Oh, America.
It’s not really surprising, but for those of us who maybe thought the deaths in Newtown would affect some sort of immediate societal change — well, we’re disappointed once again.
The Huffington Post reports that since Friday, even in Connecticut, there’s been a run on firearms with multiple requests for AR-15 style rifles. We acknowledge that whenever a potential debate flares around gun control, demand for guns goes up — but even for assault rifles, America? Even these types of weapons after we now understand the type of carnage they can inflict? Are we really that afraid that regulating or banning the sale of assault weapons will be so unconscionable to necessitate the need for even more of them in people’s homes? Apparently so for those who are afraid of a clamp down, which now more than ever before seems like it could be a reality. We’d have to say though that this isn’t like stocking up before a big storm when there’s a run on bread and milk at the grocery store. We’re talking about weapons that aren’t used for hunting — weapons that are used to cause maximum damage.
Gun Shop owner, Larry Hyatt says,” “We already have tons of customers because of Christmas, hunting season is peaking right now, and not to mention, the election. But this tragedy is pushing sales through the roof,” he added. “It’s like putting gasoline on a fire.”
Good grief.
There has been such a big demand for firearms that the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, which processes background checks for firearm purchases, has experienced heavy delays, and the FBI which runs the NICS database, declined to comment on the number of background checks it has received since Friday. As an extra footnote, the Black Friday after the Nov. 6 election, gun sales across the country broke records, crashing the FBI’s background check system, according to The Denver Post.
But here’s something! Walmart has pulled the Bushmaster Patrolman’s Carbine M4A3 Rifle which is in the same family of guns used in Friday’s shooting, from its web store. Sure, every little bit helps, we guess. It’d be better if we knew that those customers couldn’t just go down the street to their local gun shop and pick one up. The only thing scarier than a person with an assault rifle in their home right now is the paranoia employed that makes one think it’s a good idea to own one. It seems infectious — and just what the NRA is banking on.
