New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy backed down from his earlier position banning gun stores from operating during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a 180-degree turn, Gov. Murphy is now agreeing to allow guns to be purchased.
Weighing in on this turn of events is ________(of of 5 speakers, below), spokesman with the 2nd Amendment Foundation, the group that filed a lawsuit, leading in this matter.
Q&A:
- Your group filed a federal lawsuit against New Jersey Gov. Philip D. Murphy and State Police Supt. Patrick J. Callahan, asserting violation of civil rights under color of law by shutting down firearms dealerships in the Garden State, thus preventing citizens from exercising their rights under the Second and Fourteenth amendments. But that just changed. Tell us about that.
Answer: We filed suit but were ultimately joined by the New Jersey Second Amendment Society, Legacy Indoor Range and Armory LLC and the Firearms Policy Coalition (FPC), Racing Rails LLC d/b/a Legend Firearms and several private citizens, and now have prevailed.
- What do you have to say to those who feel filing a lawsuit during this time of crisis was a bit overboard?
Answer: Banning guns is the thing that is overboard. Liberals always use a crisis to thwart 2nd Amendment rights. To keep this from happening, we need to remain eternally vigilant.
- Was it just guns that were temporarily banned, or bullets, too?
Answer: Bullets, too.
- What is your best argument, apart from the constitution protecting gun rights, for gun ownership?
Answer: If you outlaw guns, only outlaws will have guns. Time and again, crazed shooters pick soft targets like schools since they are viewed as soft targets, otherwise known as gun free zones.
- How are gun rights more important than ever in this era of the Coronavirus?
Answer: When supplies run out, and food runs low, there are always those who are willing to do desperate things to get staple items such as toilet paper.
- Where may we get more information on this and your organization?
Answer: SAF.org
EXPERT GUESTS AVAILABLE TO INTERVIEW ON THIS TOPIC:
ABOUT MARK WALTERS (in Eastern Time):
Mark Walters is a national board member of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and a broadcast media spokesman for the Second Amendment Foundation.
Recipient of the 2015 Gun Rights Defender of the Year Award, Mark Walters is a weekly national columnist for Ammoland, and author of three books, Lessons from Armed America with Kathy Jackson: foreword by Massad Ayoob, Lessons from Unarmed America with Rob Pincus: foreword by Ted Nugent, and Grilling While Armed.
Mark is the host of two nationally syndicated talk radio programs, Armed American Radio, and Armed American Radio’s Daily Defense heard on hundreds of radio stations across the country, six days per week. In addition,
Mark has appeared on national and international radio and television on gun-related stories and is a popular podium speaker on firearms topics. Mark is a husband and father of two children and resides in Georgia with his family.
ABOUT DAVE WORKMAN (In Pacific Time):
Dave Workman is an award-winning career journalist and senior editor of TheGunMag.com (formerly Gun Week).
He also writes for Liberty Park Press, Conservative Firing Line and several firearms periodicals. He is also the communications director for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
He has authored Op-Ed pieces in several major newspapers including the Chicago Tribune, Seattle Times and Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
He has also co-authored seven books with Alan Gottlieb, founder of the Second Amendment Foundation.
Workman’s beat is firearms, from politics to the outdoors. He is widely considered an authority on firearms, concealed carry and gun politics.
ABOUT ALAN GOTTLIEB (In Pacific Time):
Alan is a strong advocate of defense. He’s a nuclear engineering graduate of the University of Tennessee, publisher of Gun Week, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, and Founder of the Second Amendment Foundation. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Conservative Union.
ABOUT STEPHEN WILLEFORD (In Central Time):
A native of Sutherland Springs, Texas, Stephen Willeford was raised in a family of five on a dairy farm near the First Baptist Church. He is the fourth generation to live on a few hundred acres of land in Wilson County.
Stephen has always relied on his faith to guide his life, and his deep roots in Sutherland Springs are a product of his family’s commitment to their community. An avid sportsman, Stephen began shooting at a young age and honed his shooting skills by participating in shooting competitions as he grew older. He made sure his three children were trained in gun safety, passing along his expertise.
After the deadly mass shooting in November 2017, Stephen has become known across the country as the “good guy with a gun.” Stephen credits his unwavering faith and penchant for preparedness as to why he was able to step in during this critical incident, believing that each day of his life prepared him for what happened on that Sunday morning.
Stephen has begun speaking publicly about his life and experiences, even delivering a lauded speech at the National Rifle Association Convention in May 2018. Because of his selfless service to his community, Stephen was also an honored guest of members of the Texas delegation at the 2018 State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.
An experienced professional plumber, Stephen earned his license from the Plumbers and Pipefitters Apprenticeship School in San Antonio and has nearly 35 years of experience in his field. In 2018, Governor Greg Abbott appointed Stephen to serve on the Texas Private Security Board. He is a member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), was an NRA-certified instructor and a former assistant scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America. Stephen has been married to Pam Farmer Willeford for 30 years and has three children and three grandchildren.
ABOUT TOM GRESHAM (In Central Time):
Tom Gresham is a spokesman for 2nd Amendment Foundation. He hosts the nationally syndicated weekend radio talk show ‘Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk,’ carried on 266 stations. He also has created, hosted and directed several television series about guns including Shooting Sports America on ESPN, and Guns and Gear on NBC Sports. An author of several books, Tom has also written thousands of magazine articles about firearms.
ABOUT THE 2ND AMENDMENT FOUNDATION:
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
