A New Jersey State Police officer under the supervision of Superintendent Patrick J. Callahan’s police reportedly mocked a person waiting out the COVID-19 pandemic to get a gun permit despite huge backlogs and stalling by state officials.
“Apparently everybody thinks you can shoot the COVID-19 with a bullet, so everybody wanted a gun,” the officer said in a telephone interview with the NJ2A society this week.
After being told that people are worried about police departments completely shutting down during the pandemic, the officer doubled down on his statement.
“I understand, but like I said, apparently, everybody thinks they can shoot the COVID-19,” he said again. “And that’s not really true, but that’s why they got influxed with permit applications, went up almost 500% from last year.”
The New Jersey Second Amendment society responded.
“A recent contact made with the New Jersey State Police hotline revealed a telling picture of the level of firearm demand we are currently experiencing. As we have reported previously, multiple attempts to contact the State Police firearms hotline were met with endless ringing, repeated voicemails, and instructions from operators that there is nothing they can do to help. Now we are starting to understand why,” they said in a statement. “In the video, we get an indicative picture of the unprecedented firearm demand. Never forget; if you’re looking for an abortion or for increased welfare benefits, our state-funded social service and healthcare hotlines are fully-staffed and ready to refer you to “essential” service centers for those selective needs. However, when it comes to lawful firearm acquisition, every excuse imaginable is thrown at our callers, along with an enormous dose of indignation and sarcasm. This of course, is IF you are lucky enough to have a human pick up the phone.”
“When we legally permit the state to “approve” our rights, we are doing nothing more than giving them the opportunity to deny us at their total whim. The Covid-19 quarantine has pulled back the veil in an unprecedented fashion; new and old firearm owners alike are now realizing they are nothing more than slaves in the eyes of the state. How ironic it is – that those holding the exclusive monopoly of violent force are also the ones tasked with approving our sacred “right” to defense. During these times, it is important to remember that multiple court cases have upheld that no individual has a right to protection from police or other government entities. Keep that in mind as you hear the endless dial tones to your state barracks – and remember that even after this quarantine subsides, the next “emergency” is only an “executive order” away,” the group said.
Photo by David Levêque on Unsplash
