Gun sales are up. Probably not a surprise, given the vagaries of the economy. When people get nervous they look to protect themselves. This year the FBI conducted background checks for 15.7 million gun purchases. Last year gun purchases numbered 14.4 million. This doesn’t include, of course, the guns bought surreptitiously at gun shows. In 2005 gun purchases totaled 8.5 million. Up a bit, I would think.
According to the article in the Opposing Views, overall gun ownership is down. Household ownership was just over 32% in 2010. It was 34% in 2000, and over 45% in 1990. This claim is by the gun control group, Violence Policy Center.
As a background checking concern that really has nothing to do with the gun laws and the mandatory background checks conducted by the FBI, I do believe these background checks are necessary to prevent legitimate guns from going into the wrong hands. There have been, nationally, reductions in violent crime, and it will be interesting to see if some of the reduction can be attributed to added vigilance and increased background checks on the part of law enforcement.
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