Amendment rights so limited , why should the right to bear arms be treated differently ?
The stay-at-home orders do not , in fact , even directly implicate the right @ @ @ @ @ @ @ right to buy a new gun during this unprecedented , albeit limited , period .
There is no legal justification for elevating this right over others .
I don ’ t think it ’ s a matter of elevating the Second Amendment over other rights , but McClure ’ s protest that stay-at-home orders don ’ t directly implicate the right to own a gun is absurd .
In states like New Jersey , Massachusetts , California , and other states with universal background check laws on the books , the only way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gun store ; either through a retail sale or with the gun store running a background check on a private transfer .
If you have the right to keep and the right to bear , you must have the right to acquire as well .
Shutting down gun stores therefore completely negates the right to keep and bear arms for those Americans who don ’ t currently own one .
That ’ s not a regulation , that ’ s an infringement .
So how can the NRA and its affiliates justify @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are taking up with these apparently merit-less lawsuits ?
There is certainly no justification on public policy grounds .
At a time when anxiety levels of all Americans are at an all-time high , with suicide and domestic violence hotlines overwhelmed across the country , it is not in the public interest to allow continued gun sales while disallowing the right to leave one ’ s house for social and religious support .
Trump administration policy guidance to the contrary , gun stores should not be treated the same as grocery stores , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the NRA and organizations like the Second Amendment Foundation , Gun Owners of America , and the Firearms Policy Coalition have clearly demonstrated that these lawsuits indeed have merit .
They ’ ve been successful in forcing states to reopen gun stores , and judges in several states have issued stinging rebukes to governors for overstepping their constitutional authority in closing them .
Once again , the failure of McClure to even mention what happened in Massachusetts demonstrates the frailty of her argument , which simply can ’ t stand up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she proclaims that there ’ s no public policy justification for keeping gun stores open .
On the contrary , it ’ s the State that must demonstrate a public policy reason for ordering them closed , and states like Massachusetts have failed to do so .
Even McClure doesn ’ t attempt to explain why marijuana retailers are considered “ life sustaining ” in Michigan , but gun stores are not .
As for McClure ’ s assertion that “ it is not in the public interest to allow continued gun sales @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s house for social and religious support , ” the obvious answer is to respect the right to leave one ’ s house for social and religious support , not to deny people the right to acquire a firearm .
McClure ’ s mindset is one that would allow governments to trample on all of our rights , as long as officials proclaimed it was necessary to do so .
It ’ s a ridiculous argument , but unfortunately one that many anti-gun activists share .
Be sure to check out the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the video window above , and stick around for more stories , including a man charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and attempted murder who was allowed to plea bargain his way to probation , a home invasion in South Carolina thwarted by an armed homeowner , and a Georgia police officer going above and beyond to help a homeless veteran .

It’s kind of amazing to me that even as all 50 states begin to lift their lockdown orders, there are still some anti-gun goofballs arguing that gun stores should be shut down over coronavirus concerns. Cate McClure is the former legal counsel for the Michigan Senate Democrats, and she has a piece at the Lansing State Journal laying out her case for why gun shops should be considered non-essential businesses as well as why she believes it’s perfectly acceptable for governors to infringe on the rights of citizens, as long as it’s done for the right reasons.
On today’s Bearing Arms’ Cam & Co I dismantle McClure’s arguments, which, to be honest, wasn’t that difficult since the case she makes is so fundamentally flawed. McClure’s position is simply that governors have extraordinary powers and authority in a state of emergency, and constitutionally protected rights can be trampled on a whim if it’s done in the name of protecting the public health.
In the pandemic-driven disaster we currently face, despite NRA allegations to the contrary, there are no legal or public policy reasons to include gun stores as essential services in any of the stay-at-home orders in existence across the country. The NRA and their affiliates have filed multiple lawsuits – against New York, New Jersey and California among others – alleging that mandatory gun store closures amount to a violation of the Second Amendment. Yet U.S. constitutional law has always allowed for the curtailment of Bill of Rights guarantees where necessary to protect public health and where the restrictions are of general applicability and neutral, such that they do not single out a particular activity or organization.
McClure mentions several states where the NRA and other Second Amendment organizations have filed suit, but curiously, she leaves one state off the list. In Massachusetts, U.S. District Judge Douglas Woodlock recently granted an injunction blocking Gov. Charlie Baker’s order closing gun stores, and made it clear that our Second Amendment rights don’t disappear in a state of emergency. What’s more, Woodlock pointed out that the state of Massachusetts couldn’t explain any public health benefit to keeping gun stores closed but allowing other retailers to open. In Michigan, where McClure lives, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer originally declared that only “life-sustaining businesses” were allowed to remain open. McClure believes that gun stores aren’t life-sustaining, but millions of Americans would disagree, including many who’ve become gun owners for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
The numerous state and municipal stay-at-home orders currently in place, including ours in Michigan, of necessity impact many of the rights we cherish; the right to assemble, to practice religion and the right to free speech among the most obvious. They correctly do so in order to limit the spread of the virus to a level our public health system can manage, and they are of general applicability, impacting as they do all normal activity except that which is essential to sustaining life. With our First Amendment rights so limited, why should the right to bear arms be treated differently? The stay-at-home orders do not, in fact, even directly implicate the right to own a gun, only the right to buy a new gun during this unprecedented, albeit limited, period. There is no legal justification for elevating this right over others.
I don’t think it’s a matter of elevating the Second Amendment over other rights, but McClure’s protest that stay-at-home orders don’t directly implicate the right to own a gun is absurd. In states like New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, and other states with universal background check laws on the books, the only way to legally acquire a firearm is through a gun store; either through a retail sale or with the gun store running a background check on a private transfer. If you have the right to keep and the right to bear, you must have the right to acquire as well. Shutting down gun stores therefore completely negates the right to keep and bear arms for those Americans who don’t currently own one. That’s not a regulation, that’s an infringement.
So how can the NRA and its affiliates justify the precious governmental time and resources they are taking up with these apparently merit-less lawsuits? There is certainly no justification on public policy grounds. At a time when anxiety levels of all Americans are at an all-time high, with suicide and domestic violence hotlines overwhelmed across the country, it is not in the public interest to allow continued gun sales while disallowing the right to leave one’s house for social and religious support. Trump administration policy guidance to the contrary, gun stores should not be treated the same as grocery stores, pharmacies and hospitals.
For one thing, the NRA and organizations like the Second Amendment Foundation, Gun Owners of America, and the Firearms Policy Coalition have clearly demonstrated that these lawsuits indeed have merit. They’ve been successful in forcing states to reopen gun stores, and judges in several states have issued stinging rebukes to governors for overstepping their constitutional authority in closing them. Once again, the failure of McClure to even mention what happened in Massachusetts demonstrates the frailty of her argument, which simply can’t stand up to the facts.
McClure also errs when she proclaims that there’s no public policy justification for keeping gun stores open. On the contrary, it’s the State that must demonstrate a public policy reason for ordering them closed, and states like Massachusetts have failed to do so. Even McClure doesn’t attempt to explain why marijuana retailers are considered “life sustaining” in Michigan, but gun stores are not.
As for McClure’s assertion that “it is not in the public interest to allow continued gun sales while disallowing the right to leave one’s house for social and religious support,” the obvious answer is to respect the right to leave one’s house for social and religious support, not to deny people the right to acquire a firearm. McClure’s mindset is one that would allow governments to trample on all of our rights, as long as officials proclaimed it was necessary to do so. It’s a ridiculous argument, but unfortunately one that many anti-gun activists share.
Be sure to check out the entire takedown of McClure’s piece in the video window above, and stick around for more stories, including a man charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and attempted murder who was allowed to plea bargain his way to probation, a home invasion in South Carolina thwarted by an armed homeowner, and a Georgia police officer going above and beyond to help a homeless veteran.


