Guest Glen Caroline is in Eastern Time via phone for radio interviews or via Zoom or Skype for television
Intro: A gun-buying surge began with the COVID-19 pandemic panic and continued through the civil unrest and riots following the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. The result? Millions of new gun owners. Add to this the rise and fall of CHAZ, then CHOP, the supposed new country within a country with their own brand of policing. Here to discuss the surge of Americans exercising their 2nd Amendment rights is a Glen Caroline spokesman from the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and the Second Amendment Foundation.
Q&A:
- Are millions of people really becoming gun owners for the first time. If so, why?
Answer: Yes. Millions of Americans have suddenly decided to exercise their Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms. We have 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.
- What are good indicators that this is occurring?
Answer: We are seeing record numbers of background checks, according to FBI data and information from industry sources. This is a clear indication of a rise in gun purchases.
- Is this new trend limited mainly to white Americans?
Answer: Americans of all races are buying guns to protect themselves and their loved ones. We welcome all of these new gun owners to the firearms community. Many are women in a wide age range. The 2nd Amendment is a large tent and newcomers are welcome.
- What about gun training—is this important?
Answer: Yes. The new gun owners 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. 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.
- How do you envision these millions of new gun owners will impact the elections?
Answer: This new wave of gun owners could become a formidable force. 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.”
- How do you think Joe Biden’s promise of releasing violent criminals without bond has impacted gun sales?
Answer: It caused gun sales to boom because people need to protect themselves from criminals being released without bond. Biden’s staff has raised funds to make sure violent protestors get out of jail free, presumably to do more mischief.
- What do you have to say to people who say, don’t buy a gun? You know, leave that to the police, and if anyone ever comes to your home threatening you, just call 911.
Answer: When trouble knocks on your door, you might be able to resolve it with a police visit in 10 or 15 minutes if they arrive that quickly, but frequently the shooting starts in seconds, not minutes, and having the ability to shoot back to defend yourself and your family is of paramount importance.
- Where may we get more information on The Second Amendment Foundation
Answer: www.saf.org
ABOUT GLEN CAROLINE (In Eastern Time)
Veteran grassroots gun rights organizer Glen Caroline is the Director of External Affairs for the Second Amendment Foundation and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.
With 29 years of frontline experience in the Second Amendment movement, Caroline spearheads grassroots and training programs for both organizations. Glen comes to the SAF/CCRKBA after serving for years as managing director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action Grassroots Programs and Campaign Field Operations division. Glen’s entire professional life has been dedicated to the cause of the Second Amendment and the preservation of Americans’ liberties.
ABOUT THE 2ND AMENDMENT FOUNDATION:
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
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