Fighting Harder Than Most Christians: Small Business Fights Restrictions

The following report is from WND:

A restaurant in Fredericksburg, Virginia, will not be forced to close after it broke state coronavirus guidelines, which is a major victory for the small business.

A judge denied the state’s request that an injunction be issued against Gourmeltz 90’s Music Bar & Draft House, after the restaurant went against the state’s restrictions on dining, WUSA-TV reported.

Despite his food and liquor licenses being revoked by the state for not complying with Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s COVID-19 orders for dining (like wearing masks), restaurant owner Matt Strickland and his team are still serving customers.

I’m not afraid of the state, I’m not afraid of the federal government.

I spent most of my adult life fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have no problem coming home and fighting here in Virginia.

Matt Strickland

His lawyer argued that the restaurant has yet to have a case of coronavirus traced back to it, and Gourmeltz has raised over $13,000 in funds to assist with legal efforts.

The state, the government, the president … They will never scare me into backing down. I will never kneel down and kiss that ring. I will fight as long as I’ve got to fight. I will fight as hard as I have to fight.

State guidelines mandate that employees wear masks at all times, and customers must wear a mask inside a restaurant, except when eating or drinking.

The restaurant industry has taken a significant hit since the beginning of the pandemic, so it is no surprise that places like Gourmeltz would not comply.

BREAKING THE RULES: A restaurant in Fredericksburg isn’t following COVID-19 guidelines. As a result, the health department suspended @gourmeltz’s food permit license. I’ll have live reports at 4 pm, 5 pm, and 6 pm on @Fox5DC.

DETAILS HERE ➖ https://t.co/avzsqX56lb pic.twitter.com/GpN7yEEUER

— Sierra Fox (@thesierrafox) February 4, 2021

For health reasons, it is probably best for the restaurant to take some precautions, but it is ultimately up to customers whether or not they feel safe eating there.

Unlike typical health regulations for food service, masks and social distancing are things that can be visually seen by patrons.

The beauty of the free market is that if a customer does not like how a business conducts itself, they have every right to not support the establishment.

https://twitter.com/virginiasbdc/status/1374394330798989321?s=20

The judge made the right decision to not issue a preliminary injunction, and he is set to make a final decision by the end of the week regarding the future of the restaurant.

As restaurants have slim profit margins, shutting down or making modifications is simply not an option for some, as that is their livelihood.

It is up to the court of public opinion to decide if Strickland’s actions are considerate, but it is up to the judge to determine the restaurant’s fate.

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AUTHOR COMMENTARY

[26] Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. [27] And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them, [28] Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. [29] Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.

Acts 5:26-29

[15] And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: [16] And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. [17] But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. [18] And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? [19] And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. [20] Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. [21] And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

Exodus 1:15-21

I am just absolutely appalled and disgusted, not with the actions of this restaurant owner, but at the “Christians” that are so big of cowards they will dare not fight back and resist the tyranny. There are arrogant fools and scoffers who are so big of pansies that they would say The WinePress needs to stop talking about this and talk about taking a stroll through the meadows. And what does that accomplish? And yet these same cowards moan and groan about the masks and lockdowns, but they do not want to fight back against the oppression. The Bible calls these losers sluggards, and are slothful.

The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets.

Proverbs 26:13

Obviously, I am not going to defend bars and the such like (Romans 13:13; Ephesians 5:18), but what I greatly respect is this man’s attitude towards this nonsense. Think of what would happen if the masses stood up and resisted? Better yet, what do you think would happen if the true Christians stood up and denied the government?

But of course not. Being a “Christian” anymore just means bend over and accept more tyranny and rights being stripped away, and then blindly putting faith in government oppression to save them from government oppression.

[9] By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry: they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty. [10] But none saith, Where is God my maker, who giveth songs in the night; [11] Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven? [12] There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men. [13] Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

Job 35:9-13

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