bearingarms--2020-05-21--Recent Fines Suggest Michigan WANTS Guns At Protests

We here at Bearing Arms aren ’ t big fans of people carrying guns to protest lockdown orders .
I get people being angry and all that , I just think it ’ s a poor strategic move because it makes it easier for the media to dismiss the protestors .
Rather than talk about the protest itself , it ’ s all about the guns .
It allows politicians to portray themselves as the victims of bullying and intimidation attempts .
That ’ s what we saw in Michigan , after all .
However , it seems one group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It seems this entity actually wants armed protestors .
I ’ m speaking , oddly enough , of the state of Michigan .
After all , this is what they did when protestors didn ’ t have guns .
onservative protestors gathered outside Michigan ’ s Capitol building in Lansing on Wednesday to stage haircuts in defiance of state lockdown restrictions intended to contain the spread of COVID-19 .
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has riled many conservatives by continuing to maintain restrictions that prevent nonessential businesses like barbershops and salons from lawfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Protesters in the “ Operation Haircut ” demonstration , organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition , openly flouted the restrictions on Wednesday by offering free haircuts .
Some demonstrators giving the haircuts were issued with $ 500 disorderly conduct tickets , according to WJBK .
So , they fine the people cutting hair , but just complain a bit about the guys with guns ?
Now , don ’ t get me wrong .
I know those guys with guns weren ’ t going to hurt a damn soul .
I know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and no one was actually in any danger , no matter what the melting snowflakes in the legislature might claim .
Of course , no one was really in danger with the haircuts , either .
In other words , they were taking all reasonable precautions and engage in haircuts as a form of civil disobedience .
For that , they were fined .
Which , I guess , is fine .
Civil disobedience often results in people being arrested or fined , which makes the state all the more important .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a big deal out of people lawfully carrying firearms , you ’ d think they ’ d be a bit more understanding of a protest that engages in an activity that couldn ’ t be construed as a threat to lawmakers .
The fact that these protestors were fined suggests to me the possibility that maybe , just maybe , Michigan prefers their protestors armed and angry .
That shouldn ’ t be shocking since Michigan Democrats were able to shape that event into victimhood points for them and their side .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t make the case that they were further endangered .
And , really , it ’ s kind of glorious , if you ask me .
Keep it up and really turn the heat on the bastards .

We here at Bearing Arms aren’t big fans of people carrying guns to protest lockdown orders. I get people being angry and all that, I just think it’s a poor strategic move because it makes it easier for the media to dismiss the protestors. Rather than talk about the protest itself, it’s all about the guns. It allows politicians to portray themselves as the victims of bullying and intimidation attempts.
That’s what we saw in Michigan, after all.
However, it seems one group of people besides the protestors who disagree. It seems this entity actually wants armed protestors. I’m speaking, oddly enough, of the state of Michigan.
After all, this is what they did when protestors didn’t have guns.
onservative protestors gathered outside Michigan’s Capitol building in Lansing on Wednesday to stage haircuts in defiance of state lockdown restrictions intended to contain the spread of COVID-19. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has riled many conservatives by continuing to maintain restrictions that prevent nonessential businesses like barbershops and salons from lawfully operating as the virus continues to spread. Protesters in the “Operation Haircut” demonstration, organized by the Michigan Conservative Coalition, openly flouted the restrictions on Wednesday by offering free haircuts. Some demonstrators giving the haircuts were issued with $500 disorderly conduct tickets, according to WJBK.
So, they fine the people cutting hair, but just complain a bit about the guys with guns?
Now, don’t get me wrong. I know those guys with guns weren’t going to hurt a damn soul. I know they were carrying them for benign purposes and no one was actually in any danger, no matter what the melting snowflakes in the legislature might claim.
Of course, no one was really in danger with the haircuts, either.
The event’s organizers posted “rules” for the protest to social media before the event, including suggestions that stylists bring and use personal protective equipment (PPE) and maintain “social distancing” during the haircuts. It is unclear how haircuts can be conducted under social distancing guidelines, which requires six feet of distance between people.
In other words, they were taking all reasonable precautions and engage in haircuts as a form of civil disobedience. For that, they were fined.
Which, I guess, is fine. Civil disobedience often results in people being arrested or fined, which makes the state all the more important. However, for a state that made such a big deal out of people lawfully carrying firearms, you’d think they’d be a bit more understanding of a protest that engages in an activity that couldn’t be construed as a threat to lawmakers.
The fact that these protestors were fined suggests to me the possibility that maybe, just maybe, Michigan prefers their protestors armed and angry. That shouldn’t be shocking since Michigan Democrats were able to shape that event into victimhood points for them and their side. They’re likely resentful they couldn’t make the case that they were further endangered.
And, really, it’s kind of glorious, if you ask me.
Keep it up and really turn the heat on the bastards.


bearingarms--2020-05-21--Armed Citizen And NRA Member Speaks Out About Self-Defense Shooting

B.J .
Baldwin thought he was just going to grab a couple of burgers with his girlfriend when the couple stopped at a local In-N-Out restaurant in the early morning hours of April 22nd .
The champion off-road racer had no idea that his life , and the life of his girlfriend , competitive shooter Tori Nonaka , would be threatened by a pair of would-be armed robbers in the parking lot of the fast food joint , but when the armed men approached , Baldwin was ready .
An altercation broke out “ and gunfire was exchanged , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ previously .
A Las Vegas police report indicates Smith was accompanied by his brother , Kevin Smith , 40 .
Kevin Smith told police his brother was upset that morning because of a failed attempt to buy firearms from a gun store in the complex .
Prior to the shooting , Kevin Smith said , his brother threw rocks at the gun store ’ s front window .
The siblings left the shopping complex on Tropicana , then later returned on foot , police wrote in the report .
“ Kevin had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stupid , but denied knowing what , ” the report said .
Kevin Smith said the siblings saw Baldwin and his acquaintance in the parking lot upon their return .
“ ( Kevin ) Smith said Joseph walked up to them , pulled his gun out , pointed it at the female and smiled as he began shooting at the male , ” the report said .
“ Kevin stated Joseph was the first to fire his weapon.
” Kevin Smith told police they did not know the couple .
“ Kevin told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and should not be charged , ” police said .
Baldwin did not face any charges in the shooting , which the Clark County D.A .
ruled a “ clear case of self-defense.
” Now the off-road racer and competitive shooter is speaking out to the NRA about what happened that night , and why every American should be just as prepared as he was .
Baldwin says that it was an “ unfair fight ” , but adds that it was unfair not to him , but to his attackers .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soon as I saw him and said , ‘ what ’ s good ?
’ and turned back to Tori and it was at that moment that I realized that was my opportunity and I wasn ’ t going to get another opportunity .
I had to act as quickly and as proficiently as I possibly could .
He should have never took the gun off of me.
” Smith fired twice at Nonaka , missing both times , and then turned his fire on Baldwin , getting off six rounds .
None @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the shots fired by Baldwin in self-defense found their target .
“ Nine in the chest , one in the central nervous system , and that ’ s what it took to neutralize the threat and save both of our lives so that we could make it home to our families .
No matter what gets in my way I ’ m going to make sure that I ’ m there to walk my daughter down the aisle , to make sure that I ’ m there at my son ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m there for my family.
” Baldwin ’ s story is a powerful one , and I appreciate him speaking out about the deadly encounter in a Las Vegas parking lot , as well as the NRA in helping to ensure that his message finds a national audience .
Baldwin also has a message for Joe Biden , Beto O ’ Rourke , and other anti-gun politicians intent on disarming Americans and preventing them from acting in self-defense , while enabling criminals to prey on those they consider easy targets .
Be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the link above , and be sure to share it with your friends and family who think there ’ s no reason for anyone to carry a gun in self-defense .

