Gun Sales on the Rise

Today’s rant comes straight from an article posted on yahoo.com’s homepage. This article, again, makes me wonder if it really is me that needs therapy or is it everyone else. The head line read “Fears of Democrat crackdown lead to gun sales boom”. Now at first glance I did think this article was going in a completely different direction than it went, which was why I read it. Even though it did not go into some ridiculous direction where white people thought they were going to be hunted by the black people or Crazy Christians really thought he is some crazy terrorist from the Muslim religion was here to kill the infidels, it did get a little too off the wall for me.

The article starts out with “when 10-year-old Austin Smith heard Barack Obama had been elected president, he had one question: Does this mean I won't get a new gun for Christmas?” I nearly fell out of my chair. I guess my small town is a lot bigger than other people’s small town. I knew no one at the age of 10 who got a gun for any occasion or for any reason. When my brother was in his teens my dad got him a BB Gun, but then it was taken away from him because he kept shooting live animals with it. I never understood why he was given the gun to begin with.

I read later on in the article that the little boy’s mother claimed that she “taught all five of her children — ages 4 to 10 — to shoot because the family relies on game for food.” In a way I can understand that, but the article also says that she was buying a “special 20-gauge shotgun — one of at least five weapons she plans to buy before Obama takes office in January.” I know nothing about guns, so I googled the gun. It looks like every other hunting gun I have ever seen, so I trust that she is telling the truth. Although, if her family relies on game for food then I have to think that she has at least one gun already at home, if not, if she gets all that she wants to get before January, she will have at least six guns. That just seems a little much, to me. I don’t understand the need for that many guns. One or two maybe but six just seems, I don’t know. . .
Maybe she wants one for each child. Either way I can almost understand her need for them. I don’t know if I like the idea of any child knowing how to shoot a gun, unless, that child happens to John Connor and Skynet is after him, but I respect a mother’s right to teach her children if she deems it necessary.

I am not one of those people who think guns should be outlawed, but I do believe in strict gun laws. I believe certain guns should not be owned by the average person (there will never be a need for the average citizen have an assault weapon, NEVER) , because I do not believe they are necessary. I do respect that people feel they should be protected, but seriously people there is only so much protection you need, and do remember that sometimes the law is not going to work in your favor because of that gun. Also the average person really does not know how to handle a gun. Most people do not go to the firing range enough to be completely comfortable with it, and even if they do most of the time in intense situations people get a little too trigger happy, or trigger scared.

We do not live in a country where it is necessary for the average person to have a gun, of any kind. We do not have rebel forces blowing up our towns, taking our wives and children, or any thing like that. I do realize that there are some places in this country that are very dangerous to live in, but if you want to make them safer interact in them. Don’t just stock pile weapons and wait for the day they come knocking on you door, or well shooting up your door. Help a child, who is potentially going to grow up and join a gang, to get a better education. Help your society. Stop looking down on people you think are lower than you and help them rise above; help know that a better life is out there.

Also stop blaming the system for these laws and look to yourselves and others as the cause for them. The government, the man, the system, the, whatever you want to call it, has set up these laws for a reason. As long as you have idiot war lords, gang members, and other crazies doing crazies things with guns, you are going to have these laws. Also as long as people continue to want things that they just really do not need, they are going to be around. Again if your son isn’t John Connor and you are not trying to save him from Terminators, you probably do not need machine guns, or bazookas, or anything else crazy like that, and if your son really is John Connor you have worse things to worry about that gun laws.

The thing that worried me the most about the article are the following quotes

"More than 108,000 more background checks for gun purchases than in October 2007, a 15 percent increase."

"Franklin Gun Shop outside Nashville, Tenn., sold more than 70 guns on Tuesday, making it the biggest sales day since the shop opened eight years ago."

"Sold nine assault weapons the day after Obama was elected. That same day, the gun store Cheaper Than Dirt! in Fort Worth, Texas, sold $101,000 worth of merchandise, shattering its single-day sales record, store owner DeWayne Irwin said."

That tells me a lot of things that I really do not want to believe about my country. It tells me a lot more than what the article actually says. I will not go into what I think this says, mostly because it doesn’t actually say it and I do not want anyone claiming that the writer of the article said it. But it makes me wonder just how stupid the people of this country really are. It also shows me just how overly emotional they are and how easy they can be mislead and scared.

Talisman

This is not cited correctly I did not feel like taking the time. It is all the information you need to read the article.

Potter, Dena. Associated Press Writer. Fears of Democrat crackdown lead to gun sales boom. Accessed November 7 2008. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081108/ap_on_re_us/obama_gun_sales;_ylt=Ansl1NwY0u90S90i6a36tO.s0NUE