All through 2020 I have reported that firearm sales were skyrocketing, and the final numbers prove that. A new record of 21,000,000 background checks that resulted in firearm sales was set. Of those 21,000,000 sales, 40% of them were to women.  African Americans purchased 58% more firearms than in any previous year.  Many of those were to African American women. The record 21,000,000 firearm sales exceeded those during the 2016 Presidential Election by 34%. The final tally shows there were 8,400,000 new gun owners in the United States.  

The NICS check for Dec 2020 was 3,937,066, an all-time high once again.  For the entire year, the NICS checks were 39,695,315, as expected, another new record. This was driven by not only increased firearm sales but also background checks for concealed carry permits.  The number of firearm sales was down slightly for Dec, but I believe that was simply because there was nothing to buy, at least, that anyone wanted.

Of course, the increasing number of firearm owners and firearms sold has helped result in a shortage of ammunition and components for reloads. Ammunition production is up 33% according to an industry spokesman.  In a recent search of store shelves conducted in a haphazard way by myself and a friend of mine, we found nothing except a few boxes of unusual calibers and shotgun shells.  We did find some small pistol primers at Scheels in Springfield.  The increased production is being snapped up as fast as it is received.  I would guess it will take a year or more to catch up.

There are many firearm groups that rely on the internet and social media platforms to communicate with their members and others.  It looks like that tool may now be eliminated, or at least made much more difficult and expensive, for not only firearm groups but conservative groups of all kinds.

The Virginia Citizens Defense League has had their posts for their rally at the Virginia State Capitol taken down.  AR15.com has to find a new host for their website because the old host canceled them.  The ISRA has been prevented from boosting the Thursday Bulletin because Facebook wouldn’t allow it.  If you get this Thursday Bulletin, please send it to your friends; that will help us get the word out.  I have often mentioned that free speech is only free if you own or control the media.  Sadly, what is going on proves my point.

The subject of violence at state capitols is still in the news and Springfield is not the exception.  Violent acts get you nowhere; in fact, they hurt any cause they are associated with.  Firearm owners are under the spotlight.

The new General Assembly is seated on Jan 13; they will adjourn on Jan 14 and return on Jan 26, 2021.  They will elect the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate as well as the minority party leaders.  They stay until that task is completed.  During that time off, the Capitol will be busy rearranging offices and staff.  The offices at the Capitol and the Stratton Building are based on seniority.  By the time we get back, everything will be rearranged.  The phone numbers for your legislators are assigned to your district, not to them.  If you have the phone number for your Representative or Senator, it will remain the same even though their office has moved.  In 2022, the State of Illinois will go through redistricting and then everything is up for grabs.

The first part of the Spring 2021 Session will involve introducing all kinds of bills.  These bills will go to the Rules Committee in the House and The Assignments Committee in the Senate.  From these two committees, they will go to other committees.  We will be keeping an eye on them.  As Jackie Gleason said, “And away we go.” Follow bills:  www.isra.org .

I have to admit that I love to watch the bigwigs in Washington D. C. squirm when newly elected Congresswomen Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado) talks about carrying her Glock in D. C. and in the Capitol Building.  Boebert runs the Shooters Grill in Rifle, Colorado, where the staff open carries all the time.  I am going to guess there have been very few holdups at the Shooters Grill, but I digress.

Of course, Washington DC Police Chief Robert J. Contee III said there are no exceptions for Congressmen/Congresswomen in the City.  Well, Chiefee, you might be more convincing if crime wasn’t going up and you had done a better job on May 31 and June 1, 2020.  If you recall, rioters looted stores, burned buildings, including the historic St John’s Church built in 1816, and vandalized buildings and other property.  The City ordered a curfew which the rioters ignored, and you did nothing.  As far as I am concerned, go Congresswoman go!

The double U. S. Senate race in Georgia is over with disastrous results for gun owners and conservatives in general.  What is done is done.  Instead of sitting around whining and licking our wounds we need to learn from our opponents and adapt to the new realities in politics.  I have been hearing complaints about how the liberals are not playing fair in the game.  Well, whatever, they won.  Whether or not you like mail-in voting, I believe that is what won the Presidential Election and had a profound effect on the down ballot candidates.

I tried mail-in voting and many of you let me know what you thought Like it or not, mail-in voting is likely here to stay.  It is true that many of the rules were changed in different states and those changes were probably violations of the state law.  The time to challenge those changes was when they were made, not after the election was over.

When Joe Biden was called out for his dealings with Red China, it didn’t matter to millions of voters because they had already voted.  I’m sure the Biden Campaign was way ahead of us on that one.

The broad social media campaign launched by the left is another example of getting out in front of conservatives.  Approximately 11% of the voters were younger people. They are the social media generation. What I am pointing out here is you can’t keep fighting the last war and expect to win this war.  We used to think of voter turnout on Election Day with knocking on doors, yard signs, campaign rallies, and commercials.  We can’t forget any of those things but we can’t depend on them to turn the tide either.

Early voting and social media are just added to the list of what campaigns have to do to get their point across to the voters.  By the next election, there may be some other way to get the message to voters.  If you want to win, adapt to it and move on.

The most critical problem we have to address is vote fraud.  Sadly, some see vote fraud as an avenue to get their way.  They believe that everyone should believe what they think and will stop at nothing to get their way.  There are those who say there was not vote fraud in the 2020 election.  I think there was.  When we repeatedly have more votes than voters, it can’t be anything else.

Thanks for being a member.  If you are not a member, JOIN NOW!

Upcoming Events:

ISRA Calendar

For more information, 

visit www.isra.org