Bearing Arms

I was walking through a local sporting goods store the other day, and just out of curiosity, decided to take a spin past the firearms section.  Keep in mind that while I'm a strong believer in 2nd Amendment rights, I've never had a particular desire to have a gun myself (although I've been giving it more thought lately).  That being said, while I didn't stop to shop in the firearms department, I noticed that--on a Friday afternoon--there seemed to be quite a few people who WERE shopping.  Some were buying ammunition (in fact, as I was standing in another aisle, one of the employees walked buy me carrying a rather large box of ammunition--and as I watched, I noticed that he was replacing it in their storage cabinet which had apparently been cleared out during the course of business that day). 

It appears to me that people are buying.  Whether there are political reasons for that (or economic?), I can't say for sure.  But the anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that people are thinking about the premise of Michael Gaddy's article over at Lew Rockwell today.

While we stumble along economically with bailouts, buyouts, and poor sales in almost all sectors, two products in America are seeing dramatic increases in sales: guns and ammo. People who never owned a gun before are buying; people are buying multiples of military style weapons and ammo is being bought by the case instead of by the box.

Many explain this away as folks simply worried that Obama will move to ban certain firearms, especially those referred to by the ignorant as "assault weapons," I believe the motivation to buy firearms and ammunition goes much deeper.

More and more Americans are becoming increasingly aware of the storm that is brewing on the horizon, a storm driven by the possibility of a complete economic collapse.

The more astute are reading the handwriting on the wall: military combat units being assigned for stateside duty to quell domestic disturbances, a militarization of law enforcement, and the fear of what will happen when the state is no longer able to provide monthly checks to the millions currently living on government handouts labeled as "entitlements."

I don't agree with the whole of what he says--especially the implication that we're on the verge of needing to stage a violent revolution against the oppressive state (I'm more into peaceful revolutions, I guess).  But it's worth the read--and worth consideration in the next couple of weeks, before the next round of gun control legislation hits.

LLE

Comments

[Anonymous Marine]

The more guns that are out there, the better I feel.

I am in the same boat, Laura. While I am a firm believer in gun rights, I never really had the desire to own one (the various weaponry I handle as part of my occupation do not count; though, truth to be told, I handle some pretty kick-ass weapons).

Owning a firearm is an expression of liberty.

Every single firearm owned by the populace represents the lessening of the state's monopoly on violent force.

[Brutus]

I don't own a gun - unless you count the BB gun we have. But, lately, I have considered going downtown to the local gun shop to poke around for many of the reasons listed above.

During the holiday week, many of our neighbors get in some gun practice. The first year we were here, it was pretty annoying. Now, I enjoy the sound of guns popping off up and down the street.

[TanGeng]

I am in total support of other people's right to bear arms as long as I can pay them to defend me. The truth is my time is better spent on other activities, so I'd rather not pick up the gun myself.

[Deb Yost]

I am a strong 2nd Amendment supporter while being a near-pacifist myself, go figure.

Christ said he who takes up the sword shall perish by the sword, and I think the same may go for firearms. Being interested in imitating the Prince of Peace, I attempt to practice his admonition to love my enemies, which takes a lot of practice!

But I have no delusions about the need to maintain some arms in the hands of the populace.