B.J. Baldwin thought he was just going to grab a couple of burgers with his girlfriend when the couple stopped at a local In-N-Out restaurant in the early morning hours of April 22nd. The champion off-road racer had no idea that his life, and the life of his girlfriend, competitive shooter Tori Nonaka, would be threatened by a pair of would-be armed robbers in the parking lot of the fast food joint, but when the armed men approached, Baldwin was ready.
An altercation broke out “and gunfire was exchanged,” Metropolitan Police Department Lt. Ray Spencer said previously. Baldwin shot Joseph Smith, 43, during the exchange. A Las Vegas police report indicates Smith was accompanied by his brother, Kevin Smith, 40. Kevin Smith told police his brother was upset that morning because of a failed attempt to buy firearms from a gun store in the complex. Prior to the shooting, Kevin Smith said, his brother threw rocks at the gun store’s front window. The siblings left the shopping complex on Tropicana, then later returned on foot, police wrote in the report. “Kevin had a feeling Joseph was going to do something stupid, but denied knowing what,” the report said. Kevin Smith said the siblings saw Baldwin and his acquaintance in the parking lot upon their return. “(Kevin) Smith said Joseph walked up to them, pulled his gun out, pointed it at the female and smiled as he began shooting at the male,” the report said. “Kevin stated Joseph was the first to fire his weapon.” Kevin Smith told police they did not know the couple. “Kevin told detectives the white male shot in self-defense and should not be charged,” police said.
Baldwin did not face any charges in the shooting, which the Clark County D.A. ruled a “clear case of self-defense.” Now the off-road racer and competitive shooter is speaking out to the NRA about what happened that night, and why every American should be just as prepared as he was.
As a criminal pointed a gun directly at him & his girlfriend, father, champion racer, & NRA member @BJBaldwin97 had to make a decision. Objective: Getting home to his kids. That's when firearms training kicked in. He fired 10 shots. All 10 shots hit the target. pic.twitter.com/KnH35iYTYG — NRA (@NRA) May 19, 2020
Baldwin says that it was an “unfair fight”, but adds that it was unfair not to him, but to his attackers.
“He turned the pistol towards me as soon as I saw him and said, ‘what’s good?’ and turned back to Tori and it was at that moment that I realized that was my opportunity and I wasn’t going to get another opportunity. I had to act as quickly and as proficiently as I possibly could. He should have never took the gun off of me.”
Smith fired twice at Nonaka, missing both times, and then turned his fire on Baldwin, getting off six rounds. None of them hit, but every one of the shots fired by Baldwin in self-defense found their target.
“Nine in the chest, one in the central nervous system, and that’s what it took to neutralize the threat and save both of our lives so that we could make it home to our families. No matter what gets in my way I’m going to make sure that I’m there to walk my daughter down the aisle, to make sure that I’m there at my son’s graduation, to make sure that I’m there for my family.”
Baldwin’s story is a powerful one, and I appreciate him speaking out about the deadly encounter in a Las Vegas parking lot, as well as the NRA in helping to ensure that his message finds a national audience. Baldwin also has a message for Joe Biden, Beto O’Rourke, and other anti-gun politicians intent on disarming Americans and preventing them from acting in self-defense, while enabling criminals to prey on those they consider easy targets. Be sure to check out his entire testimony in the link above, and be sure to share it with your friends and family who think there’s no reason for anyone to carry a gun in self-defense.


bearingarms--2020-05-21--March For Our Lives Co-Founders Continue Fearmongering During Pandemic

With a pandemic still stomping on lives and our economy , most people are kind of focused on putting their lives back together .
They ’ re looking forward to opportunities to see friends again , to interact with people who aren ’ t immediate family , to live again .
However , some people aren ’ t interested in letting people do that .
They ’ ve got an agenda and damn anyone who tries to function without accounting for it .
You know , people like those teenage scolds who founded March For Our Lives who penned an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
If you had asked us seven weeks ago what the biggest threat facing school-aged kids was , gun violence in our schools , without a question , would have been at the top of our list .
However , COVID-19 , has changed the world and our lives in ways never imagined .
Ironically , gun violence remains a dangerous and lethal threat for far too many of us , and those dangers have only been heightened due to the crisis .
The majority of us , some 74.2 million students , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a month and the reality is it ’ s bound to remain like this for some time .
A couple of weeks ago , it was reported that March was the first month since 2002 that our nation had not experienced a school shooting .
This was not the result of policymakers passing laws to protect students or fortifying schools like prisons to stop would be shooters .
It is a sad and unfortunate reality that a global pandemic has done what policymakers in Washington have been unable to do : make our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of gun violence .
The threat of gun violence has heightened at home Over the nearly two months that we ’ ve been sheltering in place , the statistics make clear just how dangerous it can be to live at home and just how more dangerous it has become as a result of COVID .
Wow , really ?
It has ?
Surely , writers Delaney Tarr and Tyah Amoy-Roberts have data to back this up .
I mean , after two months of lockdown , we should have tons of statistics to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reports and similar information , right ?
This is all predicated on the fact that gun sales have skyrocketed .
That ’ s it .
That ’ s the totality of their data to support the assertion that people are still in danger .
Look , the risk of mass shootings has been drastically and horribly overstated , but at least those attacks come from people who are essentially random , people that others don ’ t know .
Because of that lack of knowledge , the fear is more palpable .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t see coming .
But the writers have decided that you should really be terrified of the people who live with you and that you know better than anyone else in the world .
Oh , yeah , they throw out the fact that a number of battered women are shot by their abusive spouses , but how many of those dirtballs would have tried to kill their wives by stabbing them with a kitchen knife or bludgeoning them to death with a baseball bat ?
I ’ m sorry , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go on .
For example , one could try showing the criminal data that shows violence on the rise after so many millions of people bought guns for the first time .
The problem is , they can ’ t .
That data simply doesn ’ t exist .
The places where violence has increased are in our violent inner cities where the gangs haven ’ t given a damn about stay-at-home orders or much of anything else .
They lack any real data to suggest that there is a problem unless @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with violence .
While Tarr and company have repeatedly claimed their organization isn ’ t against the Second Amendment , it ’ s clear that they ’ re lying .
They don ’ t want you to have a gun because they can ’ t differentiate between a law-abiding gun owner and a criminal .
Plain and simple .
I ’ m sorry , but if you ’ re going to make that case , you ’ d damn well better bring a better case than that .

