Gun sales skyrocketed in 2009, continuing a trend that began in October 2008 when it became clear that Obama had a good chance of winning the White House.
Fears that the liberal senator from Illinois would tighten restrictions on gun sales and gun ownership drove many citizens to stockpile weapons and ammo. Democrats argue these concerns are baseless. After all, candidate Obama famously promised he would not take guns away from American citizens saying “If you’ve got a gun in your house, I’m not taking it. Even if I want to take them away, I don’t have the votes in Congress.”
How reassuring. So reassuring that in November 2008, FBI statistics indicated a 42 percent increase in background checks over the same period in 2007. In January 2009, background checks rose 29 percent from the previous year. In fact, through November 2009, background checks showed double digit increases for every month except July which recorded only an eight percent increase over 2008.
Not coincidentally, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reported a whopping 46 percent increase in tax collections on the sales of weapons and ammunition from Oct.1, 2008 through Sep. 30, 2009.
Interestingly though, and much to the chagrin of the anti-gun lobby, violent crime fell in the first half of 2009 even as the “bitter” citizenry armed themselves in record numbers.
According to the FBI, murders were down 10 percent, robberies by 6.5 percent and rapes fell by 3.3 percent.
I am sure the anti-gun lobby will craft a perfectly plausible explanation for this. I have no idea what it will be, but I am sure they are working tirelessly to think of something.
Regardless, it is a good thing that Americans take their second amendment rights seriously. Criminals are apparently reluctant to attempt to crimes against persons who are armed and capable of fighting back. Also, these statistics present Obama and far-left, anti-gun liberals with problems should they try to tighten restrictions on gun ownership.
That does not mean gun owners should be complacent – not with this President in office.
In 1996, Obama, then a candidate for the Illinois state senate, completed a questionnaire seeking the endorsement of the Independent Voters of Illinois. When asked if he would support state legislation to ban the manufacture, sale or possession of handguns, Obama said yes. Of course he also said he supported a single-payer health care system, Medicaid funding for abortions and channeling economic activity into “environmentally friendly” sectors of growth. But why worry about things he said way back in 1996 right?
Like millions of other Americans, I am not clinging to my guns out of bitterness or frustration. I am clinging to the Bill of Rights and clinging to hope that the rights enumerated therein are preserved.
Kristi Reed is a reporter for the Barrow Journal. She can be reached at kreed@barrowjournal.com.
I've talked to a few hunters that assure me they don't need AR-15's and semi-automatic weapons to kill deer with. They want to protect your right to rise against and overthrow your despotic government if the need arises. It didn't work in 1861 and it won't work now. It was traitorous thinking then, it's traitorous thinking now. It took the deaths of 600,000 plus Americans to figure that out.
Think about it...
The Republican party represents corporate America and the art of getting rich. They look out for themselves and their wealthy friends. That's pretty much it in a nutshell. Get rich, stay rich, help friends stay rich and forget the poor and middle class. Our wealth will trickle down to them. When I talk to Republicans in my area who are blue collar working class like myself, I ask them how does a political party that represents the art of getting rich represent your concerns and needs? If you are not rich and can't contribute to their cause, you are no good to them. I find that blue collar Republicans usually can't answer that with anything intelligible. They are Republican because that's how it is, or that's how they were raised and they're ashamed to think for themselves and look outside the proverbial box. There is also an incredible amount of fear, anger and just plain small mindedness on their part, which includes organized religion.
I mean get real. Like Jesus would ever own a gun and vote Republican!
like the other 9 Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, was meant to protect the freedoms of all American citizens, not the governments right to arm a militia. The founding fathers, recognizing the need for the sovereign states to defend themselves against all enemies foreign and domestic (domestic) meaning the central government). Recognizing that fact, they included a preamble and a declaration to the 2nd Amendment that states: [Preamble] "A well regulated militia being necessary to a free state, [Declaration] the right of the PEOPLE to keep and bear arms shall NOT be infringed. (Notice, it doesn't say guns, it says arms, meaning the same or better arms than the military's arms. And that would include nuclear arms!) It also doesn't matter which gun a hunter chooses. All guns are designed to kill if that is what one chooses to do with them, and a AR-15 is an excellent choice for deer hunting and self defense combination. Also notice that, there is no "government allow(s)" in the 2nd Amendment. A God given right is absolute.
You might also keep this quote by the great American Patriot Patrick Henry in mind: "The constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government." Let the truth be heard for God and our Republic.
Criminals-those who break the laws-will do so because: criminals break laws. I don't. I'm law abiding. I have guns. I carry one every where I go and you may walk past me and never know it. Me and hundreds of others.
We have AR-15's because we CAN. It is the duty of all Americans to protect themselves and their country. You however, are going to sit there and wait for SOMEBODY else with a gun to save your butt.
Grow up. You sound like a bitter, whining, liberal who is clinging to government dependency; incapable of self sufficiency and survival.
Liberals always want to ban whatever they don't agree with.
And always sound jealous of those who work hard and have a decent life.
The purpose of the second amendment was to provide a cost effective mechanism for the federal government to raise an army. Unfortunately, in the 1790's it proved difficult to ralley the "well regulated Militia" and the federal government began funding a militia, which is not the largest portion of your federal taxes.
Sounds like we should change society, not gun laws.
"If we want to guess by how much the U.S. murder rate would fall if civilians had no guns, we should begin by realizing — as criminologists Franklin Zimring and Gordon Hawkins have shown — that the non-gun homicide rate in this country is three times higher than the non-gun homicide rate in England. For historical and cultural reasons, Americans are a more violent people than the English, even when they can't use a gun. This fact sets a floor below which the murder rate won't be reduced even if, by some constitutional or political miracle, we became gun-free. "
Pay no attention to the whiney name calling liberals.... they are misserable human beings incapable of indivdual thought, or the fortitude to do anything for themselves. They depend completely on teh government.. Unfortuately our country is full of these dependants
CHarlie
In addition, the bill prohibits unaccompanied minors from gun shows, and subjects parents to up to 3 years in prison for keeping an unloaded gun (with ammunition in the vicinity) if a jury finds that they disregarded a risk, that a kid (including a burglar) would get a hold of the gun and the unauthorized user causes injury. This provision effectively eliminates having guns available for self defense.
"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves." Abraham Lincoln
Your misguided intentions should be directed toward the tons of worthless laws and the authors of such toilet fodder, than toward those who truly uphold liberty.
Killers should be killed, defenders should be defended. Mssrs. Manson and Michels should not be allowed access to the good air their victims no longer breathe.