First-Time Gun Buyers Explain How Coronavirus Changed Their Politics

[iam4liberty]

Interesting to see the backlash as people learn the gun banners have lied to them for decades.

https://freebeacon.com/coronavirus/first-time-gun-buyers-explain-how-coronavirus-changed-their-politics/amp/
First-Time Gun Buyers Explain How Coronavirus Changed Their Politics

Scott Kane went 38 years without ever touching a gun. That streak would have continued had it not been for the coronavirus. In March, fearful of the harassment his wife and child experienced over their Asian ancestry, Kane found himself in a California gun shop. His March 11 purchase of a 9mm would have been the end of the story, were it not for a political standoff over shutdown orders and background checks. Now Kane, a former supporter of gun-control measures and AR-15 bans, is frustrated by the arduous process that has denied his family a sense of security. The pandemic has made the soft-spoken software engineer an unlikely Second Amendment supporter.

"This has taken me, a law-abiding citizen with nary an unpaid parking ticket to my name, over a month," he told the Washington Free Beacon. "Meanwhile Joe Bad Guy has probably purchased several fully automatic AK-47s out of the back of an El Camino in a shady part of town with zero background checks."
...
Kane is not alone. An influx of new gun owners has the potential to permanently alter the politics surrounding guns in the United States. If industry estimates are correct, millions of Americans across the country have become first-time gun buyers since March. If the experience changes their minds about the ongoing debate over gun control it could tip the balance of political power toward pro-gun activists and politicians.

[fritz_monroe]

I bet it sucks when you finally realize that your political stance in prior years has caused you to be unable to protect your family.  Hmmm, I wonder if he will support the next gun control measure than California puts forth.

[Morning Sunshine]

I suspect that there will be a lot of changes in thoughts and politics when this is over.  School choice, I think, will be another big shift depending on the way schools open up.  The schools around here are talking 6' distance, no lunch socializing, masks for all kids, and possibly closing again in Nov-March for the "second wave."  I have friends who are saying no way.

[David in MN]

I suspect that there will be a lot of changes in thoughts and politics when this is over.  School choice, I think, will be another big shift depending on the way schools open up.  The schools around here are talking 6' distance, no lunch socializing, masks for all kids, and possibly closing again in Nov-March for the "second wave."  I have friends who are saying no way.

Wouldn't they be safer from touching each other if they all were wearing handcuffs? Bring it up at the PTA.

On a serious note, my range is trying to deal with this issue. As a life member they want me out there as much as possible as a mentor to new shooters. Interestingly, we aren't seeing the guy who never shot who shows up with a Glock. We're seeing much more "I got nervous so I dug out grandpa's rusty old shotgun" and none of them know how it works.

I'll borrow something an old coach told me about weight training and use it here. Guns are a religion. Either you come up in it or you do the best to find a guy who knows more than you and his word is gospel. Sucks but that's how the knowledge transfers. So we're doing our best to help learn the ropes and be safe while feeling welcomed into our culture.

[LvsChant]

@David: With the riots in Mnpls, I suspect more people are thinking about personal security. Good on you, David, helping folks learn safety.

In our family, you "come up in it". My husband has made sure the boys know the ropes on care and safety (and we also think guns are great birthday/Christmas presents). They do like it when we send them bullets, too

@MS: I just saw a survey saying that a very large percentage of people will not be putting their kids back in the public schools once they open up again. Whether it is the fact that they have gotten a taste of homeschooling and like it, or fear of having it all shut down and the upheaval of that in the fall, it is likely to have a large impact on the school system as things get going again.