Live Mic: Has pandemic altered your view of gun rights?
May 27, 2020, 6:11 PM
Live Mic host Lee Lonsberry wants to know what you think: has the global pandemic changed how you look at guns or gun rights? Image credit: Getty Images.
This is an editorial piece. An editorial, like a news article, is based on fact but also shares opinions. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and are not associated with our newsroom.
SALT LAKE CITY — Has your relationship with the Second Amendment and gun rights or control changed during or because of the coronavirus pandemic?
Live Mic host Lee Lonsberry offers his opinion on the subject and wants to know what insights listeners have to share.
Nearly 2.6 million firearms were sold in March, according to Small Arms Analytics and Forecasting, a consulting firm that tracks the firearms market. March was the busiest month ever for gun sales, even as businesses were ordered shut down in some states.
Record sales
The FBI conducted 3.7 million background checks in March, the highest total since the national instant-check system for buyers was launched in 1998, which was 1.1 million higher than the number conducted a year earlier, according to an NBC news report.
“People are worried with law enforcement stretched to the maximum, now responding to only selected calls. They realize that when bad things happen, it’s going to be up to them to be able to defend themselves and their families.” Andrew Arulanandam, a spokesman for the National Rifle Association (NRA), told NBC News.
Lee wants to hear from you on gun rights
How about you? Has the pandemic moved you to purchase a firearm?
If you are a first-time gun buyer, Lee wants to know whether you made the purchase because of the pandemic. Contact Lee on his Facebook page or (801) 575-7668.
New gun owners’ stories
Scott Kane went 38 years without even touching a gun, according to a story Saturday in the Washington Free Beacon. The former supporter of gun-control laws and bans on AR15 semi-automatic rifles said he was fearful over harassment of his wife and child due to their Asian ancestry during the pandemic.
Aaron Eaton holstered his pistol when he left the U.S. Army in 2009. But at the end of March, he purchased a Beretta 92FS, the same handgun he used as a military police officer at the height of the Iraq War.
“Simply put: I wanted peace of mind when it comes to the safety of my family,” Eaton told the Free Beacon for a story April 19.
Two weeks ago, Lee and a group of friends were out in the desert. Some had never fired a weapon and wanted to become familiar with firearms and perhaps owning one.
Lee said his father raised him to know that firearm safety was important.
He walked his friends through the safety rules and things to watch out for such as a weapon recoiling. He said their willingness to learn about guns is due to the coronavirus.
“Is the same true for you?” Lee asked.
Live Mic with Lee Lonsberry can be heard weekdays from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on KSL NewsRadio. Users can find the show on the KSL NewsRadio website and app.
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