Record Breaking Lap

We’ve reached the halfway point of 2021. After an unprecedented battle with an alleged pandemic, life is trending back to normal. The economy is surging, live concerts and sporting events have resumed, and the fourth felt like the 4th this summer.

Now what?

Is the economy on solid ground? Will gas prices continue to skyrocket, or can we expect a return to normalcy there as well? Is binge toilet paper buying a one-off that we will one day look back on with a wry smile?

Countless questions with uncertain answers.

One phenomenon besides the stockpiling of food, water, and, yes, TP, was a surge in gun sales throughout 2020 and for much of 2021.

According to CBS News, gun sales in the United States rose 40% last year, with 5 million Americans being first-time gun buyers, the highest annual increase in sales since the current record-keeping system went into effect.

The trend continues. During the first four months of 2021, gun sales surged 31%. Though a sense of normalcy has returned, Americans continue to purchase firearms at a record pace. Why?

Social Scientists posit that growing civil unrest may have prompted people to buy guns for personal and family protection. Duh.

How long have gun advocates been saying the best way to defend oneself is to own a gun? In a chaotic world full of opportunists, the best defense is an offense.

Imagine for a moment you’re an Alien visiting Earth for the first time. You find yourself in the U.S., and much like a tourist visiting a new place, you’re a sponge. How quickly do you observe that America is a powder keg?

Political allegiances, racial tensions, the growing divide between the wealthy and poor; anyway one cuts it, an undercurrent of uneasiness permeates our land.

America’s diversity also contributes to its volatility and unpredictability. But things are not entirely futile.

When not around a television, the internet, or any other source of mind control, this country, from coast to coast, is full of citizens who respect one another.

Take programming out of the equation, and the average American not only values their lives but the livelihoods of their fellow compatriots.

I’ve traveled throughout most of the Union. These voyages always leave me with a new appreciation for our country.

Our infrastructure; one can take any number of roads that lead to endless destinations throughout the land.

Our art, music, cinema. A jaw-dropping tapestry of artistic expression.

When Americans unite, they are unstoppable. Don’t think for a moment that those in power are unaware of this fact.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of humans flee their own countries, risking their lives in the process for a chance at the American Dream.

Despite its flaws, the United States still serves as a beacon of democracy and instills a sense of hope for human beings around the world.

Every ten years, humanity faces a dilemma that changes the landscape of the entire globe.

The 1990s were the genocides and civil unrest in both Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.

The 2000s had the war on terror, as well as the Financial Crisis of 2008.

The 2010s were marred by racial tensions and competing political paradigms.

Such events cast uncertainty over daily existence. When doubt exists, a lack of confidence follows suit, which leads to a myriad of other problems.

We’ve made it through the uncertainty of a pandemic with a newfound appreciation for the little things we took for granted. Devouring a dog at a ballgame with an ice-cold beer; taking in a film on a first date with a potential love interest, or grocery shopping without looking like Batman.

My best advice – live a good life surrounded by good people, and always be wary of Big Government no matter where you live. In other words, save for a rainy day and make sure you never show up to a gunfight with a knife.