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A Run on Guns in the U.S.A.

by Karen Hatter | April 16, 2009 at 04:46 pm

535 views | 72 Recommendations | 8 comments

Citing a variety of reasons for the increase in gun sales in the United States since the fall of 2008, among those being rational and irrational fears of crime and the fear of loss of the right to bear arms, the articles begins:

What do an elderly Oklahoma homeowner, a Virginia Citizen Militia member, and a Texas airline pilot all have in common these days?

They're all part of America's massive gun-and-ammunition buying spree – a national arming-up effort that began before last year's election of President Obama and continues unabated. Across the United States, it has led to shortages of assault-style weapons, rising prices, and a broadening of gun culture to increasingly include older Americans, women and – gasp – liberals.

The causes are varied – from fears over crime, both rational and irrational, to the concern that Second Amendment rights will be curtailed by a Democrat-controlled Washington. With the stock market deeply uncertain, some buyers simply think guns are a good investment. The run on guns suggests a shift in public attitudes about gun rights, and it presents a snapshot of a country that has historically turned to powder and balls in times of turmoil.

Click Armed America: Behind a Broadening Run on Guns to read the complete article.

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jhazell

at 17:34 on April 16th, 2009

Horror show stuff, we wonder why people can get guns and go and shoot up a school or work or a public place, but we figure thats "them", but "we" can have guns we're just trying to protect ourselves or our families. Until one of "we" becomes one of "them" under pressure, depression, or by anger and hatred. Owning guns is the problem, because any of us can somehow be either a victim statistic or become one of "them" as a statistic.

No one should need a gun, it all comes back to changing how we live and stopping the slide into chaos.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 20:01 on April 16th, 2009

jhazell, "Owning guns is the problem,..."

Owning guns is not the problem, some sellers and owners of guns are the problem. Guns are not dangerous, people are dangerous.

jhazell

at 08:41 on April 18th, 2009

Guns will always be a problem and people using them is the purpose of making them in the first place.

Stupid repeated statements, like yours, is what keeps us in this time of violence for the last hundred plus years. Its always the same crap "its human nature", "if it wasn't a gun it would be a knife or some other object, should we now ban those too?", " Its not the gun that kills people its the person using it". Stupid arguments for a planet wide sickness. The NRA and the archaic view of many North Americans that gun ownership is the right of every patriotic person, is the problem.

bettermakings (not verified)

at 11:00 on April 19th, 2009

if you don't like the constitution, you can leave America ... or start a revolution here, but too bad you won't have a gun to do it.

jhazell

at 17:27 on April 19th, 2009

Its ok, I luckily don't have to leave America, I'm a Canadian and we have our own gun law problems here. Its not a US problem, weapons proliferation is a world problem. But your waving the red, white and blue and pointing out the lines on your Constitution (that needs to be updated to the present time) shows you have your own demons to deal with. Good luck and remember to lock the doors and keep that weapon loaded and ready, who knows what paranoid apparition of yours, may appear and try to make off with your High def 50in flat screen tv. Lord knows how everyone else out there, wants to have what you have.

bettermakings (not verified)

at 21:34 on April 19th, 2009

the constitution doesn't need to be updated, it needs to be enforced.

and i'm not paranoid, but you will be when only criminals have guns.

jhazell

at 08:23 on April 20th, 2009

Ok cool but I was kinda hoping that the cops and the Military keep a couple of them around. With all the guns, that you say are part of your Constitutional rights, in the hands of the criminals it would be a good idea to let the Police keep a few too.

Good luck.

Amy Judd

at 20:17 on April 16th, 2009

I have heard that before, that people are concerned about tighter gun control so they have gone out and bought more guns and ammo. I think there is also a fear that when people lose their jobs and have more financial stress in their lives, it might lead some to turn to violence, which is really never the answer but they can't see it at the time