Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: Firearm sales hit record levels this holiday season [View all]SteveW
(754 posts)Gallup reports that those who consider themselves Democratic Party members or who are Democratic-leaning have experienced a .33% increase in gun-ownership.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/150353/self-reported-gun-ownership-highest-1993.aspx
Perhaps they have been thoroughly disabused of the notion that gun-control is a "liberal issue," or they appreciate a genuine threat coming from the Far Right (the dominant political force in this country), or they miss-perceive the violent crime rate as being higher than it is. Or perhaps they are just curious, wanting to see what that taboo "thing" is all about (prohibition's universal conceit).
Unsure if the "healthy thing" you reference is "fear" or the increase in gun-ownership. The former: Who knows? The latter: No.
I don't know if they are "right" to be afraid, but if the fear is justified, I'm not concerned over it's rightness. If there is a "panic," I rather suspect it is the result of RW gas-passing about "Second Amendment remedies."
I don't know about "due diligence" at "ensuring that legal firearms purchases are not being diverted for criminal purpose," since our own BATF and State Department have for some reason encouraged just the opposite.