April 5, 2025 • 8 mins
In this episode we discuss briefly Trump's tarrifs and a Harvard study on the impact of taxing firearms to reduce gun violence.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:15):
Well, welcome to the Live toShoot podcast.
I've been a licensed firearmdealer for the last.
18 years.
In this podcast, we talk aboutall things related to the Second
Amendment, other stories in thenews, a sports story, or
anything else I might findinteresting.
So welcome, welcome, welcome.
This is the show where we, wecut through the noise.
We stand up for our God-givenrights, and we celebrate the
freedom that makes America thegreatest nation on earth.
(00:37):
If you're a law abiding, gunowner, a hunter, a sports
shooter, or just someone whobelieves in liberty, you're in
the right place.
The big stories this week havebeen tariffs, and then I heard
about this story on the BearingArms podcast about taxing
firearms, which I also thoughtwas interesting.
So let's make sure you check outcam Edwards on the Bearing Arms
podcast because he's always gota lot of good information.
(00:59):
So first, I don't wanna go toodeep into this tariffs and all
that's going on, but.
One thing Trump is, is he is notone to stay with the status quo,
and he's pursuing some very outof the box approaches to solving
the country's problems.
This is what has everyone soaplastic, especially the stock
market, because they just don'tlike change, but the world has
(01:21):
taken advantage of the US andit's time to change that.
For too long, they've sold ustheir stuff, but made it
prohibitive for us companies tosell our stuff.
You won't.
Find any US cars in Europebecause they just can't sell
them there.
And on top of that, anytimethere's a disaster, they expect
us to come to help on ahumanitarian basis, which I have
no issue with that.
(01:42):
But they also want us to protectthem from their enemies.
This has gotta change.
So today we're gonna unpacksomething.
A Harvard study that got in, gotthe anti-gun crowd squirming in
their seats.
That's right.
Harvard.
Yes, Harvard.
That Harvard dropped some truthbombs into the economic impact
of guns, and it's, it's a gamechanger maybe.
(02:04):
So now before we get into this,let's set the stage.
We all know the second Amendmentisn't just about self-defense or
hunting, it's about freedom.
It's about culture.
It's about the backbone of thiscountry.
But the left, oh, they love topaint guns as some sort of
boogeyman, a drain on society, aproblem that needs to be solved.
They'll throw out their tiredtalking points about gun
(02:25):
violence and public healthcrisis while ignoring the real
data.
So, well, guess what folks?
The folks at Harvard Kennedyschool, hardly a bastion of NRA
or Governor of America, decidedto take a hard look at the
economics of firearms and whatthey found.
It's kind of a mic drop momentfor every freedom loving
American out there.
So here's a headline from thestudy of by Lewis Armona,
(02:46):
assistant Professor of PublicPolicy at the Harvard Kennedy
School.
Guns aren't just a right,they're a massive economic
driver.
We're talking billions ofdollars in value to consumers
every single year.
How big?
Try 18 billion annually.
Just over 10% of the valuepeople get from buying a new
car.
Right folks.
The ability to purchase firearmspumps nearly$20 billion of
(03:09):
benefit into the hands ofeveryday American, and that's
not thumb back of the nap.
And guess that's hard data fromdetailed research on supply
demand and market behavior.
Yes.
You hear at gun drivers, yourcommon sense reforms aren't just
an attack on our rights.
They're attack on our eyes,their attack on our wallets.
But wait, there's more.
The study didn't just stop it.
Warm fuzzies for gun owners.
(03:30):
Armona and his team dug intosome smart regulations, emphasis
on smart that could balancepublic health with economic
reality.
They looked at things liketaxing handguns a little bit
more than while easing up onlung guns.
So that we'd have an a net zeroimpact on.
Taxes between guns just to keepthe consumers happy while but
(03:52):
cutting down on fire, but hopingthat this would cut down on
farm's death.
All the Tweet did was it said itsaved 25 lives a year.
About 40% of it, of an, of theimpact of a big blanket tax on
all guns.
But yeah, so that big 40%, itwas 50.
If you taxed all guns, it wentdown to 25.
(04:13):
Well, 25 lives are precious.
It's not a big savings when yougo through this and look at the
economic impact of firearms.
I.
So that being said, I'm, I'm notsold on more taxes.
You know, me, I'd rather keepAmerica's government hands off
of, of my guns and my money.
But the point is, even Harvardsaying a total ban or even a
(04:35):
crackdown isn't the answer.
Why?
Because it'd take the$18 billionin consumer value and piss off
millions of law abidingAmericans.
That's not a solution, that's adisaster.
And don't forget the, the shallnot be infringed.
And I believe taxes are aninfringement.
So, and here's where it getsreally interesting.
Armana points out somethingwe've been saying forever.
(04:57):
Guns aren't the problem.
Gun owners are where the focusshould be.
He talks about the long tail ofownership.
