One of the more startling aspects of life in the United States, this past year, was the dramatic increase in gun sales during the pandemic. Some have cited a general fear of safety needs, while others have wondered why owning a gun could help soothe nerves battered by a fear of guns, while still others wondered if increased gun sales were related to racial fears, related to racial unrest in the country.
The numbers from one year ago do make for a reexamination: 17 million guns sold in that period, a 40 % increase, in a year over year comparison, but also some signposts; when, for example, President Trump announced the spread of Covid, gun sales increased to about 120,000 a day.
The Brookings Institution, in one of its briefs, noted one succinct fact, “There are more guns than people in the United States (400 million are in circulation for a population of 330 million). In just the first six months of 2020, approximately 19 million firearms have been sold, representing more than one firearm for every 20 Americans.”
Race is never far from the surface in the US, and the racial unrest over police killing Black men is a factor, and in reality, it did play an important role in the surge of gun sales. As they noted in their research study, “The presence of so many guns complicates discussions of public policy. Injustices committed by the police, and systemic racism in society more broadly need to end. It is concerning that the necessary national discussion regarding racial injustice is leading to even more firearms in the hands of Americans.”
The unforgettable images of a white couple brandishing guns from their front porch, in St. Louis, at Black Lives Demonstrators illustrated, ironically, the quagmire that race and guns extended into the conversation.
In what may be a surprise to many, another surge has come from an unexpected population, Black women as gun owners, and some are surprised, but there has been a trend, even before 2020, for Black females and gun ownership; especially as a reaction to assaults, having witnessed others, especially family members as victims of gun violence.
This public face flies in contradiction of the typical image of an angry, gun toting white male,and what has been his increasing visibility in state capitol protests against increased coronavirus restrictions in Lansing, Mich., Richmond, Va.,and of course the Jan. 6 insurrection at the nation’s capitol in Washington, DC.
If this is an awakening, then Black women are the first, but not the last, to make decisions on how to defend themselves, and their families. And, while many of these efforts have taken place in some cities, such as North Carolina, it is not atypical in the rural South.
Springing from that soil was the horrific killing of church members at “Mother Emanuel” church in South Carolina, by self confessed White Supremacist, Dylann Roof, and the numerous mass shootings across the nation: Columbine, Sandy Hook, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, and many others, past and present, there is a solidarity of thought and action to gun ownership.
Notable has been the company GIRLZ on FIRE (Feminine, Independent, Resilient, and Empowered) in HIgh Point, North Carolina, that specializes in “educating women in the safe use and operation of firearms,” and owned by Rhonda Carson that spearheaded an eight hour course,
One of her students noted, “I just want the resources and knowledge to defend myself and my family effectively . . .”
While the growing outreach from the National Rifle Association to women of color has been accompanied by Black firearms organizations, there are also pitfalls, such as police searches, where as Carson notes, if she is stopped for any reason in her car, she tells the officer where the gun is located, and asks him to reach for it.
Meanwhile in Chicago, the increase in the immediate aftermath of the George Floyd murder, increased carjackings, personal assault, and personal safety concerns, has created an increased interest in gun ownership, the largest from any racial group, from a 2020 gun interest survey, “noted that Black customers accounted for the largest increase of any racial group,” according to The Chicago Tribune, and “A Northwestern University study found that while white people bought ore firearms overall last year, African Americans made up a disproportionate number for first time gun buyers.”
There are controversies, as well as concerns, about this increase, with some residents, and community leaders saying that increased gun ownership may lead to unintended consequences. For some, like Autry Phillips, head of the violence group Target Area Development Corp, the trend of adding “firearms, even legal ones, into Black Communities could result in gun theft, accidental shooting and tragedy,” he told the Tribune.
Criminality in racial profiling, especially with the rise of armed white men, seen as patriots, is a psychological roadblock for many Americans, both white and Black.
Of note is that gun violence in Chicago increased to over 52% in 2020, plus a 65% increase of women killed in acts of gun violence; with a corresponding increase of 16% in domestic violence noted the editorial board of The Chicago Sun Times.