With a pandemic still stomping on lives and our economy, most people are kind of focused on putting their lives back together. They’re looking forward to opportunities to see friends again, to interact with people who aren’t immediate family, to live again.
However, some people aren’t interested in letting people do that. They’ve got an agenda and damn anyone who tries to function without accounting for it.
You know, people like those teenage scolds who founded March For Our Lives who penned an op-ed that’s nothing but fearmongering.
If you had asked us seven weeks ago what the biggest threat facing school-aged kids was, gun violence in our schools, without a question, would have been at the top of our list. However, COVID-19, has changed the world and our lives in ways never imagined. Ironically, gun violence remains a dangerous and lethal threat for far too many of us, and those dangers have only been heightened due to the crisis. The majority of us, some 74.2 million students, have now been home for more than a month and the reality is it’s bound to remain like this for some time. A couple of weeks ago, it was reported that March was the first month since 2002 that our nation had not experienced a school shooting. This was not the result of policymakers passing laws to protect students or fortifying schools like prisons to stop would be shooters. It is a sad and unfortunate reality that a global pandemic has done what policymakers in Washington have been unable to do: make our schools, at least temporarily, free of gun violence. The threat of gun violence has heightened at home Over the nearly two months that we’ve been sheltering in place, the statistics make clear just how dangerous it can be to live at home and just how more dangerous it has become as a result of COVID.
Wow, really? It has?
Surely, writers Delaney Tarr and Tyah Amoy-Roberts have data to back this up. I mean, after two months of lockdown, we should have tons of statistics to back this up, things like crime reports and similar information, right?
Well, they don’t.
This is all predicated on the fact that gun sales have skyrocketed. That’s it. That’s the totality of their data to support the assertion that people are still in danger.
Look, the risk of mass shootings has been drastically and horribly overstated, but at least those attacks come from people who are essentially random, people that others don’t know. Because of that lack of knowledge, the fear is more palpable. People are terrified of the threats they don’t see coming.
But the writers have decided that you should really be terrified of the people who live with you and that you know better than anyone else in the world.
Oh, yeah, they throw out the fact that a number of battered women are shot by their abusive spouses, but how many of those dirtballs would have tried to kill their wives by stabbing them with a kitchen knife or bludgeoning them to death with a baseball bat? I’m sorry, but you’re going to need more to go on.
For example, one could try showing the criminal data that shows violence on the rise after so many millions of people bought guns for the first time. The problem is, they can’t. That data simply doesn’t exist. The places where violence has increased are in our violent inner cities where the gangs haven’t given a damn about stay-at-home orders or much of anything else.
They lack any real data to suggest that there is a problem unless you simply equate people who buy guns with violence.
While Tarr and company have repeatedly claimed their organization isn’t against the Second Amendment, it’s clear that they’re lying. They don’t want you to have a gun because they can’t differentiate between a law-abiding gun owner and a criminal. Plain and simple.
I’m sorry, but if you’re going to make that case, you’d damn well better bring a better case than that.


bearingarms--2020-05-21--Virginia County Making Plans To Implement Northam's Gun Control Agenda

Supervisors in the Washington , D.C. exurb of Loudoun County , Virginia voted overwhelmingly this week to investigate how to implement and enforce more than a half-dozen gun control bills signed into law by Gov .
Ralph Northam earlier this year .
The laws take effect on July 1st , and supervisors on the Democrat-dominated board signaled that they want to be ready to enforce the new laws once they ’ re officially on the books .
Moms Demand Action , which calls itself a “ grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locally in seeking more gun control measures .
Ami Miller , a spokeswoman for Loudoun Moms Demand Action , said she ’ s pleased with [ Supervisor Juli ] Briskman ’ s efforts .
“ We ’ re glad to see the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors take the crisis of gun violence seriously , ” Miller said .
“ After seeing the governor sign several gun safety policies , it ’ s encouraging to see our local officials keep up the momentum and implement these new laws to keep our community safe.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ County board rejected a Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution , though at least one town in the county passed a weaker resolution calling on state lawmakers to reject gun control legislation back in February .
Lovettsville city council members overwhelmingly approved the resolution with dozens of supporters in attendance , though many of them were hoping to see a stronger statement by the city council .
Mayor Nate Fontaine emphasized that Lovettsville ’ s proclamation does not make the town a sanctuary town , but that it simply is a statement for the General @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , letters from more than 30 residents were attached to the proclamation , which was sent toSen .
John Bell ( D-13 ) and Del .
Dave .
LaRock ( R-33 ) .
Fountain said the town had received about19 letters opposing the proclamation and about 10 that are in favor of it , with more than came in just before the meeting he had yet to count .
The proclamation is based on the belief that some bills would “ criminalize the lawful exercise of the right to keep and bear arms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gravely concerned about the proposed infringements upon their constitutional rights.
” “ The Town Council supports measures that would advance firearm safety without infringing upon the right to keep and bear arms [ and ] wishes to express its strong commitment to all rights of citizens of the Town of Lovettsville , Loudoun County , Commonwealth of Virginia to legally keep and bear arms [ and ] strongly opposes the passage of any law that would unconstitutionally restrict any right of our citizens , ” it reads .
“ We must stand with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not be infringed upon , ” Steadman said .
As we get closer to the July 1st effective date for Northam ’ s gun control laws , I expect we ’ ll see more blue counties follow the lead of Loudoun County supervisors and discuss how the new laws will be implemented .
In the 95 counties across Virginia that have adopted Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions , on the other hand , the discussions among county supervisors and residents will likely focus on legal challenges to the new laws , and I suspect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ several sheriffs that they plan on using their discretion to not enforce any laws that they believe violate the Second Amendment rights of their constituents .
The fight over Ralph Northam ’ s gun control agenda has quieted down over the past few months , but it ’ s going to get loud again as we head into summer .

Supervisors in the Washington, D.C. exurb of Loudoun County, Virginia voted overwhelmingly this week to investigate how to implement and enforce more than a half-dozen gun control bills signed into law by Gov. Ralph Northam earlier this year. The laws take effect on July 1st, and supervisors on the Democrat-dominated board signaled that they want to be ready to enforce the new laws once they’re officially on the books.
Moms Demand Action, which calls itself a “grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence,” has been active locally in seeking more gun control measures. Ami Miller, a spokeswoman for Loudoun Moms Demand Action, said she’s pleased with [Supervisor Juli] Briskman’s efforts. “We’re glad to see the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors take the crisis of gun violence seriously,” Miller said. “After seeing the governor sign several gun safety policies, it’s encouraging to see our local officials keep up the momentum and implement these new laws to keep our community safe.”
Back in December, the Loudoun County board rejected a Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution, though at least one town in the county passed a weaker resolution calling on state lawmakers to reject gun control legislation back in February. Lovettsville city council members overwhelmingly approved the resolution with dozens of supporters in attendance, though many of them were hoping to see a stronger statement by the city council.
Mayor Nate Fontaine emphasized that Lovettsville’s proclamation does not make the town a sanctuary town, but that it simply is a statement for the General Assembly. Per McIntyre’s request, letters from more than 30 residents were attached to the proclamation, which was sent toSen. John Bell (D-13) and Del. Dave. LaRock (R-33). Fountain said the town had received about19 letters opposing the proclamation and about 10 that are in favor of it, with more than came in just before the meeting he had yet to count. The proclamation is based on the belief that some bills would “criminalize the lawful exercise of the right to keep and bear arms” and that many citizens are “gravely concerned about the proposed infringements upon their constitutional rights.” “The Town Council supports measures that would advance firearm safety without infringing upon the right to keep and bear arms [and]wishes to express its strong commitment to all rights of citizens of the Town of Lovettsville, Loudoun County, Commonwealth of Virginia to legally keep and bear arms [and] strongly opposes the passage of any law that would unconstitutionally restrict any right of our citizens,” it reads. “We must stand with our core beliefs that our rights should not be infringed upon,” Steadman said.
As we get closer to the July 1st effective date for Northam’s gun control laws, I expect we’ll see more blue counties follow the lead of Loudoun County supervisors and discuss how the new laws will be implemented. In the 95 counties across Virginia that have adopted Second Amendment Sanctuary resolutions, on the other hand, the discussions among county supervisors and residents will likely focus on legal challenges to the new laws, and I suspect that we’ll be hearing from several sheriffs that they plan on using their discretion to not enforce any laws that they believe violate the Second Amendment rights of their constituents. The fight over Ralph Northam’s gun control agenda has quieted down over the past few months, but it’s going to get loud again as we head into summer.


