The National Shooting Sports Foundation is reporting that so far this year there are an estimated 5 million new gun owners, based on retail survey-based research.
The organization—the trade association for the firearms industry—said Monday that firearm retailers reported 40 percent of their sales so far this year were to buyers “who have never previously owned a firearm.”
“This is a tectonic shift in the firearm and ammunition industry marketplace and complete transformation of today’s gun-owning community,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President of General Counsel in a news release. “These first-time buyers represent a group of people who, until now, were agnostic regarding firearm ownership. That’s rapidly changing, and these Americans are taking hold of their God-given right to keep and bear arms and protect themselves and their loved ones.”
Keane is onto something. Anecdotal reports suggest these new gun owners were initially concerned about possible social unrest due to the COVID-19 crisis, but then came the George Floyd incident in Minneapolis followed by weeks, then months, of urban unrest and downright riots. Portland and Seattle didn’t just worry people, what’s been happening in those cities and a few others have alarmed people, and they’ve quickly understood all the ramifications of “Defund the Police” demands.
Will this presidential election be the most important in American history?
The proverbial “icing on the cake” was the nomination of perennial anti-gunners Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris to be the Democrat candidates this fall. Their election could be a nightmare scenario for the Second Amendment, say gun rights activists.
A Biden-Harris victory would likely signal even more gun sales over the next two months before they are sworn into office.
These new gun owners have gotten a first-hand look at how truly cumbersome gun control laws are to the honest citizen, and this might be a critical game-changer with the president trailing in several polls.
This is where Gun Owners for Trump, reported here yesterday, might be crucial to the fall elections.
According to its website, “Gun Owners for Trump will unite gun rights advocates in our mission to protect and defend our Second Amendment rights as enumerated by the Constitution of the United States. President Trump knows that every American has a God-given right to protect one’s self and family. Through re-affirming support for this Administration, gun owners across the country will work to deliver a second term – ensuring the appointment of even more constitutionalist conservative judges who will protect and defend our American liberties for generations to come.”
What could also reshape this fall’s campaign is the ongoing virtual Republican National Convention. Monday night’s opening speeches were well-received by conservatives, while the liberal media seems determined to cast the worst light.
Tuesday night’s lineup includes First Lady Melania Trump. As reported by the Associated Press, “The focus on Trump’s family comes as the first-term president labors to improve his standing in a 2020 presidential race he is currently losing. Most polls report that Democratic rival Joe Biden has a significant advantage in terms of raw support; the former vice president also leads on character issues such as trustworthiness and likability.”
The AP story also characterized Monday evening’s presentations as laden with “dark and ominous warnings form the president and his allies about the country’s future if he should lose in November.”
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Turncoats? Former GOP Congressmen jump ship; Gun Owners for Trump formed
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