Has COVID-19 Secured the Second Amendment’s Future?
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms has a sunny prediction:
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms‘ (CCRKBA) Alan Gottlieb has a prediction: COVID-19, and the civil unrest and riots following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, has created millions of new gun owners who will now eagerly protect their right to protect themselves and their loved ones. Will America remember that, in their time of greatest need, the Second Amendment was there to protect them…or will these new gun owners adopt the “gun control for thee, not for me” attitude we’ve seen in the past?
“Look at all of the new people who suddenly decided to exercise their Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms,” observed Gottlieb. “We’ve witnessed something that is nothing short of a sea change, and in some cases might approach the level of epiphany, about gun ownership. We’ve heard anecdotal reports from all over the country about people flocking to gun shops who had never before owned a firearm. Now that they are gun owners, we expect them to be very protective of their rights.”
March, April and May saw record numbers of background checks, according to FBI data and information from industry sources. June data should be out within days, and CCRKBA expects the trend to continue.
“As we’ve said before,” Gottlieb recalled, “we welcome all of these new gun owners to the firearms community. We know many of them are minorities, especially Black and female citizens from literally all age groups, and they will find gun owners have a big tent with lots of room for newcomers. They can take advantage of training opportunities, meet new friends who share more interests than they might have suspected, and gain a new understanding of our efforts to protect the one fundamental right that actually protects all of the other rights.
“We’re not surprised to hear about new first-time gun buyers who have discovered how much enjoyment they get out of shooting,” he added. “We’ve seen this with generations of new gun owners who may never have had any previous experience with firearms. Many of them discover a sense of empowerment that allows them, maybe for the first time, to understand they can take care of themselves, and that they are responsible for their own safety.
“This new wave of gun owners could become a formidable force during this year’s election,” Gottlieb noted. “From now on, we expect millions of new gun owners to pay closer attention to candidates, and reject those who would trample on their Second Amendment rights. With legions of new gun owners ready to protect these newly-discovered rights, it could be a pretty scrappy election year with lots of surprises.”
What do you think, readers? Can we expect a new pro-gun-rights wave in 2020 from both the blue and the red sides of the aisle (and maybe with a few white stars scattered in)?
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- Guns at Coronavirus Quarantine Protests: Listen For the Loudest Scream
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If all the current gun owners voted only with respect to the 2nd amendment or their rights with regards to owning firearms then we would not have situations like we currently do in California. People are myopic when it pertains to their beliefs and disregard for factual evidence that does not agree with them. There may be some new supporters of basic rights come out of the current situation, but there are many more that will vote out of fear or hatred of the “other side” and one’s personal ownership of a firearm is secondary to many other issues. I am afraid there are many more people who fear or hate Trump and the stereotype of people who support him than the core group of followers or those who will vote for him no matter their personal feeling abut the man or his conduct. I know how I have to vote, but I fear there are not enough of us left. to prevail. We have to get everyone to vote for their basic human right to be able to defend themselves. It is the only chance we have. If we sit back and depend on a repeat of 2016 we are doomed.
Folks, food for thought. Our right to keep and bear arms cannot be “taken away” from us. Only we can surrender those rights.
Wishful thinking, Alan, but the reality is most of the democrats who have bought guns will remain supporters of gun control . 2A rights will never be at the top of their list when it comes to voting because they are leftists in so many other ways.
Blacks will continue to vote for democrats at a rate of 90% and ditto for the lopsided percentages for Hispanics, Asians, Etc.
Hopefully when these newbies to guns get educated about the 2nd Amendment and what politicians back it ,they’ll be a wave of new republicans. I prefer to think optimistically!
Liberals buying guns now are using covic and the riots as an excuse to acquire, only to turn around and transfer the guns to criminals to commit more crimes, thereby Again giving them the argument that guns are bad!
Liberals are sinister and evil!!
A lot of the new group buying guns are probably the little millennial Antifa pieces of crap that no one is talking about, which will only do harm to gun owners as a group. Just because you can pass a background ck doesn’t mean your not a criminal…..Just haven’t been caught yet!
The recent riots did more for the future of gun rights than any Covid 19 crap.
I hope this is so but Americans have repeatedly shown they have short memories. There will be an uptick but how great will possibly depend upon other factors. Our freedoms such as 2A are dear. Both 2A and 1A are being attacked. If one goes the other will eventually fall. Wake up and vote.
When President Trump wins in the fall, the Democrat Riots will go lethal. Then the guns will actually be used for defense and that will seal the deal.
A certain demographic group of voters regardless of belief in second amendment rights will not vote for a Republican candidate. They will vote straight democrat candidate s regardless the candidates platform. on gun rights.
Their reasoning behind this is the Republican candidate does not support the minority as a whole.
Yes we will keep or second amendment rights . The country is out of control . With far left wing politicians and organizations . Time to regain control with our votes Dems u gotta go . Get the hell out of office u all are a disgrace to this country . You
made a deal with the devil . To get power we all see you and know your names . Sad pathetic to see this country in constant unrest . No mail in ballott’s vote in person get these progressive assholes out of office .
One can hope that the thousands who have reacted emotionally to this crisis will cease acting emotionally at each turn and will start acting with deliberate and focused reason. But I remain a skeptic. I respect the wisdom of those at CCRKBA, they are clear thinkers, but let us ask one question. People who react emotionally to a physical challenge like the BLM riots are doing so on impulse. They are not the same folks who are self-reliant as a habit from an early age. They tend to be emotion driven progressives and leftists or apolitical and follow the latest fad or mob. Unlike those of us who have manned the ranks of NRA, CCRKBA, 2AF, GOA and the libertarian leaning conservative movements the impulse buyer is not thinking in terms of long term self reliance but is simply reacting to the immediate emotional impulse. That is how they have been trained to react to all impulse by public education. The task now is to get these folks to the range, teach them how to safely handle their firearms while at the same time subtly getting their minds right on the necessity for self reliance as a life discipline, for life. It can be done. I have done dozens of NRA Women on Target programs and watch lives change for the better and for keeps as women lose their fear and gain knowledge. That is the task at hand. If you have a neighbor or relative who is now a non shooting gun owner get them to the range. Work on the cardinal rules of firearms safety while at the same time work on the rules of self reliance, liberty and free thinking. If we don’t, the pawn shops will be fully of unfired used guns and the minds of those recent gun owners will remain empty. Semper Fidelis
I’m not convinced mainly because the democrats are being devoured by the radical Marxists in their party and the last thing they want is a well armed conservative militia. 1
No, C-19 has been a Democrat windfall, they will sweep the November elections and they don’t care if their constituents want guns, they will gut the 2nd amendment because they know what is best for you.
Sadly, I have to agree, though I very much hope I’m wrong. Trump’s base will remain loyal. Unfortunately, the bulk of swing voters are sheep and I have zero faith in the electoral college to save the day for Trump this election. I think we have only begun to see violence in the streets.