Law Enforcement Today (LET) reported, citing the Associated Press (AP), that California became the first state to implement a Merchant Category Code (MCC) for gun retailers under a new law that took effect on July 1. Credit card networks will be required under this law to provide banks with these MCCs for gun stores to track their sales.
"Stores that sell guns have previously been grouped with other retailers in MCCs," the AP pointed out. "Some have been classified as sporting goods stores, others as miscellaneous and specialty retail shops."
Journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin of the New York Times first promoted the idea, arguing that financial pressure could be applied to credit card giants to deny lawful gun sales. New York-based Amalgamated Bank jumped on board with the scheme and pressured the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to adopt the firearm dealer MCC for credit card processors.
"The MCC is the first step in the baking system saying 'Enough, we're putting our foot down. You cannot use our system to facilitate gun crimes,'" remarked Hudson Munoz, executive director of the nonprofit Guns Down America. According to him, credit cards were used to buy weapons and ammunition that were later used to commit some of the deadliest mass shootings in the United States.
However, the tide has now turned in favor of those supporting the right to keep and bear arms. The people in charge have stepped on the brakes and announced "pauses" for the MCC implementation.
Other states ban use of MCCs for gun stores
While California is implementing the code first, Colorado and New York have passed similar laws to expedite the MCC implementation process. But other states like Georgia, Iowa and Tennessee have banned the use of these MCCs for gun stores.
"We view this as a first step by gun control supporters to restrict the lawful commerce in firearms," said National Shooting Sports Federation Senior Vice President Larry Keane. He also pointed to a data breach that exposed the private information of concealed carry permit holders in California.
"There should be no doubt that the gun control activists in charge in California cannot be trusted with the sensitive and private information of law-abiding gun owners," continued Keane. "Yet, beginning July 1, anti-gun zealots like Gov. Gavin Newsom, AG Bonta and others will have even more private data on law-abiding Californians who exercise their Second Amendment rights. The thought of what could happen in a state like California is chilling and alarming. (Related: He's coming for your guns: Biden launches centralized "red flag" hub to target "threatening" firearms owners.)
Some gun stores have responded to the new law by installing ATMs in their establishments – because the use of cash to buy guns can't be tracked by banks. For example, gun store owner Dan Eldridge installed an ATM in his business located in suburban Chicago.
"Viewed most benignly, this code is an effort to stigmatize gun owners," he told AP. "But a more worrisome concern is that this is another private sector end run around the prohibition against the federal government creating a gun registry."
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Watch this clip about the Second Amendment and the MCC for firearm purchases with credit cards.
This video is from the Puretrauma357 channel on Brighteon.com.
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