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Title: In Fort Worth, Obama's election prompts run on guns and ammunition
Source:
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
URL Source: http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/1024036.html
Published: Nov 7, 2008
Author: Anna Tinsley
Post Date: 2008-11-07 18:10:11 by X-15
Keywords: None
Views: 659
Comments: 34
FORT WORTH — Allan Craig is scared for the country and for himself. So less than 48 hours after Democrat Barack Obama was elected president, Craig went out to buy an M-4 rifle. "It’s for protection," the 57-year-old funeral director from Weatherford said. "I’m fearful for our country. I think there will be violence. People want to go in and take over this country .34;.34;. trying to destroy America. "I will protect myself and my family." Craig is part of a wave of people nationwide who, even before the election, began stocking up on guns and ammunition amid fear that Obama might put new gun restrictions in place after he takes office Jan. 20. Obama has said he respects the constitutional right to bear arms but said last year that he wants to restore the ban on assault weapons. The buyers are increasing demand for guns and ammo, swamping stores and causing prices to rise. Law enforcement officials and Obama supporters say fears about unprovoked violence against Americans, from outside and within, are overblown. And they definitely see no legitimate need for people to rush out and buy weapons. "People have had all this time to buy whatever they wanted since the assault-weapons ban expired," said Tarrant County Constable Sergio DeLeon, an Obama supporter. "There’s no legislation in place prohibiting them from that. I think a lot of fear has been built up by right-wing radio. "There’s nothing to suggest that Barack Obama and the new administration would generate any cause for security concerns for the people of this country." Craig said he’s heard all that and still wants to stock up, and he expects to have a lot of company from others unhappy with the results of the election. "I’m in a state of mourning for our country," Craig said. Presidential politics Obama’s Web site says he "believes the Second Amendment creates an individual right, and he respects the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms. He will protect the rights of hunters and other law-abiding Americans to purchase, own, transport and use guns." Obama also said last year, after more than three dozen Chicago children had been killed, that the government needs to reinstate an assault-weapons ban. And he has indicated that he supports some "common-sense" restrictions. Some gun owners say they are worried that Obama and Congress, controlled by Democrats, will easily pass a new assault-weapons ban or other restrictions. Some predicted that Obama would take gun owners’ guns away or put them out of reach by drastically increasing taxes on them. "He’s not like [President] Bush and [Vice President Dick] Cheney," said Darla Hoag of Callahan County, who was shopping at a local gun store with her husband Thursday. "They were hunters. 34;.34;.34;.34; I feel [Obama] doesn’t have a clue." Mark Greene, a hunter and member of Gun Owners for Obama, believes people don’t need to be worried. "If people want to be afraid of something, they are going to be afraid," said Greene, who helped run Obama’s grassroots campaign in Tarrant County. "It’s just going to take time for him to be in office and show he’s not going to take rights away." Ben Agger said he’s concerned, though, about what is prompting fear in gun owners. "What is the underlying motivation .34;.34;. to buy assault weapons?" asked Agger, a sociology and humanities professor at the University of Texas at Arlington who wrote There Is a Gunman on Campus: Tragedy and Terror at Virginia Tech. "Part of me worries this is an expression of the need for people who disagree with Obama to arm themselves because they entertain the thought that there could be armed conflict or possibly race war." Widespread fears But gun owners have taken the president-elect’s statements and other political talk in recent months to mean Obama might seek a nationwide prohibition on concealed-carry licenses and possibly a huge increase in the federal excise tax on guns and ammunition, said Jim Dark, executive director at the Addison-based Texas State Rifle Association. And there’s a fear that new restrictions may hurt hunters. "Hunting is already outrageously expensive in Texas because you have to lease land," Dark said. "Then you look at a massive increase in taxes, and you’re going to price people out of the hobby. "The disaster that will bring — and we’re already seeing a decline in hunting licenses — is that fewer proceeds will be available to fund wildlife conservation in Texas." Dark and others at the association said they are fielding concerns from members worried about their rights being stripped and waiting to see what recounts in races in both Congress and the Texas Legislature bring. "We’re in a wait-and-see mode," Dark said. Buying guns No matter how you look at it, DeWayne Irwin has seen gun and ammunition sales at his Cheaper Than Dirt! gun shop dramatically rise in recent weeks. Until this year, his biggest day of sales was 9-11, when he sold about $52,000 of merchandise. On Wednesday, the day after the election, his store sold $101,000. And in the past 36 days — as polls pointed toward an Obama victory — the store hit $1 million in sales. "We last saw this when the assault-weapons ban came through the first time in the early 1990s," Irwin said. "We’ve been planning for it for the last three to four months, stocking inventory. "You figure you know what’s going to happen when you get a Democrat in the White House," Irwin said. "People are anticipating an assault-weapons ban." On Thursday, about 30 people were waiting outside when he opened his doors. Stock is flying off his shelves, everything from assault weapons to ammunition, and the prices he’s being quoted from distributors are rising, which means he’s having to up his prices. "We’re running out," Irwin said. "I’ve bought more." Four weeks ago, he said he paid $209 for an AK-47. This week, that same gun cost him $549. Even the price of bullets is rising, from $4.59 a box to $9.97. "It’s panic-buying," said Tom Hoag, Darla’s husband, who was shopping for ammunition Thursday. "This is gasoline all over again, just with ammunition. "I’m frustrated. Hopefully I have enough to last until we have a new president." It’s panic-buying. This is gasoline all over again, just with ammunition." -Tom Hoag, who was shopping for ammo. ANNA M. TINSLEY, 817-390-7610 Poster's comment: I just reamed-out an editor for the story writer parroting the "official" Obummer position on the Second Amendment. The editor said that the issue was dead until Obama said something in his official capacity as POTUS. I said that the story writer had to know better considering his multi-year record on voting against guns and gun-owners and sent this link to him: www.marketwatch.com/news/...BF93012A473E%7D&dist=hppr Bottom line: the MSM are lying bastards.
