With a Confederate flag behind him, Florida gun store owner Andy Hallinan launched a video calling for “his fellow patriots” to reject accusations of intolerance and racism, all whereas saying a ban on Muslims at his store. Hallinan, owner of Florida Gun Supply in central Florida, mentioned he made his determination following the deadly capturing of 5 folks at a Naval Reserve heart in Tennessee final week.
Hallinan started the video saying, “The leaders of this country want you to believe that this flag represents white supremacy, hatred, and intolerance. But that’s not true,” including that it represented “nothing but the rich heritage of the South, and a willingness for patriots to stand up against tyranny of all sorts.”
He insisted he celebrates the flag “not because I’m a racist. Because I’m not.” He added that “racism was on the decline in America until Obama took office” and that nationwide “leaders are trying to tell you that anytime a black man is shot by a white cop, it’s because of race.”
He shifted to his collective view of all Muslims following the assault by Muslim gunman Mohammed Abdulazeez that killed 4 US marines and one sailor in Chattanooga, Tennessee final week.
He mentioned the Tennessee assault shouldn’t be an remoted incident however somewhat associated to different “terrorist attacks.”
He mentioned his store would provide free concealed-carry lessons and capturing vary visits, imploring viewers to “take this opportunity to get armed, get trained, and carry daily.”
To meet a “moral and legal responsibility to ensure the safety of all patriots in my community,” he declared his store a “Muslim-free zone.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a press release in response to the video, calling on the US Department of Justice to investigate any doable federal civil rights violations by companies in Florida and New Hampshire looking for to ban Muslims.
“These bigoted declarations are no different than ‘whites only’ signs posted in businesses during a period of our nation’s history that we had hoped was over,” mentioned CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper. “The Department of Justice must investigate these hate-filled and un-American business practices to determine whether federal civil rights laws are being violated.”
A supposedly “Muslim-free” capturing vary in Hot Springs, Arkansas made information final 12 months for brazenly profiling prospects after turning away a pair of Hindu males who got here to use the firing vary.
