Weekly Spotlight 1/5 – 1/13/23
A Year In Review — Self-Defense Awakening Becomes Status Quo
The numbers are in: 2022 recorded 31.5 million firearm-related background checks in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, including 16.4 million gun sales. This makes last year the third-highest year for gun sales in HISTORY! However, the importance of these sky-high sales runs much deeper than just breaking records, it is a tangible representation of law-abiding Americans from coast to coast executing their Second Amendment right.
In order to understand how these gun sales translate to Americans standing up, speaking out, and executing their Second Amendment right, you have to look past the numbers and instead at the who, why, and how.
- Who are the Americans buying more guns?
- Last year, the amount of women, specifically Black women, purchasing firearms for self-defense continued to increase, which has been the trend for the past couple of years. This means that as gun sales increase, so does the diversity amongst law-abiding gun owners. Law-abiding Americans of ALL backgrounds want to exercise their Second Amendment right.
- Why are more Americans buying guns?
- For individuals, such as domestic abuse survivor Jennifer, “the Second Amendment is about [her] God-given right to self-defense… after nearly dying at the hands of my ex-husband, I have a newfound perspective on what the 2nd Amendment really represents.” She is a trained gun owner so that she can not only protect herself but also the lives of her children.
- In addition, more Americans are buying guns due to the rising crime rates in the United States. In 2022, there were 767 instances of defensive gun uses in which Americans defended themselves, their families, and their communities. Whether it be domestic abuse or crime, the increased gun sales are making America safer and saving lives.
- How are gun owners ensuring they are able to use the guns they buy?
- In the polls! On November 8, 2022 all five of the USCCA-FSL pro-Second Amendment candidates were elected to serve in the 118th Congress. This is a direct result of gun owning Americans making their voices heard at the ballot boxes.
All in all, 2022 was a year of victories for the Second Amendment and USCCA-FSL is proud to have been at the forefront of this effort! More importantly, the USCCA-FSL thanks YOU for your endless support.
“Together we have strength, together we have a voice and together we have a crucial mission to promote and defend our constitutional rights.” – USCCA-FSL Board Member Katie Pointer Baney
Click here to watch USCCA-FSL Board Member Katie Pointer Baney’s Thank You Video.
Whether you were a new gun owner in 2022 or have owned a firearm for years, we want to hear from everyday American gun owners on what the Second Amendment means to YOU. Click here to share your story on why you carry.
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
- Washington Examiner: ‘New Normal’ In Gun Sales: 16 Million Or More
Gun sales have crossed into new and historic territory, averaging over 16 million sold annually as buyers who are concerned about violent crime arm up. According to the FBI, the last three years have recorded new highs in gun sales and background checks. In 2022, the FBI this week said that it handled 31.5 million applications in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which includes an estimated 16.4 million gun sales. The rest are for other security checks, including for concealed carry permits.
… At the time of the bill’s passage, the Alabama Sheriffs Association said they had denied approximately 6,000 permits the year prior. The original sponsor of the bill, State Rep. Shane Stringer, R-Citronelle, was himself a police captain with the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office before being fired on May. 12, 2021, after his initial sponsorship of the “constitutional carry” bill during that year’s legislative session. “As a state legislator, I swore an oath to God that I would support the U.S. Constitution, and this legislation does just that,” String said at the time. According to the United States Concealed Carry Association, 25 U.S. states have now passed similar legislation allowing the concealing of weapons without a permit.
Americans have frequently used legal guns to thwart crimes, defend themselves or their homes and even stop mass shootings. Some estimates suggest instances of firearms being used in self-defense stretch into the millions yearly… Lott believes that the media has dramatically undercounted the amount of times Americans use guns in self-defense, saying in a typical year there are only about 2,000 news stories about defensive use of guns. That number is more likely to stretch into the millions, Lott said, pointing to an average of 18 national surveys that estimated guns are used in self-defense about 2 million times per year.
The South Carolina Law Enforcement Division sled is working to meet high demand for concealed weapons permits across the Palmetto State. The interest in applications increased when state law made permits free in August of last year. Open carry is only legal in South Carolina for those with concealed carry permits. Gun shop owners like Ethan Carney say this is affecting his business in an overall positive way. With more people wanting to apply for their concealed carry permits, Carney says his classes are filling up. He says he’s taking this opportunity to educate his students about gun safety. “We feel that training is very important,” he said. “I can’t emphasize that enough, especially for people carrying guns and people who have young children around. I don’t have young children around, but I do have grandkids around.”