NRA: Coronavirus Lockdowns Show Danger of Waiting Periods on Gun Purchases

The National Rifle Association (NRA) notes that coronavirus shutdowns resulting in the closure of gun stores in various states demonstrate that gun controls the left once pushed as “reasonable” have become anything but.

The Democrats’ pet gun controls — waiting periods, universal background checks, etc. — are pushed again and again as common sense, “reasonable” solutions to keep guns out of the wrong hands. When the NRA and other gun rights groups push back, citing the opportunity for tyranny, they are shamed with accusations of being pawns of the gun industry.

But coronavirus shutdowns at the state level have cast a light on just how unreasonable waiting periods and universal background checks can be.

For example, on March 19, 2020, Breitbart News reported on the lines that stretched from inside to outside of certain California gun stores, lines of customers wanting to buy a gun for self-defense. The line was so long that some customers abandoned the effort. But for those who stuck it out, they made it all the way to the counter to learn that they could buy a gun but could not take possession of it until a ten-day waiting period had passed, per California law.

On March 24, 2020, Breitbart News reported that New Jersey State Police followed Gov. Phil Murphy’s (D) shutdown order by announcing that that state’s firearm background check system would be shut down. In a state with universal background checks, shutting down the background check system means zero gun sales, period.

In other words, if you do not have a gun for self-defense prior to the shutdown you will not have a gun for self-defense afterward (unless you are one of the few people who got their name in the system prior to the shutdown).

Ironically, all the “reasonable” gun controls now contribute to a scenario where law-abiding citizens cannot acquire firearms for self-defense.

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In a dangerous world, the Second Amendment is often all we have.

A post shared by NRA (@nationalrifleassociation) on Mar 23, 2020 at 2:45pm PDT

It was with great foresight that the Founding Fathers included the phrase, “Shall not be infringed.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.