Piers Morgan worried 2020 will be biggest year for gun sales in America, Internet says it's 'incredible news'
2020 may have been a historical year in our lives, one in which many world-altering events have taken place, from social distancing becoming a norm (thanks to the global pandemic that is Covid-19) to the resurgence of Black Lives Matter movement. While we are still trying to come to terms with everything that is happening around us at breakneck speed, yet another deed has been added to the list of life-altering events of 2020. It also happens to be a year where gun sales in America have recorded an all-time high.
In a Twitter post, Piers Morgan explained how it is 'depressing' that a staggering '8.3 million' guns have been sold across the country. He tweeted, "BREAKING: Just when you thought the news couldn't more depressing...8.3 million guns have been sold in the United States since March, meaning 2020 is on course to be the biggest year for gun sales in American history." While the British presenter saw the spike in gun sales as worrying and depressing, Americans seem to have an entirely different take on it.
Several people responded to Morgan's tweet by pointing out how it is an "incredible news" that the gun sales are at an all-time high. A user wrote, "Because we are getting ready for war you tw*t!!! America is being invaded right before our eyes and we see it with eyes wide open!!!!" Another user simply declared, "Incredible news." Many people pointed out how guns can be used for protection during these troubled times. A user commented, "Of course! Our police refuse to protect us now.. we'll do it ourselves." Another user shared, "Major cities are hacking their police departments to the bare minimum, police are being told to stand down in the face of looting and riots. Crime has skyrocketed and the police aren't handling it. So yeah, we're going to protect ourselves." "God Bless America. Grateful we have rights to protect our home and family and are not sitting ducks waiting on government to arrive," expressed a user.
FOX Business reported that "more than 2.3 million guns were sold in June". This signifies a 145% increase in sales as compared to the previous year. According to Small Arms Analytics and Forecasting (SAAF), an estimated 2,387,524 guns were sold in June 2020 alone.
Coronavirus-fueled fears of social unrest and saw Americans panic-buying guns earlier this year. When George Floyd's killing happened in May it caused an international uproar, leading to protests that, at times, descending into riots, arson and looting in cities across the United States. Not to mention, the rise of the Defund the Police movement championed by Black Lives Matter activists have led to higher sales for firearms and ammunition dealers.
In fact, even background checks for firearms purchases reached an all-time high in March and maintained record highs for April and May, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation(NSSF), a firearms trade association that monitors gun sale-related background checks. Semi-automatic handguns outsold shotguns as the weapons of choice among first-time gun buyers, according to gun merchants surveyed by NSSF.