Letter: Gun sellers are profiting off the coronavirus panic – Seacoastonline.com
March 18 — To the Editor:
In our time of health crisis, much outrage has been directed towards the people in this country who stockpiled hand sanitizers, face masks, cleaning supplies and the like. The scorn they receive is well deserved, but there is a greater issue of panicked malfeasance not getting the spotlight it deserves.
Nationally, firearms sales soared 300% this past Monday, according to the FBI. This is evident here in our community, as well. The Kittery Trading Post has experienced robust sales and long lines in their gun department. One staff member reported a sale of $20,000 of ammunition to a single buyer. Some people apparently prefer to arm themselves for the doomsday rather than become positive contributors to solving this crisis.
For its part, the Kittery Trading Post and like businesses are profiting off the panic, fostering a violent siege mentality in our community with these sales. If grocery stores can ration vital goods, can’t the KTP ration ammunition. The supposed constitutional right to bear arms is not more valuable than the right to food, health and safety. But as most of us know, the people buying arms are probably the same people who voted in our bumbling, crisis generating president.
Chris Ring
York, Maine