Crosstalk: What is behind record gun sales in US?

Sales of all models of firearms, especially hand guns, are booming.

People are not only afraid of losing their Second Amendment right but are becoming more aware that Obama’s failed foreign policy has set the stage for more terrorist attacks in the U.S.

This new reality was brought home last week by the slaying of 14 innocent people, and wounding of 21 others, in San Bernardino, Calif.

The deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil since 9/11 was carried out by Syed Rizwan Farook and his Pakistani wife, Tashfeen Malik at the Inland Regional Center where he worked. Federal officials said the couple’s plot appeared to be inspired, but not directed, by the Islamic State, a rapidly growing terrorist organization.

An investigation is now underway into the possibility that the couple, who were killed in a shootout with police, received money from IS to buy the arsenal of weapons found inside their apartment.

By the way, the victims of the attack lived in a state with some of the strictest gun control regulations in the U.S.

In fact, the shooting occurred in a “gun-free zone” where the victims were sitting ducks with no way to defend themselves.

The situation brings truth to these words by Cesare Beccaria, an Italian criminologist: “Laws that forbid the carrying of arms, disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes.”

People who want to harm others do not obey laws, as can be seen in November’s massacre of 130 people in France, a country with incredibly tough gun laws.

FBI Director James Comey recently testified that there are now more than 1,000 active investigations of potentially violent Islamists nationwide.

This is a very real threat, despite the attempt by Obama and others to downplay it.

With that in mind, it is heartening to hear about record Black Friday gun sales and know that more Americans are opting for protection instead of leaving their fate to chance.

Linda Pellissier, manager of the Old Mill Bargain Center in The Dalles, said gun sales have been booming ever since Obama took office. That same situation appears to be playing out across the nation.

The Crime Prevention Research Center reports that concealed handgun permits have increased from 4.6 million in 2007 to more than 12.8 million this year.

The Wasco County Sheriff’s Office is in charge of issuing concealed carry permits in the local area. Personnel report a two-week wait for issuance of permits, which includes a criminal background check.

To date in 2015, the sheriff’s office has issued 231 new permits and renewed 264 others.

No one knows how Black Friday sales will affect that total towards the end of the year or start of 2016.

Carrying a gun doesn’t mean that you have to engage in an attack. It just gives you the ability to fight back when your life is on the line.

Equally important is situational awareness: Watch what is going on around you in public places.

Follow the lead of vets, position yourself where you can observe the entrances and exits of the building and escape, take cover or engage if necessary.

by Mark Gibson

Judging from recent news reports, there will be a lot of guns under the Christmas tree this year.

More U.S. residents applied to purchase handguns, rifles and other firearms from licensed dealers on Black Friday than any other day on record, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation data, reported Laila Kearney of Reuters.

On Nov. 27, a total of 185,345 applicants were processed through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System, which determines whether a person is eligible to purchase guns from a licensed dealership, the FBI said in a statement.

This was a 5.5 percent increase over last years Black Friday sales.

The previously highest number of applicants processed through the instant background check system in a single day was recorded during the week after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on Dec. 14, 2012, according to the Reuters report.

Other records, though, have been on Black Friday.

While it seems likely that a “buy now or never” attitude in the face of tighter gun regulations has played a role in increased gun sales, there is also a growing feeling that the war against terror isn’t working and law enforcement is unable to keep us safe.

Buying a gun to protect ourselves or our family is a natural response to that fear.

What if it happened in my school, the way it did at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg? What if it happened at my Christmas work party, as happened so recently in San Bernardino, Calif.?

What would I do? Fight or flee, attack or run, the options are pretty limited.

I personally feel undecided — and can’t offer any suggestions to those considering this important question.

But I do hope that those who may be unwrapping a lethal weapon this Christmas, perhaps their first, will understand the importance of learning to use their new gun safely.

Statistically speaking, far more people are injured by gun accidents than are victims of mass casualty shootings or terror attacks.

In addition to physical injury, these accidents have the added emotional pain of being inflicted, in most cases, on a loved one.

Guns aren’t toys, and the best way to avoid accidental injury is to learn to handle your new gun safely.

The Dalles Rifle and Pistol Club, first organized in 1937, conducts firearms safety and hand gun classes.

Classes are also offered which meet the requirement for Oregon State concealed carry permits.

The club has a 9 point, 50 foot indoor range located in the basement of The Dalles Senior Center, at the corner of Cherry Heights and 10th street in The Dalles.

Club meetings are held the second Wednesday of each odd month, 7 p.m. at The Dalles Senior Center. For details, contact the club vai email at rmema@gorge.net.

I don’t know if your new gun will make you safe: I do know that without training, and plenty of shooting experience, your new gun will place you —and those around you — in grave danger.