US Gun Ownership Grows Under Obama Presidency - FBI NICS
On April 29, 2011, Republican Presidential Candidate, Newt Gingrich speaking to the NRA falsely accused the Obama Administration of threatening gun rights by stating, "In every possible way, the Obama administration is the most consistently anti-gun administration and anti-Second Amendment administration that we have ever seen ... They're now developing a stealth strategy in which they combine anti-gun judges with anti-gun treaties ... They will then try to strip us of our rights by judicial fiat." 2012.republican-candidates.org/Gingrich/Gun-Control.php
Newt Gingrich’s claim is not supported by FBI government statistics or major media outlets like CNN which have documented unprecedented gun sales in 2010 and 2011. The above chart shows the number of National Instant Criminal Background Checks conducted for people seeking to purchase a gun. While the FBI states these statistics do not represent the number of firearms sold, the data does indicate a substantial increase in Americans seeking and purchasing guns. www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/nics/reports/010312totalnicsbac...
On Dec 27th, 2011, CNN article titled, “Gun sales at record levels, according to FBI background checks”, stated that around half a million checks were done in just the last six days before Christmas - the busiest U.S. gun buying spree in history. articles.cnn.com/2011-12-27/us/us_record-gun-sales_1_gun-...
Given the easy access to firearms and booming gun sales, it is peculiar that a leading NRA executive Wayne Pierre refuses to meet with President Obama stating, “Why should I or the NRA go sit down with a group of people that have spent a lifetime trying to destroy the Second Amendment in the United States?” www.billoreilly.com/b/NRA-refuses-to-meet-with-Obama-on-g...
President Obama stated in an Op Ed, "And, in fact, my administration has not curtailed the rights of gun owners - it has expanded them, including allowing people to carry their guns in national parks and wildlife refuges. (sic) I'm willing to bet that responsible, law-abiding gun owners agree that we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few - dangerous criminals and fugitives, for example - from getting their hands on a gun in the first place." www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/03/13/op-ed-pres...
Caroline Brewer of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence states, "It would appear because of fear-mongering by the NRA since (President Barack) Obama's election that people are adding more guns to their arsenals out of fear Obama and the Democrats will take away their guns, which is absurd." What’s even more absurd is a presidential front runner perpetuating fear and misinformation that contradicts government data in a bid to win votes.