[The World Through Weapons] Why Do Americans Hoard 'Guns' Instead of Masks?

Record High Gun Sales in the US in March Due to COVID-19
Fear of Lawlessness and Concerns Over Gun Control Lead to Stockpiling

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is raging in the United States. According to COVID-19 statistics from Johns Hopkins University, as of the 11th (local time), the cumulative number of confirmed cases in the U.S. surged to 522,286, with deaths reaching 20,283.

Amid the fierce spread of COVID-19, one item has recorded the highest-ever purchase volume in the U.S.: firearms. Gun hoarding is happening more extensively than masks or various daily necessities. According to recent reports from foreign media such as the BBC, the FBI's background checks related to firearms last month reached 3,740,688, marking an all-time high. This figure is about 1.1 million more than the same period last year.

Since a background check related to firearms is required when purchasing guns in the U.S., this number is often used as a statistic indicating gun purchases. On the 21st of last month alone, over 210,000 background checks were conducted in a single day, setting a record for the highest number of daily checks. This means that more than 200,000 guns were sold in just one day, an enormous amount of firearms sold in a non-war situation.

Regarding COVID-19, in most other countries, mask hoarding is the most severe, and shortages of disinfectants, toilet paper, and various daily necessities have been widely reported. However, in the U.S., gun hoarding is uniquely intensifying. What factors are driving Americans to buy guns first?

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Timothy Layton, a law professor at Georgia State University who studies the U.S. firearms industry, explained that there are two main reasons for the surge in gun purchases. The first is that as the COVID-19 situation prolongs, there is a growing belief among Americans that local law enforcement, medical, and fire departments maintaining public safety may weaken, causing local security to become very unstable, and in such cases, people feel the need to protect themselves with firearms.

The second reason is that as the government implements various emergency measures in response to COVID-19, there is concern that individual freedoms may be infringed upon, and gun purchase restrictions could be imposed. Therefore, people are hoarding guns in advance. Under different scenarios?either a significant deterioration of public safety or, conversely, an overly strengthened security leading to a dictatorship?Americans have engaged in massive gun hoarding.

U.S. firearms industry groups such as the National Rifle Association (NRA) are also encouraging gun hoarding. Amy Hunter, an NRA spokesperson, stated, "The government is releasing large numbers of prisoners to prevent the spread of COVID-19, which is causing anxiety among citizens." She emphasized that they will do their best to ensure continuous gun supply despite government gun regulations, to protect citizens' rights to defend themselves.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Currently, in some U.S. states such as New York, Massachusetts, and New Mexico, gun stores have been ordered to suspend operations to avoid greater chaos alongside COVID-19 prevention measures. Gun businesses are strongly opposing this. However, in most states, firearms are classified as essential items along with masks and daily necessities, and most gun stores are allowed to operate normally.

In countries like South Korea, where civilian possession of weapons has traditionally been strictly prohibited except for military personnel, this is hard to understand, but the debate over gun regulation has been a long-standing issue in the U.S. Since its founding, the U.S. has had a history of militias acting autonomously during the war of independence from Britain, and the right of ordinary citizens to possess and carry weapons is guaranteed by the Constitution.

Moreover, as a federal country with 50 states, each with vastly different natural environments, populations, and cultures, it is difficult to impose uniform gun regulations. While gun control is necessary in densely populated metropolitan areas like New York or Washington, in places like Alaska, where wildlife is abundant, firearms are essential for survival. This is why gun regulation cannot be uniformly enforced like in other centralized countries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.