bearingarms--2020-05-21--MI Restaurant Attached To Gun Shop Reopens, Defying Whitmer's Orders

Molly Pitcher ’ s Dining is reopening for dine-in customers in Lyon Township , Michigan today , despite Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s orders that restaurants throughout much of the state can only offer take-out at the moment .
Whitmer released an executive order on Monday allowing retail establishments in the northern part of the state , including restaurants , to reopen on Friday at 50-percent capacity , but Lyon Township is in the southern part of the state , and is still under lockdown for the time being .
That ’ s not stopping Huron Valley Guns owner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pitcher ’ s inside his gun shop a few years .
Swadish says that he has and will continue to take steps to keep customers safe , but argues that the current fight over what businesses can reopen and when has turned into a fight about politics , not public safety .
Swadish said the coronavirus “ is real and very sad.
” While he had signed up for shutting down until the virus ’ rate of infection flattened , even closing the gun shop voluntarily for two weeks in March when an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out not to be COVID-19 , he says — Swadish insists the issue has become political and that is why he now is reopening the restaurant .
“ I am not going to lose my business because politicians are playing political games , ” he said .
Instead , he plans restaurant hours running 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday , and then 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays .
He is expecting 50-75 customers for opening day , and they will be served by four to five waitstaff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said will be wearing N95 masks and gloves .
While Swadish joked about being ready for handcuffs , he believes that he won ’ t face any sanctions from local authorities for reopening the restaurant , and he ’ s not the only business owner in Lyon Township who plans on reopening before the governor gives the green light .
Eric Konopka , owner of the Michigan Fireworks Company , will reopen his store Friday , just in time for the Memorial Day weekend .
His reopening , he said , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ We understand there are two sides to every story , some people agree ( with the executive orders ) and some don ’ t , but we don ’ t want to be in a political battle , ” Konopka said .
“ I want to open , create revenue for my family and allow people to enjoy fireworks this weekend.
” Memorial Day weekend is one of the biggest weekends of the year for his business , tied for second in sales with New Year ’ s , and only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ biggest profit generator .
“ If we miss this weekend , we might as well pack up shop , ” Konopka said .
Konopa ’ s wife is actually an ICU nurse who has worked with COVID-19 patients , and like Swadish , the fireworks store owner says he believes the threat posed by the coronavirus is real .
Konopa says , however , that he ’ ll be taking precautions to keep his store sanitized , including offering masks for customers to wear .
Swadish and Konopa aren ’ t the caricatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to portray .
They ’ re reasonable and rational , they ’ re not spouting off conspiracy theories , and they ’ re not minimizing the risks posed by the coronavirus .
They ’ re simply trying to keep their family businesses afloat , and believe that they can do so safely and responsibly .
Whether or not officials in Oakland County will allow them do so remains to be seen , but I expect that there ’ ll be plenty of folks enjoying a “ Freedom Burger ” at Molly Pitcher ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or not , Gov .
Whitmer needs to understand that she ’ s going to see a lot more of this in the days ahead .
Many business owners are frustrated , not only by the governor ’ s executive orders , but the haphazard and arbitrary proclamations coming from her office .
Even restaurant owners in parts of the state that have been told they can reopen are still struggling to figure out the new rules from Whitmer ’ s office .
“ I ’ m really at a loss , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Keyhole Bar and Grille in Mackinaw City .
“ Some people are saying you have to do this or that , but we ’ re really not clear on all the guidelines we have to follow .
One person said we have to have disposable menus and another said no you don ’ t .
Someone said you have to remove all the furniture that won ’ t be used for the seating , and I just don ’ t have a place to move all that to .
At this point there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Some business owners aren ’ t waiting for their questions to be answered , and I can ’ t say that I blame them .
Whitmer ’ s heavy-handed and authoritarian response to the coronavirus has left a lot to be desired , and I won ’ t be surprised if more businesses choose to simply defy the governor ’ s orders going forward and reopen for customers with safety protocols in place .

Molly Pitcher’s Dining is reopening for dine-in customers in Lyon Township, Michigan today, despite Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s orders that restaurants throughout much of the state can only offer take-out at the moment. Whitmer released an executive order on Monday allowing retail establishments in the northern part of the state, including restaurants, to reopen on Friday at 50-percent capacity, but Lyon Township is in the southern part of the state, and is still under lockdown for the time being.
That’s not stopping Huron Valley Guns owner Ed Swadish, who set up Molly Pitcher’s inside his gun shop a few years. Swadish says that he has and will continue to take steps to keep customers safe, but argues that the current fight over what businesses can reopen and when has turned into a fight about politics, not public safety.
Swadish said the coronavirus “is real and very sad.” While he had signed up for shutting down until the virus’ rate of infection flattened, even closing the gun shop voluntarily for two weeks in March when an employee had a fever — it turned out not to be COVID-19, he says — Swadish insists the issue has become political and that is why he now is reopening the restaurant. “I am not going to lose my business because politicians are playing political games,” he said. Instead, he plans restaurant hours running 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and then 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. He is expecting 50-75 customers for opening day, and they will be served by four to five waitstaff and a cook, all of whom he said will be wearing N95 masks and gloves.
While Swadish joked about being ready for handcuffs, he believes that he won’t face any sanctions from local authorities for reopening the restaurant, and he’s not the only business owner in Lyon Township who plans on reopening before the governor gives the green light.
Eric Konopka, owner of the Michigan Fireworks Company, will reopen his store Friday, just in time for the Memorial Day weekend. His reopening, he said, is not political, but driven by timing. “We understand there are two sides to every story, some people agree (with the executive orders) and some don’t, but we don’t want to be in a political battle,” Konopka said. “I want to open, create revenue for my family and allow people to enjoy fireworks this weekend.” Memorial Day weekend is one of the biggest weekends of the year for his business, tied for second in sales with New Year’s, and only behind the July 4 weekend as the biggest profit generator. “If we miss this weekend, we might as well pack up shop,” Konopka said.
Konopa’s wife is actually an ICU nurse who has worked with COVID-19 patients, and like Swadish, the fireworks store owner says he believes the threat posed by the coronavirus is real. Konopa says, however, that he’ll be taking precautions to keep his store sanitized, including offering masks for customers to wear.
“We don’t want to break the executive order, or rules, we are law abiding citizens,” Konopka said. “But we are extremely seasonal. There are only a few weekends when we can sell fireworks and we don’t want to not pay the rent. Come out and see us and be safe and we’ll be safe.”
Swadish and Konopa aren’t the caricatures of reopen advocates that the media loves to portray. They’re reasonable and rational, they’re not spouting off conspiracy theories, and they’re not minimizing the risks posed by the coronavirus. They’re simply trying to keep their family businesses afloat, and believe that they can do so safely and responsibly. Whether or not officials in Oakland County will allow them do so remains to be seen, but I expect that there’ll be plenty of folks enjoying a “Freedom Burger” at Molly Pitcher’s for lunch today.
Like it or not, Gov. Whitmer needs to understand that she’s going to see a lot more of this in the days ahead. Many business owners are frustrated, not only by the governor’s executive orders, but the haphazard and arbitrary proclamations coming from her office. Even restaurant owners in parts of the state that have been told they can reopen are still struggling to figure out the new rules from Whitmer’s office.
“I’m really at a loss,” said Sharon Zulski, owner of the Keyhole Bar and Grille in Mackinaw City. “Some people are saying you have to do this or that, but we’re really not clear on all the guidelines we have to follow. One person said we have to have disposable menus and another said no you don’t. Someone said you have to remove all the furniture that won’t be used for the seating, and I just don’t have a place to move all that to. At this point there’s just so many unanswered questions.”
Some business owners aren’t waiting for their questions to be answered, and I can’t say that I blame them. Whitmer’s heavy-handed and authoritarian response to the coronavirus has left a lot to be desired, and I won’t be surprised if more businesses choose to simply defy the governor’s orders going forward and reopen for customers with safety protocols in place.


