COVID-19 and Second Amendment: 3 Things to Know

From The Daily Signal.com (April 1):

With the COVID-19 pandemic causing serious interruptions to the daily lives of people across the country, many American are acutely aware of how certain civil liberties are being affected by the virus.

But what about the right to keep and bear arms? How is this right being affected by the sudden policy changes?

Here are three things to know about the Second Amendment and COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

1. Americans Are Flocking to Gun Stores. That’s Not Unreasonable.

Millions of Americans have long known that civilian gun ownership plays an important role in the “security of a free state,” allowing us to protect and defend our liberties when the government cannot or will not do so on our behalf.

It’s clear that, in this uncertain and unprecedented time, many more Americans are coming to understand this reality.

Even as stay-at-home orders have devastated many businesses, retailers of guns and ammunition are reporting massive spikes in sales.

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2. States Have Handled Second Amendment Rights in Very Different Ways.

Our system of federalism means that states, not the federal government, have a lot of control over their individual responses to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Many states have imposed “stay-at-home” orders to help fight the spread of the disease, sometimes with the Second Amendment rights of residents hanging in the balance.

A handful of states, among them Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan, have deemed gun stores “essential businesses” that are exempt from mandatory closures, just like pharmacies, grocery stores, and gas stations.

The Texas attorney general also issued an opinion that local governments can’t use the declared state of emergency to close down gun stores or otherwise infringe on Texans’ Second Amendment rights.

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3. First-Time Gun Owner? Invest Time in Responsible Gun Ownership.

If you are one of the many Americans now considering buying a gun for the first time, there are several very important things you should do beforehand to help ensure you are a responsible gun owner.

First, familiarize yourself with your state’s gun laws. Every state has different laws about who can purchase what types of firearms and what procedures they must follow.

Some states, such as Nebraska, require you to obtain a purchase permit for all guns. Other states, such as North Carolina, only require special permits for purchasing handguns.

Some states have a mandatory waiting period for all gun purchases, meaning that after you go to the store, pass a background check, and pay for the firearm, you must wait for a certain number of days before the gun store can actually transfer the gun. In California, for example, it will be a full 10 days before you can bring your purchased firearm home. [read more]