Barack Obama hastens gun, ammo sales; Sarah Palin first in line?

What's happening in Alaska undoubtedly is happening throughout rural America. Gun sales are brisk, particularly for military-style weapons, because people are concerned about stricter gun laws after Barack Obama becomes president and Congress begins leaning more to the left.

The Anchorage Daily News today ran a story under the headline "Armed and nervous in Alaska."

Jack Murray, owner of Alaska Shooters Supply, is quoted: "Obama is the best gun salesman we've had in the last 50 years." Murray added that the day after the election, he sold more guns than in any single day in 21 years. "I was crying all the way to the bank," he said.

Nationwide, perhaps because of an expected Democratic victory, FBI background checks on prospective gun owners increased 8% in a period ending Sept. 30, compared with the same period in 2007.

Ammunition is selling at a rate that would indicate an impending invasion, because of feared ammo taxes. "I've  probably sold 70,000 or 80,000 rounds of ammunition over the past couple of days," Ken Feinman, manager of Wild West Guns, told the Daily News. "I think there's an element of panic going on, and it's pretty much universal among the shops here."

A sign atop his store reads "Huge Obama Sale ... Buy, Sell, Trade." (See photo.)

Wayne LaPierre, president of the National Rifle Assn., has been quoted as saying, of Obama, "I don't think he'll be able to stand up to that anti-Second Amendment wing of the Democratic Party that's just been spoiling for a chance to ban America's guns."

So far, Sarah Palin, the now-famous governor-huntress, has not chimed in on the issue. But do you think Alaskans are talking about her while waiting in those long lines?

You betcha.

-- Pete Thomas

Photo credit: Bill Roth/Anchorage Daily News

Comments

[Dumb redneck]

Just another bunch of Yankee lib comments on here. Reality never knocks on the door of a liberal who never looks at facts, their only basis for commenting is the fealing they get in their legs when a man talks. I think its high time we set these liberal northern city slickers strait in 2010, vote these tree huggers out!

[Tommy Story]

Sarah Palin was a victim of the FlyBy-Media. The media wanted Yobama in so badly they sent , i think, around 10,000 reporters to Alaska to find dirt on her. What did the media try to find on Yobama? Nothing, the Messiah (as Libs call him) has nothing to hide as long as he does not have to free-style when asking a question. He came from the worst corrupted political city in the US and we are suppose to think he is innocent of everything? If he was a Republican, the media would have nailed him on everything and he would not have been voted in. I guess in closing if you have "tingle feelings run up your leg when the messiah talks", you have problems and need to have that looked at. I just cant wait for the magic wand to be waved and everything be okay. Now that Bush is not in the White House and the Clintons have returned, we will here for at least a couple of years how Bush screwed up the US. Nevermind that most things were going alright until the Dems took over. But who's counting, except the Yobama induced media.

[T Davis]

SARAH PALIN, PLEASE GO-O-O-O-O-O AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, I HAVE HEADACHE, I'M LOOSING MY APPETITE WHEN I SEE YOUR FACE AND YOU TALKING SO-O-O SMOOTHLY NON STOP ABOUT NONSENCE!!! PLEASE GIVE US A BREAK!!!! GO AWAY!!! GO HOME TO ALASKA!!! BUILD YOUR BRIDGE TO NOWHERE OR ELSE!!!! GET TOGETHER WITH JOE THE PLUMBER AND CREATE YOUR OWN PARTY!!!! GET HIM A JOB AT SLAUGHTER TURKEY FARM!!!! WE HAVE SO MUCH TO DO, COUNTRY HAS SO MUCH PROBLEMS, WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR SOMEONE LIKE YOU!!! P.S. IF YOU LIKE TO BE ON TV SO MUCH GET A JOB AT COMEDY CHANNEL!!!! OR SNL!!!

[AnchorMan]

Big surprise, the Anchorage Daily News is run from where?
California, of all places.

[Rocketman321]

Interesting assumptions in the first sentence: "What's happening in Alaska undoubtedly is happening throughout rural America". Firstly, Alaska == rural. Secondly, it would shock the LATimes to know that this phenomenon is not limited to desperate gun-clinging rural rubes but also includes us bitter, gun-clinging urbanites. The LATimes is so left-leaning that it cannot see this for the nationwide referendum on 2nd amendment rights that it is. Embrace and exercise your Constitutional rights or lose them!

