That is the result of a CNN report citing various studies on the surge of firearms sales in the U.S. The piece related conversations with a pair of women who met at a Long Island gun range as they practiced improving their skills.
One said she was just beginning and looking to purchase a gun. The other noted that she is a single female on her own. She asked the obvious question — “Why not protect myself?”
One of the women told the outlet that she now has two rifles that were purchased during the pandemic on the advice of a family member. She is currently waiting for New York’s lengthy process for a handgun permit and expects it to take anywhere from 18 months to two years to complete.
“All my friends now have licenses. I’d like to hone my skills. I enjoy shooting. I’m a good shot.”
CNN also interviewed Mike Marinello, the owner of South Shore Shooting Range and South Shore Sportsman gun store in Merrick, which is just over an hour’s drive from New York City. Marinello said that 40% of his customer base hails from the nation’s largest city.
He recounted that most of his customers do not currently own firearms but come in needing something for personal defense. Many want to know about the process of becoming a gun owner in New York state. And it’s not easy.
Gun ownership in the Empire State is heavily regulated, and there is a backup of applications. That, however, has not dampened enthusiasm among Marinello’s traffic.
“A rather large slice of our current clientele is female. We sponsor a shooting group for women.”
He also noted that the aftermath of mass shootings always sees an uptick in gun sales. People believe that events such as recent tragedies in Nashville and Louisville will spawn more stringent gun regulations.
CNN reported the changing demographic of firearm enthusiasts, observing that “a growing number of Americans, particularly women and people of color, [are] on an extended national gun shopping splurge — many for the first time.”
According to NORC (National Opinion Research Center) at the University of Chicago, one out of every five U.S. households purchased a firearm between March 2020 and March 2022. Further, one in twenty Americans bought a weapon for the first time.
Another study was conducted by Dr. Matt Miller of Northeastern University along with Harvard researcher Deborah Azrael. The pair found that, along with African Americans, the percentage of women among gun owners between 2016 and 2019 greatly increased.
The study for the same period showed that 7.5 million people purchased guns for the first time between Jan. 2019 and April 2021. Of that total, roughly half of the newly armed were female and 20% were Black. Another 20% were Hispanic.
According to Miller, gun owners do not fit into a stereotype.
“The face of gun ownership is changing somewhat and the people who are becoming new gun owners today are less likely to be male and more likely to be non-White, more likely to be somewhat younger than existing and long-standing gun owners.”
Despite what some political leaders preach, people are not easily fooled. We live in dangerous times, and it is more important than ever to exercise Second Amendment rights and be prepared for whatever may come.
The desire for safety for oneself as well as loved ones knows no gender, no race or ethnicity, no geography, and no political party. It is universal, and it is refreshing to see more Americans realize that the time to prepare is before that preparation is needed.