bearingarms--2020-05-21--Scumbag Hollywood Actor Kills Himself In Failed Murder-Suicide Attempt

It ’ s being described as a botched murder-suicide .
It seems Hollywood actor Hagen Mills , a man best known for his role on the pilot episode of the TV show Baskets , has taken his own life after failing to kill his former girlfriend , Erica Price .
If there was nothing else to this story , it would be tragic as hell .
It would be outright awful , all on its own .
However , that ’ s not the whole story .
You see , Mills was a bit more complicated than that .
Hollywood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ attempted murder-suicide ’ in his native Kentucky .
The 29-year-old actor , who appeared in the hit FX series Baskets , reportedly tried to kill former partner Erica Price , 34 , at her residence in Mayfield on Tuesday evening .
Price was allegedly shot by Mills in both the arm and chest but managed to survive and call police .
Mills subsequently turned the gun on himself and committed suicide .
According to The West Kentucky Star , Price is the mother of Mills ’ four-year-old daughter , Mila .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the time , as was Price ’ s mother .
Neither were injured during the incident .
Investigators claim that Mills held the pair hostage inside the home until Price arrived at 5.45 pm .
After she walked through the front door , Mills shot her multiple times .
She was taken to hospital in a stable condition after contacting police .
That ’ s the brunt of what happened .
However , it seems that Mills was a real piece of work .
Actors can be…interesting .
I mean , there ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anyone who wants to spend their entire life being other people as much as possible , but Mills was different .
He appears to have been worse .
Records from Graves County Jail in Kentucky show Mills has an extensive rap sheet .
On March 30 of this year , he was arrested and charged with first degree rape and sodomy , as well as kidnapping and possession of methamphetamine .
Prison officials told DailyMail.com Wednesday that Mills was released May 6 on a $ 500,000 property bond and $ 10,000 surety .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ DailyMail.com pertaining to that case , Mills allegedly became embroiled in an altercation with a woman outside his home sometime in March .
He reportedly struck the victim with a handgun ‘ causing a laceration to her lip ’ .
The actor then allegedly forced the female victim into his home , where he raped and sodomized her .
She was held inside for hours , but managed to escape the property when Mills fell asleep .
The victim took herself to a local hospital for an examination .
Records from the Graves @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a DUI in 2016 , wanton endangerment in 2017 , and second-degree assault in 2018 .
Second-degree assault is a felony in Kentucky , which means Mills should not have been in possession of a firearm .
By law , he couldn ’ t have a gun , yet he apparently did .
One he used to hurt people who dared stand up to him , apparently .
Honestly , I ’ m glad Price and her daughter are still alive .
It sounds like they are well rid of Mills .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ still maintained a home in Hollywood , making him a Hollywood actor , though not a particularly big name .
In nine years , he amassed a total of 13 credits on IMDB .
Not a major star by any means , though a former rep of his described him as “ talented.
” It sounds , though , like the world and Hollywood are better off without him .
Then again , I can ’ t help but wonder how much of Hollywood ’ s aversion to gun rights is because they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?

It’s being described as a botched murder-suicide. It seems Hollywood actor Hagen Mills, a man best known for his role on the pilot episode of the TV show Baskets, has taken his own life after failing to kill his former girlfriend, Erica Price.
If there was nothing else to this story, it would be tragic as hell. It would be outright awful, all on its own.
However, that’s not the whole story. You see, Mills was a bit more complicated than that.
Hollywood actor Hagen Mills is dead following an ‘attempted murder-suicide’ in his native Kentucky. The 29-year-old actor, who appeared in the hit FX series Baskets, reportedly tried to kill former partner Erica Price, 34, at her residence in Mayfield on Tuesday evening. Price was allegedly shot by Mills in both the arm and chest but managed to survive and call police. Mills subsequently turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. According to The West Kentucky Star, Price is the mother of Mills’ four-year-old daughter, Mila. The young girl was inside the home at the time, as was Price’s mother. Neither were injured during the incident. Investigators claim that Mills held the pair hostage inside the home until Price arrived at 5.45 pm. After she walked through the front door, Mills shot her multiple times. She was taken to hospital in a stable condition after contacting police.
That’s the brunt of what happened. However, it seems that Mills was a real piece of work.
Actors can be…interesting. I mean, there’s probably something a little wrong with anyone who wants to spend their entire life being other people as much as possible, but Mills was different. He appears to have been worse.
For example:
Records from Graves County Jail in Kentucky show Mills has an extensive rap sheet. On March 30 of this year, he was arrested and charged with first degree rape and sodomy, as well as kidnapping and possession of methamphetamine. Prison officials told DailyMail.com Wednesday that Mills was released May 6 on a $500,000 property bond and $10,000 surety. According to an arrest warrant obtained by DailyMail.com pertaining to that case, Mills allegedly became embroiled in an altercation with a woman outside his home sometime in March. He reportedly struck the victim with a handgun ‘causing a laceration to her lip’. The actor then allegedly forced the female victim into his home, where he raped and sodomized her. She was held inside for hours, but managed to escape the property when Mills fell asleep. The victim took herself to a local hospital for an examination. … Records from the Graves County Jail website show he was arrested for a DUI in 2016, wanton endangerment in 2017, and second-degree assault in 2018.
Second-degree assault is a felony in Kentucky, which means Mills should not have been in possession of a firearm. By law, he couldn’t have a gun, yet he apparently did. One he used to hurt people who dared stand up to him, apparently.
Honestly, I’m glad Price and her daughter are still alive. It sounds like they are well rid of Mills.
While this happened in Kentucky, Mills still maintained a home in Hollywood, making him a Hollywood actor, though not a particularly big name. In nine years, he amassed a total of 13 credits on IMDB. Not a major star by any means, though a former rep of his described him as “talented.”
It sounds, though, like the world and Hollywood are better off without him.
Then again, I can’t help but wonder how much of Hollywood’s aversion to gun rights is because they all know too many people like Mills?


