So, these anti-gun protests have been all over the mainstream media lately as these folks are trying to completely shut down the gun industry and take away guns from everyone except “those who know how to use them like law enforcement.” And your anti-gunner friends and family have probably been all over social media “standing with those hurting kids” as if posting a meme on social media actually does something to change the world.
Well, maybe I should take back that last snide remark because these gun control protests are having an effect on the off-line world, just not the effect that these protesters want. Erin Patenko tells about what is going on in New Jersey:
Gun sales in New Jersey slumped after the election of President Donald Trump but are rising again in the wake of recent mass shootings, a sign that gun owners may again be concerned about tightening regulations, according to the latest data from the FBI.
Background checks for gun sales increased dramatically during President Barack Obama’s tenure in office, but fell to a 21-month low after Trump’s election, according to the FBI, which tracks the number of background checks performed by licensed gun dealers.
Since then, however, they have again been rising, most notably after the Las Vegas shooting in October that left 58 people dead and injured hundreds more. They remain at relatively high levels compared to the pre-Obama years.
“There’s definitely a correlation between people’s perception of gun regulation and their likelihood and desire to buy guns,” said Joseph Blocher, a professor of law at Duke University who specializes in Second Amendment issues.
But wait, there’s more:
“When gun owners see the clamor and hear the rhetoric, of course it makes them concerned,” said Scott Bach, executive director of the Association of New Jersey Rifle and and Pistol Clubs. […]
“Certainly now that there’s a full-on press to repeal, it’s gonna drive purchasing through the ceiling,” he said.
So, to put it in a nutshell, gun control protests get the attention of pro-2nd Amendment folks who then go out and buy guns and ammunition. Which is, of course, exactly the opposite result that anti-gunners want.
So, yes, anti-gun protests do have a result, but the irony is that the result is more gun owners.