What is up with all the sudden gun sales, the Michigan Militia, and the NRA?

[JanMichael]

What in the world are all these people afraid of? Historically, no president has ever tried to "take away" anyone's guns.

Why are they so suddenly terrified of Obama?

What do they think is going to happen in this country that they will need to be so well armed for?

This is a little weird.

[jpgray]

1. The NRA has scared people into thinking the AWB will come back into effect

This will ban new purchases of certain weapons--no current owner of such weapons is affected. Based on what Obama has said, I don't see the concerns having much merit--his ostensible focus is on enforcing existing legislation more adequately.

[JanMichael]

3. seriously. Factcheck has discredited the NRA claims

yet, they continue to wig the hell out.

it's the most bizarre reaction to an election I have ever seen in my life.

[Recursion]

6. That's because as a party, we have never accepted what a monumental disaster...

...the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban was, and because as a party something like 80% of us seem to think it kept people from buying "machine guns" or something like that.

They're scared of us because of what we already tried to do. Until we wrap our minds around that fact, their behavior will continue to seem inexplicable.

[OnionPatch]

8. Yep. And I hope to hell we don't

screw up and lose all the gains we made by trying this again.

[sl8]

15. Factcheck addressed many of the NRA's claims ...

and found several to be false, several to be exaggerated, and several, including the AWB renewal, to be accurate:

The flier looks almost as though it comes from the Obama campaign. It uses the same color and font scheme as well as the campaign's sunrise logo. And on some points it is right; Obama has called for national legislation against carrying concealed firearms, and he would revive and make permanent the expired ban on semi-automatic "assault weapons," for example. On other points it exaggerates. Obama has spoken in favor of government registration of handguns, for example, but has not called for registration of all "firearms" including hunting rifles and shotguns. But the TV spots and fliers also make claims that are directly contrary to what Obama actually says about guns.

Here's an excerpt about the AWB renewal issue:

Nevertheless, Obama called the ban a "common sense gun law" and favors bringing it back on a permanent basis. Obama's "Urban Policy" fact sheet says he "supports making the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent, as such weapons belong on foreign battlefields and not on our streets."

http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/nra_targets_obama.html

[aikoaiko]

24. Obama supports banning popular pistols, shotguns, and rifles in standard configurations.

Most of these people are like me, just hedging and buying things that may be banned and whose prices will rise on those firearms and accessories that are already in the market.

[aikoaiko]

22. YEs, the NRA exaggerated Obama's positions, but Factcheck also downplayed the kernels of truth

For example, the NRA would have you believe that the anti-gun rhetoric Obama used when running for state political offices and the US Senate are still his positions and he wants to apply them to the entire US. This is the NRA distortion.

Factcheck ignored the fact that Obama has not addressed those issues, explicitly limited those positions to local Chicago or Illinois issues, or renounce them.

Factcheck's response to the NRA distortions were only slightly less dishonest than the NRA's claims.

[Xenotime]

4. Maybe not this time around but we could at least accomplish it during the 2nd term

[Ezlivin]

17. The last issue of "American Rifleman" spilled gallons of ink demonizing Obama

I'm a life member of the NRA, working to change the organization from the inside. There are a lot of "silent" NRA members who recognize that the leadership has fallen under the sway of the same neocon/fundamentalist faction that the Republican party has.

When the NRA published the most current issue of "American Rifleman" they really attacked Obama. You'd have gotten the impression that the man was going to abolish the second amendment from their hysteria. And as a result of the NRA's actions gun sales skyrocketed.

[Kolesar]

2. Love day at the Democratic Underground

Late fall is beautiful in this part of the country.

[Recursion]

5. HR 1022, mostly

They can read thomas.loc.gov as well as we can.

[madrchsod]

7. paranoids who think their world will end

because obama will be president in january

[Shardik]

9. Since we live in a wild land filled with ravaging carnivores and evil rapscallions

around every corner, of course Americans are afraid to lose their guns!

The mere hint that we would not be able to keep the wolves at bay every evening when we put our babes to rest with a 9mm Glock under their pillows is a terrible thing. What if a bogyman comes out from under their bed? What if Cuba invades and Fidel tries to rape our children with his flacid 90 year old wee-wee?

My god! America is built on guns! And we will die by them too by God! Even if it's by our own hands.

:sarcasm:

[cosmik debris]

10. They fear the unitary executive principle will be exercised

by Obama and that he will have as little respect for the Constitution as GWB has.

They are afraid that he is just as crazy as Bush!

[napi21]

11. The NRA has pushed this "Dems will take your guns" attitude for

decades! I'm now 65, and I remember when I met my husband when I was 16, his father was claiming the same thing! I thought it was nuts then, and it still IS!

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mucifer]

13. hopefully in a few years they will understand us better.