[The Truth]

Obama is a liar and a fraud. Anyone who supports him or his policies is a brain-dead zombie. Obama's entire past record on guns is to take them away from everyone. An AR-15 is a semi-automatic weapon. Semi-automatic means one bullet is fired each time the trigger is pressed, period. How a "weapon" looks is irrelevant. When the government comes for my guns, I will give them my bullets.

[JT]

There is only one thing on which I agree with what Obama said.
The government under his leadership will NOT take my guns.

[Cami]

Here in Ohio, there are plenty of smart people who have swallowed all the propaganda the NRA has dished up. They are absolutely certain that Obama wants to tax their guns & ammunition at 500%.
What really bugs me is that they are so adamant about their opinions but don't back them up. Just because the NRA says it's so, doesn't mean squat. I don't think any of them even bother to use "Fact-Check" or "Snopes".
I really hope, though, that the Democrats don't try to push anything about arms control during these four years, because it's political suicide.

[Invictus]

Gentlemen of the "press": the shot at Gov. Palin is just cheesy, to be frank. I am an educated man, I can read Greek and Latin fluently, went to a prestigious college, am a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and I have seven firearms in my house. Two are so-called "military-style" weapons, three are bolt-action hunters, one is a shotgun and one a pistol. I am a lifelong independent with Democratic leanings who helped elect several Democrats here in Colorado this past election. Please understand that I love this country, think Mr. Obama will be a fine President, and find most people who fear firearms simply haven't had anyone take them to a range or show them that full on 99% are sportsmen or devoted patriots who never use a single one of our weapons for ill purposes. But if the Democrats go after my weapons again, like in the '90s, I will vote against everyone I worked to put in office this time. We have more important concerns, and the real truth is that guns are not the CAUSE of intercity violence: I think Mr. Obama knows this, too.

[Jason B.]

Gun owners gave Obama the benefit of the doubt, when he said he is not taking guns away from law abiding citizens. If he breaks his promise by implementing new gun bans, he will likely lose re-election in 2012. At the same time, members of the Democratic congress will certainly lose seats in the House and the Senate.

You certainly don't need an AK47 or an AR15 for hunting. Then again, the 2nd amendment was not meant for hunting. Rather, it is for people's right to self defense. So, why the need for them? In case you have forgotten, may I remind you of the Los Angeles Riots of 1992. I lived through it and remember the chaos. People were assaulted and property damage was immense. Many homeowners and business owners were armed and protected their property and families. Armed citizens were unscathed. However, others like Reginald Denny, who was unarmed, were senselessly assaulted and left for dead. Let us not forget the Watts Riots, the plunder in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the mayhem in cities that followed after the assassination of Martin Luther King, and other life changing events in American history. Police were overwhelmed and could not respond to citizens crying for help.

I am a responsible law abiding gun owner...not a gun nut. I own one pistol only for self-defense in Southern California. I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat. I am proudly independent and voted for Obama. Like Obama, I was raised overseas during my childhood. I am highly educated, well traveled, and feel that it is important to restore our standing in the world, fix our health care system, and revitalize our country's economy. I also believe in our 2nd amendment rights. I have great respect for Barack Obama and believe him when he gives his word. Having said that, I will not vote for Obama in 2012 if he breaks his promise to gun owners.

[Mike in NJ]

My local FFL is absolutely swamped with orders for shotguns, rifles, and pistols of all types. Now, I don't particularly see Obama targeting most bolt-actions and shotguns, but I do believe within the first year we will see the resurrection of the '94 AWB with stricter controls on what they decide to classify as an 'assault weapon'.

I have made numerous calls to legislators, senators, and sent a few notes to the website run by the President Elect asking for them to at least rename the bill to the 'Modern Firearms Revocation Act' or something of the like, but no one answers my calls or emails.

When Mr. Obama told that crowd in Pennsylvania 'I won't take away your guns', I think he meant 'I won't take away all of your guns'.

