Friday, March 20, 2009

Oh boy....

Are we really this bitter and clinging?

In the first two months of this year, around 2.5 million Americans bought guns, a 26 percent increase over the same period in 2008. It was great news for gun makers and a sign of a dark mood in the country.

Gun sales shot up almost immediately after Barack Obama won the U.S. presidential elections on November 4 and firearm enthusiasts rushed to stores, fearing he would tighten gun controls despite campaign pledges to the contrary.

After the November spike, gun dealers say, a second motive has helped drive sales: fear of social unrest as the ailing economy pushes the newly destitute deeper into misery. Many of the newly poor come from the relentlessly rising ranks of the unemployed. In February alone, an average of 23,000 people a day lost their jobs.

Or are we just listening to fearmongers and loyal Bushies?

2 comments:

Steve Bates said...

On the positive side, Stella just got rid of her gun. Well, OK, doing so was a condition I strongly requested for sharing space with me, but still, she took it to a policeman we know, and it will be melted down. Gone. One fewer Saturday night special in the world. Regard this comment as analogous to Phila's hope blogging: good things do happen!

ellroon said...

Blessings to Stella for being brave and to you for being firm. A gun is both a symbol of power and of fear and is very hard to do without once you think you need it.

Heard once that a gun in the house is more often used against the inhabitants than against intruders. (Here's a site that verifies that point. There are others that try to prove the opposite.)

May you be safe and comfortable in your new home!