The tragic massacre of children and teachers in Newtown, Connecticut, created understandable outrage and many legislators decided they must do something. Legislators in my state of Colorado rushed to pass new legislation to “control guns.” Some or all of the legislation will undoubtedly be found unconstitutional, but the legislators and their anti-gun constituents have been repeated portrayed by the media celebrating that they “have taken action.” They were unfazed by the fact the laws they passed would not have stopped the tragic massacres in the Colorado theatre or the Connecticut school.
Photo: www.myfoxboston.com
Colorado residents responded to the highly publicized actions by overloading the background check system to buy guns. At one point there was a week or more delay in obtaining approval to make a purchase. The effort to “control guns” resulted in a surge in gun sales.
Colorado wasn’t the only place where guns sales increased. I recently heard a short report on CNBC that retail sales in the U.S. were up by a bit under 2 percent for the fourth quarter of 2012. The primary reason for the increase was attributed to the 20 percent increase in gun sales.
It was reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation recorded more than 16.8 million background checks for gun purchases in 2012. “A record number of requests for background checks went through Black Friday in November…in part because of fears that President Barack Obama and other lawmakers would tighten gun control laws. The approval of the background check would authorize to the buyer to purchase multiple guns.
The Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show®) recently concluded four successful days, setting new attendance records. The largest trade show of its kind in the world and the fifth largest trade show in Las Vegas, the SHOT Show attracted a record overall attendance of 62,371, including a new high for buyers and more than 2,000 media representatives.” The show is owned and sponsored by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, the trade association of the firearms and ammunition industry.
There were many reports that attendees at the SHOT show appreciated the threats to pass gun control legislation. A common subject of discussion was the need to tip hats to a gun store in New Hampshire where a sign was placed in the window naming President Obama “Firearms Salesman of the Year.”