I stopped by Lynchburg Jewelry and Loan on route 221 in Bedford county Virginia  with plans to spend about $200 on some ammo yesterday and was refused entry unless I donned a mask.  Fuck them. I refuse to comply to an order by a petty tyrant, racist piece of shit governor. That's one less business I will choose to spend my money at. I hope that they go bankrupt.

If people that work there are also primary care givers to people at a higher risk from this flu, wouldn't it be in their best interests to try and protect their loved ones?

I think our Governors rulings on this are stupid and politically motivated - but a private business has the right to do as it sees fit.

Likewise, you have the right to shop or not shop at their store - but I think calling for a boycott is a little overboard.

Just my $.02

I don't like Coonman's executive orders either, but I have a lot of sympathy for these business owners who comply with everything.  Look at it from the businesses' point of view.  Your economic livelihood has just been severely crippled for 2.5 months and you are just now being allowed to attempt to claw your way back to economic sustainability.  Even if you are able to open back up, it's highly probable that you will have significantly reduced revenues because some of your customers have been conditioned to be terrified to go out in public and most of your customers are now struggling economically and have reduced spending power.  If you were the business owner who is just trying to keep his head above water, would you spend your time trying to fight a vaguely worded executive order or would you grudgingly comply and just attempt to salvage your crippled business?  Another consideration too is that if you don't implement the order and require masks, you risk potential civil suits from customers or employees who contract the Chinese virus or suffer "mental anguish from your reckless decisions."  You can bet the local media will jump on a story like that and they won't be doing a glowing story about your principled stand for freedom and liberty.  I think it is unfair to expect these businesses to do anything but comply under these conditions.

Sure we all get tired of the liberal virtue signalling and derp from Coonman, but don't let the mask issue be the powder keg.  Things are going to heat up a lot, let's make our position on things that are less debatable.  Don't we all know people that are vulnerable to COVID19 exposure?  I have a problem with mandates founded in inaccuracies/lies, but the gesture of social distancing/basic sanitation (which Coonman doesn't embrace) count at some level and idea that we are reasonable needs to carry.  This is not suggesting compliance, just a broader consideration (like don't dog this business). Respect the virus's potential, but don't fear it and let's better organize against clear political abuse.....this means not drawing such a hardline on each other over a damn mask.

There isn’t a mandate until Friday, so they are doing this on their own.

The mask mandate is going to be enforceable by the VDH. I don’t expect health department commandos will be standing in doors to arrest citizens. They will likely respond to complaints from other so-called citizens and deal with the business.  This puts the business owners in the position of de facto enforcers. Brilliant move on Northams part. He must have realized not all the LEOs would touch this, never mind it would be a disaster if they even tried. Now, you just get refused service. Businesses that don’t demand masks run the risk of being shut down.

I've let all of my friends know locally and they're mad about it too. All I was going to do was to help them out by buying some ammo from them instead of ordering it online. By refusing my entry into the store, not only did he miss out on a sale but I will never go in there again. My friends feel the same way.

Again, why are you so pissy?  What happened to their business their rules?  I know perhaps the most hardcore shooting competitor lady in Virginia is and she is holed up b/c she does have special vulnerability and also a loved one at home with barely functional lungs....some people need more precaution than you.  Look beyond your feels;  consider stopping your tantrum against our own.

ETA.....threads like this do not help the website image.

I wanted to post about this in the mask thread, but this pretty much encapsulates it here.  I work for a company with retail locations and we are trying to figure out what a larger-scale re-opening looks like.  Right now, we are asking people to wear masks, but are not forcing them to do so.  Now King Ralph comes along with his edict that masks are mandatory in retail establishments.  VDH is going to enforce this and, no, they are not going to check on all businesses, but they are going to respond to complaints.  If they find cause, they'll pull your business license.

So, here's the scenario I figured we'd face....  Joe American walks in, is asked and politely refuses to wear a mask.  We don't force him to do so.  Karen Royalist who is already in the space with her masks and gloves on sees this and is appalled we're not doing anything to protect the public.  Later that day, after her Moms Demand Action Zoom call, she not only reports the business to VDH but also asks all her fellow "activists" to report our business, drum up social media against us, contact the Washington Post, etc.  Next thing we know, we're front page news and all the bad press sinks us further than our sales already have tanked with this shut down.  Suffice to say, nothing good really comes from that other than that the Virginia Employment Commission will get some new business.

I understand being unhappy with this and with businesses making these requests, but King Ralph has really put businesses in a terrible position.  We are living out Orwell's 1984 when it comes to this mask order.  Please don't kill the business because it's just trying to deal with this tyrannical order.  The alternative brought about in this case is going to be pretty damaging to a lot of people and being vindicated in court years down the road after you've lost your business, your house, the means to support your family, etc. is almost certainly the definition of a Pyrrhic victory.

MS for 34+ years.
Almost any mask (even a simple nuisance one) will make by
body temp start to rise after about 20 minutes.

I will start walking like a drunk and staggering badly.
I need a can to stay upright.
My Neurologist and Internist both say to not wear anything.

I am also slightly immune suppressed.
The MS drug traps antibodies in the lymph nodes to reduce
the number in circulation that attack the myelin in the CNS.

For the most part I often do not have enough antibodies to be
detected in my blood after inoculation for viruses.

The bacterial system is not affected.

Look up 'chronic diseases' for ones that have been around forever.