His voting records speak volumes, and is a much more accurate gauge than his rhetoric during the election process.

[john hamerstand]

Where of of jim jones followers democrats

[John Spencer]

Obama is an out right liar about respecting the second amendment and gun ownership. Check his voting record before you make statements, in Illinois and in the US Senate he has voted for every gun ban and ammunition sales ever proposed.. He wants to ban gun ownership by any citizen in this country.

[Gordon]

They will vote in another law similiar to the 1994 ban on rifles and shotguns. It might night be right away but within 2 to 3 years. This time it will probably not exclude law enforcement and have less loopholes. The tax on ammunition would be more effective because that is something that cannot be mass produced or replicated easily and would eliminate most interest in any shooting sport or hobby since the cost would be out of the budget of most americans.

[JimBo]

Gun owners are looking and acting the way they are because of Obama's voteing record and his interviews. Yes he would like to take many of the guns ond gun owner privlages away and also tax heavily the guns and ammo. That is a FACT.
Change is in the air, the change you get may not be what we want.

[Jon K.]

Man, are a lot of gun owners paranoid or what? Obama's already said he respects the Second Amendment. When did a huge chunk of America's gun owners become lunatics? I fine with owning gun, but the paranoia that is rife among the American gun-owning culture is distasteful to say the least.

[Tom Dockery]

This is a perfectly rational response to an Obama victory.Rev.Manning warned us that Obama's supporters would become emboldened if he won.Look what's happening among the gays:They've attacked an 80 year old woman in California and invaded a church in Michigan dressed in beheading video type garb.

[ob]

Yes, Palin has nothing to do at all with this story. These "journalists" have completely lost their credibility. Okay newsies, your guy won. Congrats.

[Joan]

Will the cop:

As the ammunition purchased by the police department is for business purpose it would not be taxed in the way retail gun sales are. Same with guns. Don't know what you are talking about.

Why are people so stupid about their guns. No one wants your guns, hide them under your bed, piss away a fortune on buying them and stocking up, and you will just feel even more stupid when nothing happens.

[icarus]

Adding to my previous comment, it will be interesting to see if the word "Mohammed" makes it past the LA Times moderators or, if like the Anchorage Daily News, the LA Times also prohibits use of the word "Mohammed" and censors it as an obscene word.

[icarus]

I tried to post a comment about this story on the Anchorage Daily News website. I was trying to respond to another poster who was comparing Christian fundamentalists to Muslim ones. The text of my response contained the names of both Jesus and Mohammed. The name Mohammed was completely censored. I tried to get my point across 4 times by inserting periods, asterisks, dashes etc. into "Mohammed", to get it past the censorship block. I even tried adding (abcdefg) to the end of the name. No luck, so I gave up trying.

I've been commenting on the internet regularly for years and have never encountered anything like it (it''s never taken more than inserting a period in between 2 letters). Go ahead and try. "Jesus" of course, was no problem. This, from the ADN which endorsed Obama. Pathetic.

[Will the cop in Ohio]

You know this is funny. Because if you think about it this tax on ammo will only cost my Department more money that we already do not have because of an ammo tax or if we want new weapons. Right now we have to buy our own anyway. So I called Sen Obama and his people kept on telling me to look at his voting record. I told them that I am well aware of his record. It seems he is getting alot of no vote calls from the people of the great Nation and I think his staff along with himself will miss the point.

[Democrats '08]

Ok Palin, you hate the media talking about your hair, shoes, hand bags and clothes, so let's talk issues. When interviewed on the issues you didn't have a clue what they were and what you were talking about, so you blame the media for switching to something less challenging? You are barely Governor material, you have and had no business running for VP. You say you are a 'maverick' whatever that means, yet after a close look, your ultra Conservative Neo Con beliefs are more far right than even McCain. You know, the same exact views that created the huge catastrophe for America that we are in now. America does not need Sarah Palin, you are truly Bush / Cheney in a skirt, you are the very last kind of politician hack we need. America needs a complete departure from you and the views of every other reckless, destructive, irresponsible, greedy, self centered Republican like you, get lost.

[R Man]

Dumb gun sales hanothing to do with Sarah Palin. Miss leading and stupid title.