Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, gun sellers across the US have reported a major spike in firearm and bullet purchases. The rise of uncertainty among US citizens who are now required to sit at home has brought with it the fear of food shortages, government shutdown and many more existential crises.
According to a report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), there has been a nearly 60% increase in firearm sales among Black women and men in 2020 including more than 8 million people who were first time gun-purchasers and an increasing number of women.
NAAGA is a gun rights organization that provides support, training and community for new gun owners. It was founded in 2015 and has 45,000 members nationwide who they believe have an inalienable right to self-defense. The pro-Second Amendment organization has a goal to make sure every African American is introduced to firearm training for home protection, competitive shooting and outdoor recreational activities.
Many new gun owners cite wanting firearm knowledge, confidence and a sense of security as the reason for purchasing a firearm.
Black gun ownership in the US has been a tradition following the American Civil War, where newly freed Black people formed militias in a move towards self-defense. Many pro-firearm Black gun groups, like the Not F**king Around Coalition (NFAC) have marched peacefully at protests with their guns in hand, demanding justice.
The unveiling of these statistics come during a fierce debate on gun laws in the US following 147 mass shootings and over 200 shootings by police since the start of the year. Motivation for increased firearm purchases among Black people can also be linked to a need for self-defense after the high-profile cases of vigilante killings of Black men, including the death of Ahmaud Arbery in 2020.
Gun owners like Dalton are not deterred by the mass shootings and continue to believe in the right to bear arms, despite the pushback from some anti-gun supporters.
“They’re entitled to their opinions and their value systems. And if they choose to navigate from that perspective, I certainly understand and I’m respective [sic] of that,” said Dalton. “There are other folks who think that additional layer of confidence, knowledge and empowerment is critically important.”
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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