The owner of a Massachusetts gun store that is refusing to comply with the state’s order to close his doors said that the state will have to “drag” him out and he only answers to God and President Trump.
John Costa, the owner of The Gunrunner in Middleborough, spoke with MassLive.com about the state’s coronavirus crackdown, and called Gov. Charlie Baker, the Republican, and “idiot,” “liar” and a “RINO,” an acronym for “Republican in Name Only.”
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“And I’ll tell you something right now, the attorney general has her hand so far up his butt that she can actually move his mouth,” he said, referring to Maura Healy, a Democrat. “So no, I will not comply to this insane socialist governor, and that is why I won’t close.”
He told the paper that he only adheres to the Constitution and the Second Amendment.
The report pointed out that, under Baker’s order, retailers must remain closed until May 4.
Americans across the country appear to be growing tired with intrusive stay-at-home orders that have essentially choked off the economy and left millions unemployed. Many have asked for tangible evidence that the lockdown has been effective in saving lives and have pointed to recent studies that have shown antibodies in far more people than previously thought, hence the likelihood of a far lower mortality rate.
Health officials and many state leaders have insisted that these orders have been vital in keeping the numbers of those infected low.
Some Americans are uneasy with state governments getting to decide what businesses are “essential,” like in the Bay State. The MassLive report said the town issued a cease-and-desist order for Costa’s business earlier this month, but, three weeks later, Costa’s shop is still making curbside sales.
Jonathan Lowy, the chief counsel of The Brady Group, a gun-control organization, told Time recently that “the fact is that guns, the nature of guns, require that they be sold with a lot of close interaction. They can’t be sold from vending machines, can’t be sold with curbside pickup.”
The report, citing an official, said that Costa could face a fine of $300 per violation or criminal charges.
“The thing with the governor, all the rest of the country, most gun shops are open,” he said. “This governor, his plan is to shut down the gun shops, not because the spread of the pandemic, it’s all about taking away our rights. It’s all about preventing the sales of guns.”