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Last updated 6:38 am CT February 09, 2010.
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Gun Sales On The Rise
WSIL-TV- Local gun shops say they can't keep weapons on the shelf. It's a trend that's taking place across the country.
In Illinois, police say they've conducted more than twenty four thousand background checks in one month, thats up nearly 39 percent.
Gun advocates say sales soared because of fears that President Elect Barack Obama will take them away.
Numerous groups including Mr. Obama himself say it's ridiculous to think that the President would take people's guns away.
But,gun advocates can't forget President Clintons federal assault weapon ban during his administration. They say they're stockpiling just in case.
It's our second amendment right as American's to bear arms and even after the Supreme Court decision earlier this year upheld the controversial amendment, many gun enthusiasts still aren't convinced of their rights.
Larry Morse with the Illinois state rifle association says he's not surprised gun sales are on the rise, he says it's because of fear,
"People being fearful that they can't own those things any more as the law typically grandfathers them in if you owned them before the ban."
But will there be a ban? Time after time during his campaign Mr. Obama pledged he wouldn't stand in the way of citizens and their guns, But Morse says they're something more important than those words its his Actions, "Based on his record it is unreasonable to
expect he's going to change his views of firearms now that's he the president elect."
It's true that the majority of time as Senator Mr. Obama voted against gun owners.
Including a ban on Illinois hand guns and in 2000 even co-sponsored a bill to limit gun purchases to one per month.
But organization like the Brady Campaign out of Washington say gun regulations are common sense and are necessary to keep deadly weapons out of the wrong hands.
Even if Mr. Obama were to break his word and support a gun ban as President, he couldn't do it alone he'd need the help of fellow
lawmakers.
But even in spite all the obstacles a gun ban would have to over come, gun advocates say they're getting prepared just in case.
By: Christen Craig
ccraig@wsiltv.com
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