Analysis: Why we are winning

From the Second Amendment Foundation's Investigative Journalism Project

These are the most perilous times many Second Amendment watchdogs have ever seen. Our right to keep and bear arms is under constant assault by a troika of would-be infringers: the Biden-Harris administration — the most anti-gun group of bullies to occupy the White House in modern times, the legacy media — which is aiding and abetting Biden’s every whim regardless of its constitutionality, and the anti-gun industry — which is providing the playbook and orchestrating the campaign.

Still, there are glimmers of hope — the light at the end of the tunnel may be dim, but at least it’s visible. At least for now, things appear to be changing, albeit slowly. Thankfully, a growing number of Americans has stopped listening to the anti-gun forces. In other words, regardless of what Biden, Cuomo or Giffords are saying, the liberal bubble has been pierced by the truth, and worried folks are buying guns.

Over the past months, I’ve talked to dozens of new gun owners. Many described themselves as liberal or formerly liberal. Here’s what they are saying about why they broke ranks with the gun banners and bought guns: 

Root cause

New gun owners revealed near unanimity for the main reason they purchased a firearm: the surge of violent crime.

Smash-and-grab robbery gangs, well-publicized home-invasions and the newest media buzzword “follow-home robberies.” have folks terrified they will be ambushed in their home or on their doorstep, in zip codes where these types of crimes are not supposed to happen.

Some say the specter of mob violence has them readying themselves for the next wave of rioting and looting, and those unfortunate enough to live in large metropolitan cities say open warfare on their streets forced them to purchase a means to defend their hearth and home from illegally-armed gang members.

Radical social agenda

Many new gun owners complained about liberal criminal justice policies, which have caused increased crime: low/no bail, lighter sentences and no-arrest guidelines. These felon-friendly policies combined with the “defund the police” movement and liberal prosecutors are wreaking havoc in communities across the country. Add to that the politicization of federal law enforcement agencies – most notably the FBIs involvement policing local school boards – and many folks don’t see any relief in sight.

Dire warnings

The nation’s sheriffs were the first to sound alarm. Several famously warned the public they needed to arm themselves, for they were their own First Responders. Citibank warned its employees they needed to “dress down” so as not to become victims of crime. Other large corporations chaperone their employees to and from work, and several major retailers are closing stores in large cities because of skyrocketing thefts, robberies and assaults on their staff.

Other contributing factors

Terrorism, the pandemic and its lockdowns, waves of illegal immigrants, Biden’s tanking economy, inflation concerns and the growing scarcity of basic commodities created a sense that “something bad” is coming for many first-time gun buyers. They responded by heading to a gun shop. More than a few said this growing sense of dread and uncertainty was unprecedented – something they had never felt before. One new Glock owner compared it to watching the first episode of “The Walking Dead.”

Empty rhetoric

While their constituents were becoming concerned about how they would defend their families, the Biden-Harris administration offered nothing but tired, old talking points spoon-fed directly to them by the anti-gun industry. It didn’t work. Many Americans wanted easier access to firearms, not more restrictions. Biden, or whoever is actually calling the shots behind the scenes in the White House, completely misread the room.

The gun banners are just now realizing that no one is listening. For many people, the skewed data from debunked sources that the anti-gun talking heads have been peddling for decades only reinforced their desire to buy a gun. The more dire the warnings from the gun banners, the more guns were sold. It’s something Shannon, Gabby and Mike have yet to fully grasp.

The result

More than 36 million Americans blew a big fat raspberry at Biden and his gun-banning squad, according to NICS background checks, and that only includes the first 11 months of 2021. It does not include private firearm sales, which are still legal in free states.  

That’s more than 74 background checks per minute — a rate the market is still struggling to counterbalance.

To be clear, gun sales have skyrocketed. Ammunition sales have skyrocketed. Membership in gun-rights groups has skyrocketed. Demand for firearm instruction has outpaced the instructor pool, and support for anti-gun groups has plummeted, as expected.

Public opinion is shifting, the polls are showing, as more and more Americans realize the utility a firearm can offer. Politicians are discovering that an anti-gun stance will cost them votes. The anti-gun groups are growing desperate. The more they’re ignored, the louder and more shrill they become.

This is, however, not the time to celebrate. We are only one executive order away from yet another infringement. Our right to keep and bear arms requires eternal vigilance.

Remain vigilant, friends.

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