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Begin Trace Mode for Comment # 24.
#1. To: X-15, HOUNDDAWG (#0)
Where is Hound????
The founders knew their enemy and they pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to defeat them. Americans have the guns but lack the will to risk all to reclaim our freedom. They'll just bury their guns and grumble in whispers until such time as future technology allows the govt to locate the hidden weapons or they rust away, which ever comes first. I don't believe that there are enough Americans willing to risk all to restore the constitution. Those who tell themselves that they're hiding the weapons "until the plan is in place" are kidding themselves. Any such planning would be monitored from day one, and 1 out of every 3 Americans is a rodent waiting to snitch. Without the political will and the courage to resist from DAY ONE the guns are useless. Most Americans will cringe and watch as a few brave souls try to organize and resist, and we'll peek out as they too are given WACO THERAPY by The Delta Force. Of course to venture out there and join the struggle with our own firearms would be the way to win. But, someone could get hurt! Meanwhile the NRA will be trying to broker some compromise for hunters to retrieve their guns from govt vaults on "liberty passes" for hunting trips. The NRA and their well heeled lobbyists will be satisfied with that "interpretation" of the 2nd amendment. "...The right of the *people to hunt ducks shall not be infringed...." *people being defined as "Members of The National Guard and others who are current dues paying members of a nationally recognized rifle association that is chartered by congress...."
I disagree, but time will tell. Organizing is a mistake, IMO. It gives them a nice juicy fat target. But a nation of prepared and motivated "lone wolves" or very small groups would be unstoppable.
10 million militias of one.
Yes. This is one of the reasons I don't fear confiscation. People don't buy M4's or M1a's or Ak's to hunt with. Our government might be evil, but they aren't stupid. The gunstore I go to would sell about 10-15 bushmasters per week, every week. I asked them, and I have no reason to believe they lied. That does not include other "assault weapons". THis does not include the other stores in my area that sell these same weapons. This does not include private sales. Try and confiscate them from people that bought them for that eventuality, and bad things will happen to those doing the confiscating. That is a lot of weapons out there. If I was a dictator type, or just a thug punk cop for that matter, the thought of having millions of individuals opposing me with deadly force would give me nightmares. The spicy-hot-mexican-food-big-dinner-after-a-very-bad-day kind of nightmares.
I recently found a nice range on state land around here. Last week I practiced my head shots at 200 yards. I went 20 for 20 rapid firing. Next week, I'll try 300 yards. As an aside, anyone who believes Lon Horiuchi didn't see or know that he hit Vickie Weaver is a buffoon. Looking through quality glass at 200 yards, at 10X magnification, with overcast skies, late in the day, I could see clearly what I was aiming at and hitting. :) I hadn't shot in 4 years, yet I could not miss by as much as that trained and practiced FBI thug says he missed, even if I tried.
I went 20 for 20 rapid firing. Really? Remind me not to get on your Bad Side! THat is some good shooting, expecially after not shooting for 4+ years.
Well, I did have good equipment. lol That was shooting off the hood of my truck on a bipod. Off hand with a lesser rifle, I don't think I could do it.
Varminter? I though about getting one of them. They are nice. So many weapons, so little money...
I got it about 6 or 7 years ago off of gunbroker.com, for the low low price of $1100, fully set up with a Leupold VXIII 4.5-14 mil dot tactical. Heaven only knows how I got it so cheap. No one bid on it but me. I figured out that it must have cost the guy about $2500 to put it together, and then he pawned it. The seller was a pawn shop. I immediately yanked the Leupold and put it on my .308, and now I am using a 2.5-10X Burris Signature on it. If you don't own one of these, beg borrow or steal to put one together. If you already have an AR15, then just get a varmint upper for it and put decent glass on it. Good glass makes a big difference. With a decent set up, one could easily make minced meat out of a squad sized unit at 300 yards before they even know where you're at. ;)
You must be living right. I dont know about that model of scope, but I know that Leupold does not come cheap. You may have gotten the scope, and a free rifle at that price. damn...
#26. To: PSUSA, Critter, all (#24)
Correct.
At the time, the scope was selling new for about $650 or $700 if I remember right. It was really too much scope for the rifle though. I figured 10X is more than enough.
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#3. To: Lady X, Jethro Tull, christine (#1)
#6. To: HOUNDDAWG, All (#3)
Most Americans will cringe and watch as a few brave souls try to organize and resist, and we'll peek out as they too are given WACO THERAPY by The Delta Force.
#9. To: PSUSA (#6)
#10. To: Critter (#9)
10 million militias of one.
#14. To: PSUSA (#10)
Try and confiscate them from people that bought them for that eventuality, and bad things will happen to those doing the confiscating.
#18. To: Critter (#14)
recently found a nice range on state land around here. Last week I practiced my head shots at 200 yards.
#19. To: PSUSA (#18)
THat is some good shooting,
#21. To: Critter (#19)
#23. To: PSUSA (#21)
Varminter?
#24. To: Critter (#23)
Replies to Comment # 24. You may have gotten the scope, and a free rifle at that price.
#27. To: PSUSA (#24)
End Trace Mode for Comment # 24.