Gun Sales Continue to Rise

An E-mail from the Buckeye Firearms Association recently contained a short piece: “July sees 8.3% increase in firearms sales checks over same month last year; 14th straight month over month increase”.

While the statistics are interesting, what would be more interesting is, why?

In 2009, the Outdoor Wire, the nation’s largest daily electronic news service for the outdoor industry, named President-elect Barack Obama its “Gun Salesman of the Year”. In fact, sales were so good that the BATF reported a substantial increase in requests for ATF Form 4473. Completion of a form 4473 is required whenever a federal firearms licensee sells a fire-arm.

The rise in gun sales is not simply attributed to people you might be described as aficionados or even ‘gun nuts’. Recently, I was in a gun store when a gentleman came in and said he’d never wanted to own a gun before, but wanted to get one while he still could.”

More recently, I was in my local gun shop and a man, who admitted to owning several rifles and shotguns, just wanted a handgun because he felt a need to carry something with him at all times. While attending gun shows, I see more females in attendance and they are usually looking at the small-frame revolvers; something that they could put in a purse, fanny pack, or a small holster. Many do not hold permits and are first time buyers.

While not endorsing any of the current Presidential candidates, Mitt Romney is 100% anti-gun while Congressman Ron Paul and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann are 100% pro-gun.

It means that Ron Paul and Michele Bachmann…

• believe that the Second Amendment is an individual right, protected by the Constitution;
• oppose the United Nations’ “Small Arms Treaty” gun grab; a treaty that many in Congress support; too many, in fact.
• oppose the banning of semi-automatic firearms;
• oppose banning rifle, pistol or shotgun magazines based on arbitrary capacity limits;
• oppose Big Brother firearm registration schemes and will use their executive powers to lift the ban on importation of various rifles, shotguns and handguns currently in place;
• will use their executive powers to greatly curtail or even abolish the egregiously anti-gun Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Although the sun still shines bright on the horizon in regards to firearms ownership, there are many who would like to change or delay its course.

In Georgia, Georgia Republicans, led by committee chair Rich Golick, dug in and threw up a well- fortified wall to all pro-gun legislation earlier this year.

However, some states are ensuring that 2nd Amendment rights are protected. In Florida, for example, a new law that is effective on October 1st, will impose penalties on public officials who pass or enforce gun regulations at the state level. In short, this law will prevents arbitrary, localized gun rules from harming those who can otherwise legally own or carry a firearm; for example, ‘no firearms’ signs at county parks. These penalties may include fines and/or removal from office.

In the framework of the 2nd Amendment, it is stated that, “…the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” Unlike Great Britain, who has seen an upsweep in the sales of aluminum baseball bats, we see the continual upsweep in the sales of firearms. Does this mean that we are fearful of our Government or that we are being more fearful of our right to defend ourselves stripped away? I say that it is the latter rather than the former.

The choice of keeping and/or bearing arms is a highly personal choice and more people are deciding to exercise that choice.

“So what resolution should we make for the New Year? It’s to let God know that you have the guts and the will to do it alone. Resolve to fight for yourselves, and for others, for those you love. And that part of God within you will be fighting with you all the way.” – Reverend Frank Scott, as played by Gene Hackman in “The Poseidon Adventure (1972)”.