As many manufacturer's are curtailing their production; cutting hours, laying off employees, and even closing their doors completely, gun and ammo production and sales seem to be going through the proverbial roof. Gun store supplies can't keep up with consumer demands and gun and ammo manufacturers can't keep up with gun store orders.
Several reasons lay behind this surge in weapons buying passion. First, and probably most significant is the fact that Democrats are known for being anti-gun. Everyone expects some type of legislation, which will further restrict the legal buying and selling of weapons-guns. But no amount of legislation will keep guns, especially assault type weapons, off the black market and out of the hands of criminals. However, a large percentage of armed robberies and assaults, especially in more rural communities, are committed with smaller weapons such as the .38 special, .22 pistol, or the nine-millimeter handgun.
Another possible reason for the jump in gun sales could be in direct relation to the economic crisis facing, not only Americans, but also everyone else in the world. People are afraid of a rise in crime, car jackings, home invasions, armed robberies, and street muggings. And as people become more and more strapped to feed and support their families or for whatever reason, there are those who will stoop to theft.
In a small town in Arkansas a young gunman surprised a barber working alone in his shop. When the barber didn't take the young man seriously, he was shot in both legs for not immediately handing over his meager day's earnings. Now the barber cuts hair with a handgun holstered under his uniform shirt.
Concealed carry permits being issued are also on the rise. Arkansas usually averaged about 700 permits issued per month during the years 2007 and 2008. But, suddenly in November the number rose to 1000, then 1700, then 2500, and by February it was up to 3000. These permits are not just passed out haphazardly by any stretch of the imagination. Very detailed background checks are made and training courses are required before the permits are issued.
One young man from Arkansas found out the hard way that you can't just change your name and expect to receive a concealed weapons permit. He was one of the two young boys who in March of 1998 shot and killed several young students and teachers at the Westside School in Jonesboro , Arkansas . His parents had had his name legally changed but a background search turned up fingerprints belonging to the real person and his permit-thank God-was rejected. Fayetteville police on New Year's Day 2007 picked up his older fellow culprit who was carrying drugs and a loaded nine-millimeter handgun in his van. I would hazard a guess that he didn't come by that weapon legally.
In rural communities many children are raised in families where guns are normal household objects. Deer, squirrel, rabbit, wild turkey, geese, ducks, and other wild animals were and still are a familiar source of protein on many tables. Many of us can relate to our parents and grandparents having hunting rifles in racks over the mantle or in the back window of the family truck. Young boys, and even girls, learned how to handle guns at an early age-long before the going thing was sniping from a clock tower, a schoolyard hillside, or the hole in the trunk of a moving vehicle.
Fear of home invasion is another reason for the increase in gun sales and concealed carry weapons permits. An older couple traveling in a motor home may feel more secure in the knowledge that they can protect themselves when camping in remote areas. Homeowners may feel that just the knowledge that they may own a gun might cause a criminal to have second thoughts about breaking in. Although, someone high on drugs may not give a possible weapon a second thought; as one couple found out, when an intruder used his driver's license to jimmy the lock on the door. His license broke with the end that had his name on it falling inside the house. In terror the intruder kicked the door in to retrieve his license only to be facing a homeowner armed with a handgun. The intruder ran away before any shots were fired leaving his license behind. The Sheriff's Department quickly picked him up.
Needless to say there are pros and cons about gun ownership and keeping guns in a location accessible to young children. Too often good judgement goes out the window when parents or other adults proudly display their gun collection in the presence of children or inexperienced youth and adults and allow them to handle lethal weapons carelessly. The father who took his young son to a gun show only to watch him die a horrible death must certainly still be suffering from his poor judgement. Too often we tend to be a population that is reactive rather than proactive. And as my Grandfather always said, "We close the barn door after the horse has already gotten out."
I, personally, have nothing against guns-I do have an aversion to people who do not keep them locked away and separated from the ammo. I and my husband both have had concealed carry permits for many years and probably will have until we are too old to expect to use our guns safely. I lean mostly toward the saying that "it is not guns that kill people, it is people who kill people." We keep our guns locked away unless we are traveling and have alarms on our doors and windows, so that should it be necessary, we would have time to get a gun out-one from each side of our bed!-and hopefully one of us doesn't get caught in the cross-fire.
Wishing everyone a wonderful SearchWarp Week.
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