As we debate Second Amendment issues, we forget that blue-state residents love their guns too. In fact, almost 30 percent of self-identified Democrats are gun owners. Yet, getting back to the issue at hand, Delaware residents are stocking up on firearms–and they’re obtaining their carry permits too. In keeping with national trends regarding women and firearms, a gun safety instructor noted that female participation in his courses have increased 30 percent. The frequency in violent crimes in cities, like Newark, which saw 1,174 such incidents in 2014, has swayed some anti-gun residents into exercising their Second Amendment rights. Lastly, folks in the state are worried that Obama’s executive actions on gun control will prevent them from owning firearms in the future, which isn’t necessarily true–though it shows the vibe Democrats give when they talk about guns. Americans don’t trust them, and for the most part–they shouldn’t (via the News Journal) [emphasis mine]:
A total of 12,556 federal background checks were conducted for people buying guns in Delaware during the previous two months, according to data from the FBI – a 26 percent jump over December 2014 to January 2015. Gun vendors must submit a background check request to the FBI for the purchase of any firearm.[…]
“I used to be anti-gun for the longest time,” said Dominique Carpio, a senior at the University of Delaware, who worries about becoming a victim of one of the crimes she frequently hears about in New Castle County. “I just bought my first pistol in November.”
[…]
Though Carpio used to be “anti-gun,” her views gradually changed while at the university and she is now a member of the UD Students for the Second Amendment Club.
“I always get emails and texts about another crime in Newark, and it’s really scary,” she said. “I practice at the (firing) range a lot.”
[…]
Though Carpio owns a firearm, she cannot leave her home with it in a bag, or otherwise hidden. She’s currently applying for a concealed carry permit, she said, but believes the roughly two-month process could be a burden.
[…]
Phil Parke, a state-authorized gun safety trainer in Wilmington, estimated the number of women passing through his day-long courses increased about 30 percent during the past year. Many of them have expressed similar concerns to Carpio’s, pointing to crime as the reason they want to carry a gun in public.
[…]
Beth Parsons, owner of Shooter’s Choice gun store in Dover, also teaches gun safety courses and estimates she has seen 60 percent more women in her classes during the last year. Crime is becoming “more of a reality” in Kent County, she said, and people are afraid they might not be able to buy a gun in the future because of possible future restrictive gun laws.
It just comes to show you (again) that Obama and the Democrats are the greatest gun sales team in history. Yet, let’s not digress–the residents of Delaware are exercising their rights to own firearms. That’s a good thing. I hope that trend continues throughout this election year, especially with Hillary Clinton potentially being the Democratic nominee. A part of her platform lays the legal framework for anti-gunners to sue the gun manufacturing industry–and a large part of our history–out of existence. As for Ms. Carpio’s permit application; it’s a shame she has to wait two months for it to be fully processed. Then again, she lives in a Democratic, may issue carry state where authorities could arbitrarily reject her application for no reason whatsoever. In fact, that’s a legal question that should face the Supreme Court regarding "may issue" and "shall issue" carry provisions, especially the burdensome and possibly unconstitutional “justifiable need” clause that often prevents citizens from carrying their weapons outside their homes. With the tragic passing of Justice Antonin Scalia, this is a debate that should probably be placed at the backburner, as Obama’s nominee to fill the vacancy will most certainly be anti-gun. Moreover, if the Democrats win the Senate and the White House this November, the urgency of bringing that case before the Court should be nixed. But we will probably see an enormous spike in gun sales.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member