[RJ Connors]

14. It's worse than weird and needs to be watched.

In these people's delusion now that a black man has taken over this is not the same country they once lived in. In there plot line now is the time for true Americans, them, to rise up.

It would not surprise me if we have some domestic terrorist attacks in which these people are behind. If you think I am joking just take a look at these folks website. They are already talking revolution and civil war.

http://www.freeconservatives.com/vb/index.php

[peekaloo]

16. prior to the election the line I heard most often was "If Obama wins the blacks

are gonna take over". I would ask "Take over what?" but would get a blank stare in return.

I smell paranoia and fear, too.

I posted a canvassing story a couple of days ago about having a man, once he saw we were Obama supporters, making damn sure we saw the arsenal that he was carrying in the trunk of his car. Scary people.

[jules1962]

18. I heard about rising costs of guns and ammo

My theory is that the NRA uses these scare tactics and people respond by buying up ammo and guns. The gun and ammo makers raise the cost of their goods and the people are then "assured" that something is going to happen to their guns. The gun and ammo makers make a huge profit. They also are big donors to the NRA who then hires tons of lobbyists to keep this on the front burner. Just another way of lining their pockets with their paranoid customer's cash.
My father and grandfather were once members of the NRA. Once they saw how the radicals (i.e. Heston,Nugent) had taken over, that was enough for them. These people are radicals.

[peekaloo]

19. excellent observation.

cynical bastards.

:toast: to the sane members of your family.

[Shardik]

23. I think it was Chris Rock who suggested that if we want to lower the murder rrate

that we raise the price of bullets to $500.00 apiece.

That might work.

[RJ Connors]

20. Yeah and that is part of the undertone that was carried thougout

the election. In modern day propaganda it's many times more about what is not said than what is said. As what is said is meant to trigger certain aspects within peoples preconceived notions and world view. I still strongly believe that was the job, and only job that Sarah Palin was retained for which was to excite the background fears in many of these peoples minds.

A big part of the sell was that if a black man gets in power we will no longer be talking about retributions for slavery, but revenge for slavery. That and of course all of our white women will be being fucked by a black man. And deep down inside this is what these people think and believe and that is what makes them dangerous.

[NWPatriot]

21. From someone who knows several of them....

...the people who are afraid of what they think Obama is going to do have theses fears:

1) The first and foremost fear is being unable to defend themselves. You see it on the news..."Clerk shot in robbery at local 7-11"..."Couple killed in brutal home-invasion robbery"...etc. They don't believe the police will arrive in time to save them and take the perp down if they find themselves in those kinds of situations. They are packing because they want to defend themselves against a segment of society that has shown in the past that they want YOUR stuff, and they don't care how they get it. Self-defense, pure and simple.

2) The second thing they fear is that the government will take away their right to hunt. Yes, there are many here who view hunting as cruelty to animals. But there many others out there who use hunting to feed their families. They also hunt and donate the meat to food banks, which then give the meat to people out there who would go without otherwise. And...for those who are meat-eaters out there, venison has shown itself to be a leaner, healthier meat than beef. I personally don't have a taste for it.

3) The third thing they fear is...and here you drop off the cliff into "Wackoville"...that if the time comes where "the government" becomes oppressive, that they will not be able to "do whatever is necessary" to "take back this country". There are some who view personal freedom as the highest achievement of mankind. They want to do what they want, when they want, how they want, and they don't want any government official telling them "no". Granted, it seems like the ultimate expression of "what it means to be American", but that way also lies some things that are less than savory....and even a bit nuts. Still, they view this scenario as a possibility.

I could go on about it, but you have a general view of what they are thinking. I hope this will help you to "wrap your mind around" what these people have on their minds.

[old mark]

25. The NRA and much of the pro-gun internet has drummed up

a huge fear in many gun owners that the "socialist" Democrats will come to their homes and search for weapons and religious articles. They believe this very strongly. I have been posting on some of these sites for over a year about the very large number of pro-gun/gun owning Democrats, and how we have been trying to re-educate the Democratic party out of its anti-gun position, but the righties are educated by YEAARS of this propaganda that Dems are the enemy, will take over the USA and turn it into a dictatorship.
To some degree, this has/will become a self fulfilling prophecy, as the really rights see us as the enemy. These folks are very easily molded, and it only takes one loudmouth idiot (think Rush) to lead them. There is also an enourmou number of religious input into this. Many "christian" churches hate and fear Obama and Democrats and some of them are actually preaching civil war.

mark

[Edweird]

26. I'vw noticed that all these "What's up with the gun sales?" posts are by hardcore gun grabbers.

Oh NOES! People are exercising their rights! The HORROR!

[JanMichael]

28. We're gun owners-- ? Hello.

and have never posted in the gun forum. Don't know what you are talking about.

[johnnie]

27. Obama is already stimulating the economy

That's good...no?