Sheriff has allowed gun shops to reopen in SLO County. Here’s what readers have to say about that

Dangerous decision

Sheriff Ian Parkinson, whose duty it is to keep SLO County residents safe and out of harm’s way, made a dangerous and inappropriate decision when he approved allowing gun shops to remain open during our current shelter-in-place order. We read in the newspapers and hear on the news the concern for individuals who could be forced to shelter at home with an abuser. Having firearms readily available to a person already disposed to violence toward others can only result in violence. I am not a fan of Sheriff Parkinson, but he has a difficult job and I have tried to keep an open mind. However, like Ms. Karen Morgan states in her letter, I will remember his decision at the next election.

Linda Thunen, Arroyo Grande

Ask the tougher questions, Trib

After 20 years of military service and responding to 70 national disasters, I question The Tribune’s thinking on constitutional rights in their March 25 editorial, which disagrees with Sheriff Ian Parkinson’s decision to uphold our Second Amendment constitutional right.

For 230 years our Constitution has been the supreme law of our country. We have had 4,536 natural and man-made disasters, fought five wars, and deployed our forces to 134 countries, with it intact. We know the Constitution guarantees our First Amendment and Second Amendment rights, without exception, even in an emergency.

The Fifth Amendment tells the federal government no one shall be “deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law.” The Fourteenth Amendment applies this to state and local governments. Yes, the state and local governments have “police power” during an emergency, but only if it is not prohibited by the Constitution or federal law.

The question The Tribune should ask is what proof has been provided to Americans by our government officials to take away or suspend any constitutional rights. Is it unconstitutional to suspend a constitutional right and enforce that suspension with a misdemeanor? Blaming Parkinson is easy, understanding your rights and fighting for them is not.

Kristina Simpson-Spearman, Pismo Beach

Whoa sheriff!

Based on your rationale that keeping gun stores open is essential for some folks to cope with the COVID-19 virus, please see to it that bookstores remain open so I can arm myself with some books to help me through these troubled times. Much appreciated.

Richard Mortensen, San Luis Obispo

Who you gonna call?

To all the anti-gun people who have been giving our sheriff a hard time, you should step back for a moment and consider who will protect you if someone breaks into your home and robs you.

Remember, law enforcement can’t protect you from bad guys, they can only show up afterwards, take a report and try and find the bad guys. You and only you can protect yourself and family members. This virus is one example, but if we had a major earthquake the response by people in our community would be the same.

When people panic even good people do dangerous things in order to feed their families. My father used to say that owning a gun was like buying life insurance, car insurance or medical insurance, you hope you never need it but you’re happy that when you do need it you have it.

This virus situation is just one example of how society can fall apart. What if we had a major earthquake with no electricity, no stores opened and our public services overwhelmed? Like the movie “Ghost Busters” asks “Who you going to call?”

Dennis Javens, Atascadero

Some things never change

Each year I have this struggle: renew The Tribune or not? Doing the daily puzzles has become a ritual, and they are probably worth the buck a day. Another ritual is that I can count on is reading the left half of the news. Fortunately, Fox News is available to me to get the right half.

Example: The Editorial Board on March 25 claims “gun shops are not essential” … “and that should be the final word.”

“Final word,” really, when these are the same biased editors who have published the most vile and juvenile anti-Trump cartoons for the last three years? I’m guessing they will not publish data on the outcome of Australia’s experience with gun confiscation after one year.

I am encouraged that we have rational leaders like Sheriff Ian Parkinson and President Trump, with actual executive experience, to see us through these challenging times. Our country will survive and prosper — some things never change.

Rod MacLeod, Pismo Beach

Bad analogies

At difficult times like ours, the statements from our public officials must be clear and logical. Sadly, Sheriff Ian Parkinson and County Administrative Officer Wade Horton are irresponsible in their ability to outline the logic behind their decision to allow gun sales to continue now (as necessary as grocery stores and pharmacies, etc.).

