Ammo and Gun Shortage

The morning TV news reporter was interviewing a gun store owner about an alleged shortage of guns and ammo. The store owner said that what he called a "shortage" was caused by fear of economic hard times where self-defense could become a priority and fear of government action that might end or restrict gun rights. The store owner claimed that the stockpiling of guns and ammo is due to people being motivated by fear. Does merchandise leaving a store create a real shortage in the traditional sense where demand exceeds supply? Stockpiling only causes a temporary shortage in one link of the supply chain. The store will restock as soon as its suppliers can deliver goods. In the short term, the "stockpilers" have a window of opportunity for profiteering, if others are sucked into the hysteria of irrational fear and create a greater demand. In the long term, should future government action indeed restrict the type of weapons and ammunition available, the stockpilers will be positioned to profit as others seek to obtain proscribed weapons and ammunition. For example, it is rumored that assault weapons will be banned and that each round of ammunition will have to bear a serial number to trace ownership. In this case, buyers would be forced to turn to a clandestine or "black" market to acquire banned goods, which would benefit "gun rights advocates" who stocked up on ammo and guns they had no intention of using personally. Frankly, I've got another name for them: entrepreneur. As always, follow the money.

Got Guns?

Rethinking U.S.–Latin American Relations, A Hemispheric Partnership for a Turbulent World, Report of the Partnership for the Americas Commission, The Brookings Institution, November 2008, claims, "Some 2,000 guns cross the United States–Mexico border from north to south every day...". That's a lot of guns, 730,000 per year to be exact. That's a lot of gun sales, too. By reviewing the report's sources, I couldn't determine where the report got that figure of 2,000 per day. What causes me pause is, if they can get that many weapons out of the country across one border, how many are coming in across two borders or by boat and air. Do you feel safer now?

Down Mexico Way

ABC's World News Tonight reports that a war is going on just South of the border between Mexican police and criminal drug cartels. The news report alleges that 2,000 police officers have been killed within the last year or so in these escalating hostilities. 95% of the guns, mostly automatic weapons, used to inflict the casualties on Mexican law enforcement officers were allegedly from the U.S., smuggled into Mexico after being purchased from an American gun dealer or gun show. The report also claims that some 12,000 gun dealers are in the states bordering Mexico. We can surely surmise that the vast majority of these gun dealers and gun traders are NRA members. It makes one wonder if the Mexican drug cartels are indirectly, and possibly directly, supporting the NRA through dues paid or other contributions. It takes a hefty treasury to support an effective lobbying program like that of the NRA. Maybe, because of the money involved in gun sales to the Mexican drug cartels, that's why it's so hard to get legislation restricting the sale of automatic weapons. Anyway, it's something to ponder.