Right-Wing Gun Ban

Anyone who has tried recently to buy an AR-15 may have noticed the difficulty of even finding one.  This is in large part due to the widespread panic resulting from a possible firearms ban, specifically assault rifles.  Living in the most conservative part of the country accentuates how misinformed, preconceived notions contribute to the widespread panic.

Four years ago, Obama was elected and there was a similar pattern.  People ran to the gun shops buying up all the firearms out of fear that a democratic president would ban guns.  It took two years for the demand to level out despite no real evidence that the president had it in his agenda to ban guns.  Interestingly enough, Obama made it through his entire first term without making a gun ban part of his agenda.

Now, following an announcement by the president, the panic is back amongst the conservatives because they only heard half of the announcement.  Had they listened to the entire statement, they may have concluded that Obama made one of the most bipartisan moves possible.  He essentially took elements of every proposal out there and put them in the hands of Congress.

Anyone who has ever tried to negotiate knows the way to do it is start out with an extreme proposal, knowing that the compromise will be somewhere in the middle.  That middle is a more extensive background check.  Ironically, that was the part that Obama tried to sign as an executive order, knowing that if it were up to Congress, nothing would get done.

Observation of the panic in consumer behavior reveals its cyclical nature, and this one is no different.  Fear results in demand.  High demand takes a bite out of supply.  Short supply creates higher prices, and higher prices are obviously Obama's fault, at least that is what the right-wingers believe.

Essentially what we have is a self-fulfilling prophesy.  Panic creates short supply and high prices, effectively eliminating assault rifles from the market for a couple years.  This happens out of fear of something that never took place–a gun ban.  Panicking right-wingers have given the left exactly what they want.  

Perhaps the right can learn from this.  Propose a ban that the left are passionate about and create panic.

Maybe the right needs to spread rumors of a food stamp ban.  Then there would be widespread panic amongst the recipients.  Perhaps it would encourage those recipients to get jobs, create businesses, and become productive.  Maybe they can become assets to an otherwise stagnant economy.  

Maybe the right just needs to practice a little common sense, a trait they try to preach to the left.