The intolerance of anti-gunners is on full display in the small town of Newton, Massachusetts, where a proposed gun shop is drawing the opposition of thousands of residents who are incensed at the thought of legal, licensed firearm sales taking place in the community.

Around 4,600 residents had already signed a petition urging city government not to allow the shop to open up by Sunday morning, and a Facebook group created on Thursday called “Stop Gun Sales in Newton” had already attracted more than 1500 people by Sunday.

Opponents of the shop argue it is close to several schools, restaurants and shops.

The City Council and Mayor Ruthanne Fuller have started the process on changing zoning rules to limit where gun shops can operate in the city, and requiring their approval by the City Council.

The Mayor said in a press release that the City cannot stop potential gun shops from opening until a notice of a public hearing about the proposed zoning rules goes up. Zoning rules, she pointed out, are prospective — meaning that if a gun shop opens before the publication of that notice, the City can’t make it move.

The Mayor expects publication of the notice between April 26 and May 3.

Councilor Norton, Mayor Fuller, and other city officials have come out against the proposed shop. “I do not support a gun shop on Washington Street in Newtonville – or anywhere in Newton, period,” Norton said.

What a pathetic display of spinelessness on the part of the mayor and city officials, who’ve made it clear that their problem isn’t with the gun shop’s proposed location, but its very existence. I can’t help but wonder if the mayor would target bookstores that might sell material that doesn’t align with her ideology, or try to ban certain books from the Newton library because they might give readers the impression that they live in a nation where the right to keep and bear arms is protected by the Bill of Rights.

Ironically, the proposed gun store is set to open not far from a marijuana dispensary, and while Councilor Norton is okay with cannabis sales, the thought of residents being able to buy a gun in the same town outrages her.

“That is completely inequitable and unreasonable” to open a gun shop in that location, said Emily Norton, a councilor for Ward 2 where the store would be located. “I was very disappointed that the city knew about this over a month ago and that I didn’t find out about it … until I started getting constituent emails [on April 15].”

… Resident Alexandra Wolf, who has been involved in anti-gun advocacy work, started a petition against the store which will be sent to city officials. There is also a Facebook group called Stop Gun Sales in Newton. Wolf hopes residents’ voices will be heard, and that new policies will be enacted to address gun stores.

“The voice of the public has a tremendous impact,” said Wolf on Friday. The petition, which has been out less than a day, “has exceeded our wildest expectations,” she said. The initial goal was to have 500 people sign. As of 2:40 p.m. on Friday, there were 1,340 people who signed.

Asked if she thought the city could prevent the shop from coming in, Wolf said, “I think I’m hopeful.”

Wolf shouldn’t be hopeful. She should be ashamed. Gun owners, on the other hand, should be grateful that Wolf, Norton, and Mayor Fuller are being so blatant with their anti-Second Amendment bigotry. This isn’t about banning scary looking guns or “high capacity” magazines. This is about depriving residents of a place where they can purchase a firearm after they’ve been given approval by their local police and have passed a background check. Massachusetts already has restrictive gun control laws in place, but they’re not enough for the gun ban crowd in Newton. As far as the anti-2A forces are concerned, “gun safety” means “don’t own a gun,” and they’re willing and ready to put up as many barriers as possible between residents and their right to keep and bear arms.