Alas, the sheriff misunderstands that his analogy/comparison that firearms are essential because, “hardware stores and golf courses have also been allowed to be open” fails logically. An analogy’s purpose “may be” to explain an idea further or to clarify an idea, that two things “may be” alike in some ways. So . . . golf (an outdoor sport) and hardware sales (usually not considered a sport) are similar to gun sales? This is a badly constructed (and deadly) argument. Analogies do not support or give proof to an argument, they merely give an illustration, an observation, albeit, in this case, a laughable one. Try another persuasive tactic, sheriff.

Mary Kay Harrington, San Luis Obispo

Libraries more essential than gun shops

I read your article in the Tribune today as well as the Tribune editorial on which businesses were considered essential and non-essential for being kept open during “shelter at home.” Well, I am trying to understand how gun shops are considered essential and how the sheriff has more authority than other officials. Really? Is this county being led by the Sheriff’s Office?

On the other hand, the libraries are considered nonessential when in fact, during this time free reading material is so essential to helping us survive isolation. The libraries could be monitored for the format we must follow now.

For those who have not seen the lines, cars, and closeness of customers in these gun shops, go visit one as it is an eye opener.

Mary Ann Serpa, Atascadero

Horrifying

I have just read a list of essential businesses. Why on earth are “gun stores” and “licensed gun retailers” on the list? This horrifies me.

Cathy Bonnett, Los Osos

Stoking fear

Could there be a worse idea than allowing gun shops to stay open? Ever heard of “preppers”? They are a sub-culture of hoarders determined to be prepared for the inevitable coming apocalypse. And the preparation includes all manner of weapons, mostly firearms.

In fact, most of these paranoid citizens are gun enthusiasts first, death-to-tyrannical-government second and equally I-will-shoot-you-if-you-step-on-my-lawn fanatics.

So sure, Marshall Dillon, let’s deputize that well-armed militia just in case of tyranny or riotous mobs in the streets. Better yet, you can form a posse! A vigilante posse to roam the streets in search of outlaws defying the six-foot rule.

Gun nuts already fear their neighbors. Must you stoke that fear at a time when we should be supporting one another and our “leaders” should be offering calming words of assurance?

Michael S. Miller, Arroyo Grande

Close them down

In regard to Sheriff Ian Parkinson’s decision that gun shops are “essential” businesses during this crisis: People are desperate for dwindling goods, the hospitals are soon to be overrun with the very likely scenario of having to turn people away, and according to Supervisor Lynn Compton, unstable people are taking their frustrations out on family members, with a rise in domestic violence calls.

So what could possibly go wrong with more guns on the street? Sheriff Parkinson should close the gun shops. They are not essential to a civilized society pulling together to get through this unprecedented crisis.

Debbie Anthony, San Luis Obispo

Guns are deadly

If we shutter gun store sales during this COVID-19 pandemic period, how will we maintain our average of 100 deaths per day in the U.S. from gun violence?

Phil Bauman, Morro Bay

Why?

I would like to hear the rationale from the persons at our county who came up with the list of “essential businesses” that are allowed to remain fully open during our “shelter at home” period of time. In what way is a “licensed firearm retailer” an essential business? Do we need to add firearms to the already panicked public?

Kathy Hoversten, Morro Bay

Remember this in 2022

Let us all remember it was Sheriff Ian Parkinson who has deemed gun stores a “vital and essential service” in these perilous times of COVID-19, supporting his decision with the Second Amendment and likening them to golf courses and hardware stores.

Except for buying rat poison at Miner’s, I don’t see a connection. If there is any increase in crimes involving use of a firearm or deaths using the “castle defense,” then we know where to point the community finger. Even if there are none, I will still remember on election day 2022 that his irrational decision, unworthy of the chief law enforcement officer of our county, made us feel less safe from yet another communicable disease: gun violence.

Karen Morgan, San Luis Obispo

Editor’s note: Share your thoughts on this topic by writing to letters@thetribunenews.com. We’ll update this file as we receive more letters, so check back.

This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 3:05 PM.