I heard a story on NPR last night about a nationwide ammunition shortage. Part of this shortage can be linked to how much is being sent overseas to fight two wars, but there was a more curious reason given by a gun store owner.
Dury, the man being interviewed, claimed that fear from President Obama's liberal and "socialist" agenda is bringing people in droves to gun stores as they stockpile weapons and munitions. Dury said that his sales have gone up 40 or 50% since the day of his election. He can barely keep anything in stock because people are buying new weapons and lifetime supplies of ammunition for them out of fear of possible restrictions and taxes from the current administration (one of the people he sold a case of ammunition was a 79 year old woman who wanted to stock up for her AK-47...I have no idea how much a "lifetime supply" of ammo is for an AK-47).
When asked how sales were the day he was interviewed, the store owner replied that it was, "an average post-Obama day."
These kinds of stories catch my attention because they emphasize the impotence of the law to accomplish what it desires, that even a fear of possible restriction sends people running for the gun racks. There is a certain irony that the desire to legislate a reduction in the number of guns and bullets circulating in America leads directly to the opposite effect. The reality that under President Bush, a gun toting Texan, there were actually fewer weapons in circulation and less of a motivation to stockpile them.
I have rarely, if ever, observed obligation or restriction succeed in establishing a "lawful" environment. This example is only one of many situations where the law has utterly failed to do what it has set out to do (and by law I mean not just legal realities, but any obligation or restriction placed on us by another).
In my short experience in this world I have only found one thing that accomplishes what it sets out to do and that is grace that flows naturally from love. The one-way kind of perfect love that comes from God.
3 comments:
Unfortunately, not all of these purchases are being driven by a fear of an anti-gun laws (which incidentally, there has been no buzz about which I have heard of. Check this out: http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/02/26/hate.groups.report/index.html
Scary.
It is distressing to me the amount of speculation regarding Obama (he's Muslin, he's going to take away all guns, etc..) is what is driving fear. There has yet to be a law against guns issued by his administration-is it fear that is driving this or the law? Because it seems to me that fear and law are separate things.
Fear and Law are indeed separate things, but in this instance even the presence of a person with different views on guns in power fuels their opposite response. It is out of fear, but out of fear of obligation and restriction.
But again, it is still hypothetical. What's more (and this isn't the point of your post, but it is worth mentioning) that Obama will not make the law. Congress will make and pass the law-and that congress is controlled through the democratic process. These people who are buying the guns have the opportunity to exercise their vote and change they entire make up of Congress if they feel this strongly.
What's more-is it not distressing that the reaction to this is preparation for violence?? That is what is more shocking to me.
As the law is hypothetical is if fair to say that the law is driving this reaction? I don't think we should forego a law (and I have no intention of opening up a 2nd Am. debate) to limit the avaliability of guns on the street simply because people are going to buy guns. But that is just me. I'd rather not have a granny with an AK-47. Unless it is me. When I am 79 I will totally buy one. Have to keep those kids out of the yard somehow.
What other policy options are there out there? Besides trying to convince people that Barack Obama is not a Socialist (big S if Lauren Larkin reads this) It seems to me that acquiescing to fear of a law is a dangerous thing. Also, interesting to note that there wasn't a rush on partial birth abortions when Bush was much more vocal about his mission to have Congress pass a law banning them.
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