"Their business, their rules" is a real thing.

So is refusing to do business with them based on those rules. The two are not mutually exclusive.

And all you, or really anybody, have to do is state that you have a medical condition that precludes you wearing a mask and that should be the end of it.  Thee business, under the EO, cannot ask for more and can only require you to wear a mask if that is their blanket policy.  We are educating our people that a customer stating that means they can do business with us, and we are not requiring a mask.

The thing is I was going to spend my money locally and the dude said he wasn't worried about the money just the safety of his employees. That sounds just like a liberal. Scared of a virus with a 98% survival rate.

So don't do business with them if you are so emotionally invested in this matter?  Using Arfcom to denigrate industry business is shitty thing to do.

So he's not allowed to post his opinion about a controversial policy of a local business? On a discussion forum?

This is exactly the kind of information I like to see posted in the Hometown forum. It saves me the time of going to a business that I wouldn't want to patronize.

The entire purpose of a government shutdown is to keep the hospital capacity at acceptable levels and allow society to build immunity. It seems like a lot of liberal governors are taking extra steps beyond that and shutting down businesses. It's an agenda to get people to depend on the government. With high unemployment rates, my thought is the governor might achieve his goal.

My thought is that if a business is open, I will gladly comply with their demands to wear a mask and maintain social distance. I think it is better to support a local business, than turn around and support the governor's effort in crippling the economy and further his agenda to rid the middle class and get people dependent on the government.

The best way to stick it up to the governor is by denying his agenda to crash the economy and allowing his party to "save it." The unemployment rate in Virginia is at a record high. A lot more people are dependant on the government. What you think these people will do when it comes time to vote? They don't have the option to go to a job, depend on the government, and the person on TV is saying they're going to give them more free things if they vote for them.

Stick it up to the governor by supporting local businesses, keeping them open, and keeping people with jobs.

My thought is open your business, don't require masks, and tell Coonman to eat shit. You will earn both my respect and my business.

Allowed?  That's framing a bizarre question....you must a lawyer.   Do as you want, but you guys are the ones taking Coonman's bait and going against our own.....really narrow minded and self destructive.  .....Carry on!  

Even if someone snitches, the directive has been given to VDH, so it's a false threat.  This whole matter is quite stupid with intense feelings equally from Karens and fudds.....do whatever you wish.

It's a false threat except for the part where VDH can pull your business license and shut you down or hit the business with a Class 1 misdemeanor and fine you.  At least that's my understanding of this.

As of last check, Virginia has provided little guidance as to what businesses are required to do, yet threatened them with penalties up to and including revoking the business license if they don't do what they are supposed to do, so they are left to decide what they are comfortable doing.

True, I wouldn't mind sticking it to the governor. He's a clown that doesn't even listen to his own advice. He walked around the weekend without a mask on.

However, I don't think it is fair to punish a business because they want you to wear a mask into their store. They're not telling you to wear a mask everywhere, but only while in their store. That's not exactly a sign of obeying the governor, because if you bought something there that means you are helping them stay in business and hopefully pay their employees. Rather than leaving, not spending money there, then someone there goes file for unemployment, then get money and become dependent upon aid from the governor. It's an agenda and they want people like you to not go to the stores and spend money. Just remember that.

Personally I think if you want to turn around from a store, maybe tell them why. Perhaps we could print out a nice card that says the governor order is unconstitutional, you will not obey, but at the same time you wish to help their store, and keep them employed.

Northam wants you to blame the businesses.

Don't.

I’m not “punishing“ anyone, and I’ll be happy to tell them why. They have a choice. We all do.

“The people who reportedly came to our store without masks stated that they had health issues that precluded the wearing of a mask. In accordance with the language of EO 63 and the governor’s explanation of this exception at his May 28 press conference, we did not inquire further.”

Do you mind telling us what legal counsel said to change your mind?

I don't care either way, i wear a mask when i am out because i have a high risk person in my house. I'll be happy to wear my mask when you call me and tell me my paperwork came back and you have my stamp.

This is my concern.  You're a great business....maybe the pawn shop is too.  We all probably feel similarly about the issue.  Why are we ripping each other?   If this is causing division within the 2A community, then Coonman won......let's be better to each other.  I'll try, I'm stressed (70hr weeks) and feel like everybody is nuts.

VDH can't pull your business license. Maybe a VDH permit, but even then they are a joke.

Can you elaborate?  I was in Fredericksburg Costco Friday and saw a few people in there without masks and no one said anything.  I didn't wear mine most of the time.  One dude even had a Hawaiian shirt!  Costco was very quick to implement safety standards and if they aren't hardcore about in a F-burg after Coonman mandate, it really makes me wonder.  I can't emphasize enough, respect the potential but we have to stop fear-mongering and creating false senses of security.  I don't disagree with OP other than what he is doing to a business like yours.

The Governor stated if you have a medical condition that prohibits you from wearing a mask, then you don't need to wear one. He also said you don't have to given them the illness or prove that you have the illness. You very well might have seen people that have or claimed to have such an illness.

I'm pretty sure I didn't see people claiming that

This is absolutely about control.  Wish I could say more, but the evidence already abounds.  Fuck Coonman!

American Fascism is on the rise.
All hail Der Fuhrer.[/b]


“If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains set lightly upon you; and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”
Samuel Adams
Addressing an audience in the Pennsylvania State House in 1776


Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death! -Patrick Henry