BELLEVUE, WA – While some people are struggling to explain a gun buying surge reported on “Black Friday,†the day after Thanksgiving, the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms suggests there are several plausible explanations, all reflecting the times in which we live.
“Despite claims to the contrary,†observed CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb, “for many American citizens, the economy remains unstable, and the outlook for tomorrow is very uncertain. We’ve seen public safety budgets hacked to shreds by state and local governments that have spent themselves into near bankruptcy. Our streets, parks and state capitol buildings have been occupied by anarchists. Europe appears on the verge of financial collapse. Congress is unable to resolve our budget crisis
“And on top of that,†he added, “we’ve got a spectator president who always seems to be waiting for someone else to take action, perhaps because he wants someone else to blame for another plan that doesn’t work. Why is it any surprise that American citizens, including many for the first time, are buying firearms and ammunition?â€
USA Today reported that the FBI’s National Instant Check center logged more than 129,000 background check requests last Friday, a new record surpassing the 97,848 checks conducted on Black Friday in 2008. The National Shooting Sports Foundation credits much of the buying to the realization by increasing numbers of citizens that they have a constitutional right to own guns. Also, more women are getting involved in shooting sports, including hunting, and more are carrying firearms for personal protection.
“Americans hope for the best,†Gottlieb said, “but they prepare for the worst. Some call that ‘panic’ but in reality, it is prudence. While there are some small signs of improvement, there remains a vast landscape of uncertainty. Sensible people have evidently concluded that it is better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have it.â€