bearingarms--2020-05-22--Alaskan Armed Citizen Thwarts Potential Mass Shooting

On the morning of May 16 , 19-year-old Brian Nicolai allegedly broke into the public safety building in the remote Alaskan village of Kwethluk near the state ’ s southwest coast .
According to authorities , Nicolai donned body armor and a helmet , staged several rifles , and pulled the fire alarm .
When local village police officers responded to the alarm , Nicolai opened fire .
Village Police Officer Tiger Lee was the first to respond to the scene , but when Nicolai shot at him , Lee couldn ’ t fire back .
That ’ s because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kewthluk are authorized to carry firearms .
Instead , an armed citizen named Casey Thompson was ultimately able to get Nicolai to drop his gun before anyone was hurt .
Officers explained that the reason Kwethluk VPOs don ’ t carry firearms is a lack of funding .
[ Deputy Chief David ] Berezkin said that the required training to carry firearms takes two to three months in the lower 48 .
[ Public Safety Administrative Chief Nicolai ] Joseph said that the city can ’ t afford to be sued for improper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not rushing to change the way things are in Kwethluk .
He said that incidents involving guns , like the one on Saturday , are rare .
“ We don ’ t deal with this every day , you know ?
” Berezkin said .
And while trooper reports show that resident Thompson was able to de-escalate the situation on Saturday with a gun , Berezkin said that people respond to a show of force in different ways , and sometimes a gun can escalate a confrontation .
“ We don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ depends on the person , ” Berezkin said .
Lee said that even if Thompson had not arrived with a gun , he would have been able to handle the situation on Saturday .
He said that he ’ s dealt with similar calls where people have threatened to harm themselves .
As he has done in those situations , Lee said , he would have asked Nicolai questions to calm him down .
With all due respect to Officer Lee , this wasn ’ t a call about someone threatening to harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Village Police Officers .
It ’ s possible that Lee would have been able to defuse the situation by asking Nicolai questions , but given the fact that Nicolai took at least one shot at him , if Lee had been hit , he might not have been in a position to engage in a constructive dialogue with the suspect .
I believe that ultimately the reason this situation didn ’ t escalate into bloodshed was the fact that there was an armed response to Nicolai .
Thankfully , Casey Thompson didn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stop Nicolai ’ s attack , but I have no doubt that the presence of the rifle in Thompson ’ s hands was the difference-maker in defusing the situation .
The Village Police Officers in Kewthluk may not start carrying guns as a result of the attack , but until they do , they ’ ll have to rely on armed citizens to protect them if need be .

On the morning of May 16, 19-year-old Brian Nicolai allegedly broke into the public safety building in the remote Alaskan village of Kwethluk near the state’s southwest coast. According to authorities, Nicolai donned body armor and a helmet, staged several rifles, and pulled the fire alarm. When local village police officers responded to the alarm, Nicolai opened fire.
Village Police Officer Tiger Lee was the first to respond to the scene, but when Nicolai shot at him, Lee couldn’t fire back. That’s because none of the VPO’s in Kewthluk are authorized to carry firearms. Instead, an armed citizen named Casey Thompson was ultimately able to get Nicolai to drop his gun before anyone was hurt.
Officers explained that the reason Kwethluk VPOs don’t carry firearms is a lack of funding. [Deputy Chief David] Berezkin said that the required training to carry firearms takes two to three months in the lower 48. [Public Safety Administrative Chief Nicolai] Joseph said that the city can’t afford to be sued for improper use of force. But Berezkin is not rushing to change the way things are in Kwethluk. He said that incidents involving guns, like the one on Saturday, are rare. “We don’t deal with this every day, you know?” Berezkin said. And while trooper reports show that resident Thompson was able to de-escalate the situation on Saturday with a gun, Berezkin said that people respond to a show of force in different ways, and sometimes a gun can escalate a confrontation. “We don’t know what could happen. It all depends on the person,” Berezkin said. Lee said that even if Thompson had not arrived with a gun, he would have been able to handle the situation on Saturday. He said that he’s dealt with similar calls where people have threatened to harm themselves. As he has done in those situations, Lee said, he would have asked Nicolai questions to calm him down.
With all due respect to Officer Lee, this wasn’t a call about someone threatening to harm themselves. This was an ambush on Village Police Officers. It’s possible that Lee would have been able to defuse the situation by asking Nicolai questions, but given the fact that Nicolai took at least one shot at him, if Lee had been hit, he might not have been in a position to engage in a constructive dialogue with the suspect.
I believe that ultimately the reason this situation didn’t escalate into bloodshed was the fact that there was an armed response to Nicolai. Thankfully, Casey Thompson didn’t have to fire his rifle to stop Nicolai’s attack, but I have no doubt that the presence of the rifle in Thompson’s hands was the difference-maker in defusing the situation. The Village Police Officers in Kewthluk may not start carrying guns as a result of the attack, but until they do, they’ll have to rely on armed citizens to protect them if need be.


bearingarms--2020-05-22--Detroit Firearms Instructor Organizing Rally Against Racism At MI Capitol

Firearms instructor Rick Ector has been a leader in Michigan ’ s 2A community for over a decade , encouraging responsible gun ownership and helping train thousands of residents on everything from the basics of gun handling to obtaining a concealed carry license .
Rick received the “ Defender of Freedom ” award at the Gun Rights Policy Conference back in 2016 , and he ’ s been a frequent guest on my shows for over a decade .
He ’ s back on Bearing Arms ’ Cam & Co today to talk about an event that ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but will still have a definite 2A flavor : the Blacks And Latinos Against Racist Empowerment rally that Rick has organized for Thursday , May 28 , at the state capitol in Lansing , Michigan .
“ A lot of our nation ’ s focus is being concentrated and focused on the coronavirus and its impact on the economy , but little time is being said about racial minorities being killed across the nation , ” Ector said in a release .
“ The deaths are a sober reminder that the world is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Karen Whitsett , D-Detroit is scheduled to speak at the rally .
Whitsett recently made national headlines after she thanked President Donald Trump for touting the drug hydroxychloroquine , which she said saved her life after she contracted the COVID-19 virus .
The comment by Whitsett , a first-term lawmaker , angered the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party organization , which voted 15-0 to kick her out of the group .
Also expected to appear : Marcus Weldon , a Southfield resident who was acquitted of attempted murder after he shot two men @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a downtown Detroit gas station on Dec. 21 , 2014 .
Maj Toure , the founder of Black Guns Matter , will also be on hand , as will Mike Lynn , Jr. , the Lansing activist who recently provided an armed escort to one Michigan lawmaker who said she felt fearful after armed protesters descended on the state capitol building as part of a reopen protest against Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer last month .
Ector says the impetus for next week ’ s rally were the killings of Ahmaud Arbery in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kentucky , which he calls two “ very unfortunate incidents.
” “ I always try to stay in tune with what is happening locally , across the state , and nationally , and it caused a lot of people in my network angst and concern .
You know , when you dig into the specific details of each story it ’ s a little troubling .
As a black person , a person of color , I ’ m always conscious that given the right set of circumstances that could be me , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an event here in Michigan at the state capitol and highlight those concerns.
” Ector says that he wants the event to be a positive one , and yes , it is open to people of all races , colors , and creeds .
Ector says that he specifically wanted to reach out to minority gun owners because he believes that there is an impression that Second Amendment activism is primarily reserved for , well , guys who look a lot like me : white dudes with beards and ballcaps .
Ector wants @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Asian gun owners , and gun owners of every shade and shape to know that they have a place to use their voice to advocate for personal empowerment and self-defense .
As someone who passionately believes that self-defense is a human right and that the right to keep and bear arms is a right of all the People , I think this will be an amazing event , and if it wasn ’ t an 11-hour drive from Farmville , Virginia , I would be there in person to take part .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rally next week , but in the meantime be sure to check out the entire interview with Rick Ector in the video window above .
If you ’ re interested in attending , you can also find out more information about the rally at Rick ’ s Facebook page .

