Captain Rick: Guns and ammo have sold out at major U.S. stores as the gun debate heats up on Capitol Hill. Expanded background checks and a ban on certain assault style weapons are likely. The World Think Tank shares its thinking on this ‘hot’ topic.
A guns and ammo shortage began soon after President Obama mentioned gun control after a gunman killed 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook school in Newtown Connecticut. President Obama might have become the worlds top guns and ammo salesman as a result.
Reports suggest a massive civilian arsenal buildup has taken place as a result of fear of future gun control in America.
Wal-Mart reported rationing ammo since January.
Cabela’s, one of Americas largest sporting goods retailers, reported strong gun sales and inability to gain inventory.
Some gun and ammo companies have been reported to be running 24-7 to keep up with demand.
As a result prices for guns and ammo have escalated. A $12 box of 50 rounds has climbed to $25. Demand for .223 caliber ammo has quadrupled. Stock is difficult to find anywhere.
Shares of Sturm Ruger, Smith & Wesson, which make assault rifles have seen shares skyrocket. They added labor and shifts to keep up with demand. 2-year back logs have been reported for people wanting to purchase an AR-15.
The number of FBI background checks filed for gun permits, considered a leading indicator for sales, surged 94% in January and 58% in February to reach their highest level in 15 years.
The U.S. Legislature begins debate on gun control
It is expected to be an intense debate, with a possible outcome to include expanded background checks and a ban on certain assault weapons.
Captain Rick’s World Think Tank … Thinkers share their thinking on this ‘hot’ subject…
I ‘captain’ a think tank group on Facebook to collect the thoughts of ‘thinkers’ who have demonstrated journalism excellence. I share some of their great thoughts on this important subject:
Bret of Arizona: Well, of all of the current administration’s accomplishments, is there anything positive that it has done for our country besides inflating (to an explosive amount) gun and ammo sales? I was looking for .22lr ammo the other day, can’t find it anywhere. 5 years ago, you could buy 500 rounds for 10 bucks…now, that same “brick” is selling for $35..if you can find it.
Spencer of Arizona: did you see the report today that says FBI has done 32 background checks every minute since Obama has been elected? I think there has been 70 million background checks since Feb 2009
Ken of California: We are witnessing the end of America. Those “Happy Days” are long gone.
As soon as we are disarmed, we are nothing but sheep ready for slaughter.
Lori of Colorado: I fear that you are right, Ken. It is difficult to be optimistic anymore. We are having a gun battle of our own in Colorado. I think the politics go beyond gun control to people control. Gun ownership is a huge responsibility and no one should take it lightly. However, these laws seem to infringe on the right to privacy. Then, there are new taxes for gun owners and a push to make gun owners buy insurance.
Spencer of Arizona: any law that requires complete background checks will only incovience the law abiding citizens or must also be passed with an accompanying gun registry. if no one knows what guns are owned then criminals or others might sell to criminals because there is no proof they had the gun. it will also create a large black market for guns. I get annoyed that so many people want to ignore Mexico and their crime rates and Gun laws. All the societies that liberals tout as being great because of gun restrictions are Islands. It does amaze me how many homes own guns in Mexico without having them registered and how many liberals like to ignore that and think that we would be different.
Bret of Arizona: Spencer, you are spot on…Even if you had registration, there are so many firearms in existance right now, you could never get them all registered and accounted for. Therefore, criminals would always have access to an abundance of firearms. Most of the time, right now, when people talk about gun deaths in the US, they are talking gun deaths, not homicides. Gun deaths include everything from suicide, rightfull use of deadly force, accidental deaths, etc. I believe the media and polititians are trying to skew the statistics by makeing all gun related deaths sound like murders, and that is simply not the case.The largest instance of gun related deaths in the US are suicides, not murders. My question still remains though…how could we reduce the violence without stomping all over the 2nd amendment and my right to protect myself and family?
Spencer of Arizona: one item to reduce the violence could be actually using the current laws and prosecuting those that fail a back ground check. I am amazed at how few are actually prosecuted. and just for statistics sake there are about 11,000 homicides each year and 20,000 suicides with guns. so 30,000 dealths total from guns each year, now compare that to 100,000 dealths related to alcohol. if it was really about saving the most lives I think more would be done to reduce dealths due to alcohol where you could get three times the reduction. these laws are about disarming citizens, trying to make us an utopia which will not happen instead we will become a dictatorship
Lori of Colorado: If current laws aren’t enforced, why will more laws help? That is a good question. This applies to a wide range of issues, from immigration to drug enforcement.
Spencer of Arizona: well they can make them stricter and stricter making it impossible to own a gun at all soon, and then they can enforce all the laws. its like cooking a frog, as the heat slowly rises everything is good and comfortable, or kind of like Obamacare, its going to destroy our current system paving a way for a full government take over. more of my point of that whole topic is why strengthen anything when we don’t even use what we have now. I am of the opinion the best way to make sure you aren’t a victim is to protect yourself. the police are going to take 5 minutes or more to get to my house and that is even if I can call them. the police usually come to take a report about a crime that has already been committed not in the middle to stop the crime.
Bret of Arizona: All animals are unpredictable…from the soft little kitten to a human. If an animal can think, it is unpredictable….period! So what if someone passes a background check? We can never be sure that person won’t “snap” and do something illegal. Secure my right to protect myself! Do background checks really keep criminals or “mentally ill” from obtaining and committing crimes with guns?
Rick of Arizona: Something else to think about…If things continue on tightening background checks…the U.S. government will eventually be able to stop all gun sales in the U.S. The FBI data base is heavily slanted in the negative direction in order to catch the really bad guy. That is good, but it also rejects lots of innocent, law abiding citizens with it, perhaps because of some tiny flick on the radar screen. My point is that if this inept system is allowed to be expanded, there will come a day soon when no one…not even a saint will pass the background check…which will in effect remove the ability for all law abiding citizens in the U.S. to legally own a gun. In effect, the U.S government will have gained the ability to disarm America while upholding the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This is something to think about! I agree, the best way is to protect yourself…but sadly, there are a great number of honest, law abiding citizens who would be rejected from purchasing a gun if they tried. Most applying are ‘delayed’, meaning they have to endure the 5 day waiting period as stipulated by the Brady Law. The problem is, most reputable gun dealers do not want to fool with it for fear of a law suit…so they simply deny the sale to anyone that is ‘delayed’. That in effect kills the sale to the majority of would-be gun buyers.
Stay tuned for more thoughts from the great minds in Captain Rick’s World Think Tank
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Guns in America: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/guns-in-america/
World Think Tank: https://atridim.wordpress.com/category/world-think-tank/
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