(Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
The anti-gun lobby wants everyone to believe that most people support onerous gun restrictions. But, as the saying goes, the numbers do not lie. Americans continue to purchase firearms at record levels, and it does not seem the trend will reverse any time soon – even if progressives keep exploiting mass shootings to spread a fear of guns.
Gun purchases in the United States have exceeded one million each month for almost three years, according to FBI data. Mark Oliva of the National Shooting Sports Foundation told the Washington Examiner that these metrics reveal people are not as afraid of firearms as the left would have us believe. “While President Biden and gun control advocates demanded strict gun control legislation, Americans voted with their wallets that the Second Amendment is a right they are choosing to exercise by the millions every month,” he observed.
In June, there were 1,382,287 gun sales. This marks an 8.1% increase over June 2021. “That made June 2022 the second-strongest month on record for background checks, surpassed only by June 2020, when concerns were higher about crime, the election, and attacks on police,” according to the report.
The increase in gun sales occurred amid widespread unrest after the murder of George Floyd and the surging crime rates that followed. The rise is particularly pronounced among black Americans and women. In at least one city, there has been an uptick in the use of legally obtained firearms for self-defense.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported:
“Justified homicides jumped 67% from 2020 to 2021 ― from 12 to 20 according to the Philadelphia Police Department. An additional six have been ruled justified by the department but are awaiting the District Attorney’s Office to sign off. In 2019, there were 10 justified killings, six in 2018 and eight in 2017, the department said.
“So far in 2022, victims have shot at least eight armed assailants to death, with more than seven months remaining in the year.”
(Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
It would not be surprising to discover similar trends in other major cities. Violent crime remains high as police departments struggle to replenish their ranks after record-level resignations caused largely by anti-cop sentiment spread by the “Defund the Police” crowd. People appear to be waking up to the reality that, in most cases, the government cannot protect them from violent criminals. They realize they are the ones who are truly responsible for their own safety. That gun ownership would continue to be on the rise makes sense, despite progressive fearmongering.
Nevertheless, the left continues to push for more gun restrictions that do little to curb the proliferation of illegal firearms. Congress recently passed a bill that, among other things, provides additional federal funding to states willing to pass red-flag laws. The mass shooting in Highland Park, IL, has provided them with yet another opportunity to advocate for making it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to obtain firearms. But if recent sales trends are any indication, Americans will keep on buying guns as long as they’re allowed.
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