Firearms instructor Rick Ector has been a leader in Michigan’s 2A community for over a decade, encouraging responsible gun ownership and helping train thousands of residents on everything from the basics of gun handling to obtaining a concealed carry license. Rick received the “Defender of Freedom” award at the Gun Rights Policy Conference back in 2016, and he’s been a frequent guest on my shows for over a decade. He’s back on Bearing Arms’ Cam & Co today to talk about an event that’s not exclusively focused on the Second Amendment, but will still have a definite 2A flavor: the Blacks And Latinos Against Racist Empowerment rally that Rick has organized for Thursday, May 28, at the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan.
“A lot of our nation’s focus is being concentrated and focused on the coronavirus and its impact on the economy, but little time is being said about racial minorities being killed across the nation,” Ector said in a release. “The deaths are a sober reminder that the world is not a safe place.” State Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit is scheduled to speak at the rally. Whitsett recently made national headlines after she thanked President Donald Trump for touting the drug hydroxychloroquine, which she said saved her life after she contracted the COVID-19 virus. The comment by Whitsett, a first-term lawmaker, angered the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party organization, which voted 15-0 to kick her out of the group. Also expected to appear: Marcus Weldon, a Southfield resident who was acquitted of attempted murder after he shot two men he says pulled a gun on him at a downtown Detroit gas station on Dec. 21, 2014.
Maj Toure, the founder of Black Guns Matter, will also be on hand, as will Mike Lynn, Jr., the Lansing activist who recently provided an armed escort to one Michigan lawmaker who said she felt fearful after armed protesters descended on the state capitol building as part of a reopen protest against Gov. Gretchen Whitmer last month.
Ector says the impetus for next week’s rally were the killings of Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky, which he calls two “very unfortunate incidents.”
“I always try to stay in tune with what is happening locally, across the state, and nationally, and it caused a lot of people in my network angst and concern. You know, when you dig into the specific details of each story it’s a little troubling. As a black person, a person of color, I’m always conscious that given the right set of circumstances that could be me, and I just wanted to put together an event here in Michigan at the state capitol and highlight those concerns.”
Ector says that he wants the event to be a positive one, and yes, it is open to people of all races, colors, and creeds. Ector says that he specifically wanted to reach out to minority gun owners because he believes that there is an impression that Second Amendment activism is primarily reserved for, well, guys who look a lot like me: white dudes with beards and ballcaps. Ector wants black gun owners, Hispanic gun owners, Asian gun owners, and gun owners of every shade and shape to know that they have a place to use their voice to advocate for personal empowerment and self-defense.
As someone who passionately believes that self-defense is a human right and that the right to keep and bear arms is a right of all the People, I think this will be an amazing event, and if it wasn’t an 11-hour drive from Farmville, Virginia, I would be there in person to take part. We will have much more on the rally next week, but in the meantime be sure to check out the entire interview with Rick Ector in the video window above. If you’re interested in attending, you can also find out more information about the rally at Rick’s Facebook page.


bearingarms--2020-05-22--TN Virtual Town Hall Takes Aim At Permitless Carry Bill

Things are starting to return to normal in so many ways for many of us .
In fact , politics is shifting back into gear now that the overall threat of COVID-19 has started to fade into the background .
That means it ’ s time to talk about various bills that were in effect prior to the lockdown and may potentially still be viable .
That also means it ’ s time for those who oppose the measures to take whatever action they can .
Wait , it was a virtual town hall , something people could have playing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things on their computers , and they still only got “ more than a hundred people ” to attend ?
I mean , people could even use their cell phones if they were out and about , and that ’ s all they got .
Bear in mind that the city of Memphis has over 650,000 people .
Just 100-125 people ( I ’ d expect they ’ d say “ just under 150 people ” or something like that ) is nothing more than a drop in the bucket for a city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which means it could have been attended by people all over the nation .
While some there likely tried their damnedest to make arguments against the bill , including one physician quoted as saying something about not letting people use dangerous equipment without training , all of that shouldn ’ t matter too much because so few people bothered to attend .
Though , to address the one argument available , I have to point out that numerous other states already have permitless carry , also known as constitutional carry , and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time now .
Other states issue permits , but do not require training .
In these states , there ’ s also a profound lack of incidents .
It ’ s important to remember that while firearms are dangerous , they ’ re only dangerous under similar circumstances to weapons like knives .
In other words , they ’ re dangerous if used improperly or with criminal intent .
Again , not that it matters .
With so few people attending , it seems unlikely they can muster enough support to really stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s good because the criminals–people operating these dangerous pieces of equipment without proper training–are still going to do it regardless .
It ’ s stupid to hamstring the good guys with a law that does nothing to stop the bad guys , especially if that was the best argument they proposed .

Things are starting to return to normal in so many ways for many of us. In fact, politics is shifting back into gear now that the overall threat of COVID-19 has started to fade into the background. That means it’s time to talk about various bills that were in effect prior to the lockdown and may potentially still be viable.
That also means it’s time for those who oppose the measures to take whatever action they can.
Apparently, that means virtual town halls.
More than a hundred people attended a virtual Tennessee gun violence town hall Thursday. Several community members, including many from Memphis, spoke up about gun violence prevention during and after the pandemic. The goal was also to urge Tennessee legislators to reject the permit-less carry legislation proposed by Governor Bill Lee in March.
Wait, it was a virtual town hall, something people could have playing in the background as they did other things on their computers, and they still only got “more than a hundred people” to attend?
Seriously?
I mean, people could even use their cell phones if they were out and about, and that’s all they got.
Holy crap, that’s freaking hilarious.
Bear in mind that the city of Memphis has over 650,000 people. Just 100-125 people (I’d expect they’d say “just under 150 people” or something like that) is nothing more than a drop in the bucket for a city, especially since it was virtual, which means it could have been attended by people all over the nation.
While some there likely tried their damnedest to make arguments against the bill, including one physician quoted as saying something about not letting people use dangerous equipment without training, all of that shouldn’t matter too much because so few people bothered to attend.
Though, to address the one argument available, I have to point out that numerous other states already have permitless carry, also known as constitutional carry, and have had it without incident for quite some time now. Other states issue permits, but do not require training. In these states, there’s also a profound lack of incidents.
It’s important to remember that while firearms are dangerous, they’re only dangerous under similar circumstances to weapons like knives. In other words, they’re dangerous if used improperly or with criminal intent.
Again, not that it matters.
With so few people attending, it seems unlikely they can muster enough support to really stop a bill backed by the governor. That’s good because the criminals–people operating these dangerous pieces of equipment without proper training–are still going to do it regardless. It’s stupid to hamstring the good guys with a law that does nothing to stop the bad guys, especially if that was the best argument they proposed.