New Mexico’s authoritarian governor has sent the New Mexico State Police to enforce her decree and close down the Calibers gun shops in Albuquerque as part of her Chinese coronavirus emergency order. This just days after Calibers’ owner announced that he would open his stores once again.
Of course, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham says she supports the right to keep and bear arms. But actions speak louder than words.
Right out of the gate, Governor “Shall Be Infringed” decreed that gun shops would be considered “non-essential.” This, even though the stores provide goods and services to law enforcement and military members, which is one of the criteria for determining which businesses may remain open.
At the same time, Calibers head honcho Louie Sanchez noted that Governor Grisham’s order allows big box stores that sell the same products to remain open, while keeping his small business closed.
Clearly Governor Grisham supports the rights of gun owners. Unequivocally.
Yet a few days after he opened last week, the New Mexico State Police showed up with a cease and desist order to completely shut him down.
Sanchez’s story has gained national attention in addition to my post here at TTAG last week. He appeared on the FoxNews channel in an interview about this closure.
The New Mexico Political Report also covered the story locally:
A prominent gun store and indoor shooting range was shut down by state police earlier this week after the owner publicly announced he would remain open for business despite a state order temporarily banning commercial gun sales.
In an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the state, state officials have limited the types of businesses that can remain open under a public health emergency.
Louie Sanchez, the owner of Calibers and a recent Republican U.S. Senate hopeful, posted on Facebook that on Thursday night the New Mexico State Police shut down his business.
“It’s amazing how the Governor is picking ‘winners and losers’ as small businesses are closed all over the state and thousands of people are now unemployed,” Sanchez wrote. “Small businesses new and old which will never recover or reopen they’re (sic) doors again.”
Sanchez did not respond to an inquiry from NM Report, but in his social media post he expressed his frustration with Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham for allowing “big box stores” to stay open and sell some of the same products that smaller, local businesses are unable to sell because of the state order only allowing essential services to remain open to the public.
This so-called emergency and governors’ arbitrary orders can’t end fast enough. Americans have had enough of wannabe tyrants who are all too eager to use the current situation as an excuse to strip us of our Constitutional rights.