Significantly most new owners in 2020, “were more likely to be Black.”
Black Chicagoans who own guns not only face the immediate challenges of obtaining a FOID card, but also simply having their concealed carry license (both are required in the city) applications turned down for no apparent reason, says Phillip Smith, founder and president of the National African American Gun Association.
Another unexpected group of gun owners are members of the LGBT community, who have taken up arms to protect themselves from homo and transphobia, and who are “dedicated to the legal, safe, and responsible use of firearms for self-defense of the sexual-minority community. We no longer believe it is the right of those who hate and fear gay, lesbian, bi, trans, or polyamorous persons to use us as targets for their rage. Self-defense is our RIGHT,” says their website pinkpistols.org.
While definitive data on gun ownership in this community has not been prevalent, or precise, generalizing on the increase in 2020 among many variables gives some clues, but there is news, as 19thnews.org reported at the end of 2020.
Erin Palette founded Operation Blazing Sword in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub shooting, and noted that, “hate crimes are not just about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but that there are “monsters” who will target LGBTQ+ people as a specific demographic Palette said, and that’s reason enough to get a gun. Hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people increased by almost 6 percent from 2017 to 2018, with a 42 percent increase in crimes against transgender people.”
In 2018, Operation Blazing Sword merged with the Pink Pistols. . . and Palette now runs the largest queer guns group in the United States, if not the world.”
The question for many is it right for queer people to own guns, and will they be shunned for holding perceived right wing viewpoints, even if only for self protection? But, it also shows how many people, especially marginalized groups, feel that they need to arm themselves against those who want to do them harm. And, then there is the harm within: there is a high rate of suicide in the gay community, as well as interpersonal partner violence, as the Washington Blade noted in 2018.
Effective June 1, college students in Montana will be able to carry concealed guns on campus, making for another population shift of gun owners. Signed into law by Greg Gianforte, the law has become controversial among many students not exempted, and as one student Daisy Khoury interviewed by NPR noted, she did not want to worry about having her morning meal and and fearing gunfire.
For others the worry is that of suicide, and Montana has the third highest suicide rate in the nation; and, some simply to the combination of adolescence, hormones and alcohol, a deadly mix in a closed atmosphere.
Students are required to take a gun safety course in one form, or another, to receive a permit, but that may not be enough to soothe the nerves of some, like Khoury who is also worried, that, “There are signs on the front door that say, no nicotine, no tobacco. But you're allowing 18-year-olds to have guns, who are drinking on the weekends and are living with a bunch of people? It's totally crazy to me.”
This is all set against legislation requiring background checks that was reintroduced by Congress on March 2, a much debated piece of legislation that would cover internet sales and private gun events, and has the backing of Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) ranking senior member of the Senate, as well as Rep. Robin Kelly, also an Illinois Democrat.
In a push against the bill some states are pushing for penalization of police officers and “others to work with federal law enforcement or dare to enforce the federal laws,” according to an Op-Ed piece in The Chicago Sun-Times, earlier in March.
More than a dozen states are considering this pushback including Alabama, Arizona Arkansas and Nebraska and Oklahoma; but legal experts say that the Supremacy Clause supersedes state law and is backed by the US Constitution, as well as federal laws in general.
Now in the tragic aftermath of both the Atlanta shootings, and Tuesday’s shooting in Boulder, Colo., President Biden has pushed Congress to approve the pending legislation, but admittingly the Democrats getting the 60 votes necessary will be an uphill battle, to avoid the filibuster.
“I don’t need to wait another minute, let alone an hour, to take common sense steps that will save lives in the future and to urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to act,” Biden said in remarks at the White House following Monday’s shooting. “We can ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines in this country once again. I got that done when I was a senator. … We should do it again,” according to The Hill.
He also “called on the Senate to “immediately pass” the two House-passed bills that would expand background checks for firearm sales, noting that both passed the Democratic-controlled lower chamber with some Republican support.”
“This is not and should not be a partisan issue, this is an American issue. It will save lives, American lives, and we have to act,” Biden added.
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