20% of gun owners hold 80% ofthe stock.
That's a stat that should makeyou sit up and.
Sit up straight from a publichealth angle.
They're saying it's not abouthow many guns are out there,
it's about who has them.
So instead of wasting time onpointless buybacks, the cost of
fortune and do squat, becauselet's be real criminals aren't
(05:20):
lining up in there to sell, inturn in their Glocks, they're
suggesting we figure out how totarget the right policies at the
right people, and imagine that aHarvard egghead accidentally
stumbling into a pro SecondAmendment argument.
I'll take it now.
Let's flip it over and look atfrom our side of the fence, the
18 billion in consumer value.
That's you and me, folks.
That's the hunters buying a newrifle for dear season.
(05:41):
That's the mom picking up aconcealed carry piece to protect
her family.
That's the competitive shoe,grabbing a new pistol for the
range.
Every one of these purchasesisn't just an exercise of our
rights.
It's a boost to the economy andnot just us.
The firearm industry itself is ajuggernaut according to the
National Shooting SportsFoundation.
The gun and ammo industry pumped90 billion into the US economy
(06:02):
in 2023 alone.
That's 371% growth over 2008,over 375 thou jobs, real jobs,
good jobs tied to the industryjobs here in the United States.
I might point out.
Bankers, retailer, manufacturer,you name it, they're all eating
because of our second Amendment.
And don't forget the taxes.
Last year, the industry did payover 10.9 billion in business
(06:26):
taxes, property income, sales,you name it, but nearly a
billion bucks in federal excisetax that goes to straight to
wildlife conservation throughthe Pittman Robinson Act.
That's right.
Every time you buy a gun or abox of Amil, you're funding bald
eagles, deer habitats in stateparks.
Tell me again how guns are doinga drain on society.
Anti-gun crowd out there isclutching their pearls while
(06:46):
we're literally saving theplanet.
One trigger pull at a time.
But here's the kicker.
Armon says, political capitalfor big gun control is scarce at
the national level.
Why?
Because of us, because of groupslike us and millions of
Americans who won't roll overwhen our rights are on the line.
He's admitting what we know allalong the Second Amendment isn't
(07:08):
just a law, it's a fortress andit's a right.
And when you pair that with theeconomic reality, 18 billion in
consumer value, 90 billion inindustry impact, you've got a
case that's bulletproof.
Pun intended.
So what's the takeaway here?
Patriots.
The Harvard study isn't gonna,isn't some pro-gun manifesto.
(07:28):
It's a cold, hard.
Look at the numbers.
And those numbers say gunsaren't just a right, they're a
powerhouse.
Their jobs, their freedom, theirconservation, their billions of
dollars, keeping the countryrolling.
Next time some blue hairedactivists tries to tell you, we
need to get rid of our guns.
For the greater good.
You hit'em with this.
18 billion in consumer valuesays you're wrong.
And Harvard's got the receipts.
(07:49):
We're not just defending theSecond Amendment, we're
defending an American way oflife.
Well, that's all it is.
Keep a powder dry and keep youraim true and your rights close.
If you like this episode youknow, subscribe, share it with
people, write me a review, sendme something.
Follow this on x, do whateveryou need to do, stay free and
keep America safe.
Take care and I will talk to youlater.
Well, welcome to the Live toShoot podcast.
I've been a licensed firearmdealer for the last.
18 years.
In this podcast, we talk aboutall things related to the Second
Amendment, other stories in thenews, a sports story, or
anything else I might findinteresting.
So welcome, welcome, welcome.
This is the show where we, wecut through the noise.
We stand up for our God-givenrights, and we celebrate the
freedom that makes America thegreatest nation on earth.
(00:37):
If you're a law abiding, gunowner, a hunter, a sports
shooter, or just someone whobelieves in liberty, you're in
the right place.
The big stories this week havebeen tariffs, and then I heard
about this story on the BearingArms podcast about taxing
firearms, which I also thoughtwas interesting.
So let's make sure you check outcam Edwards on the Bearing Arms
podcast because he's always gota lot of good information.
(00:59):
So first, I don't wanna go toodeep into this tariffs and all
that's going on, but.
One thing Trump is, is he is notone to stay with the status quo,
and he's pursuing some very outof the box approaches to solving
the country's problems.
This is what has everyone soaplastic, especially the stock
market, because they just don'tlike change, but the world has
(01:21):
taken advantage of the US andit's time to change that.
For too long, they've sold ustheir stuff, but made it
prohibitive for us companies tosell our stuff.
You won't.
Find any US cars in Europebecause they just can't sell
them there.
And on top of that, anytimethere's a disaster, they expect
us to come to help on ahumanitarian basis, which I have
no issue with that.
(01:42):
But they also want us to protectthem from their enemies.
This has gotta change.
So today we're gonna unpacksomething.
A Harvard study that got in, gotthe anti-gun crowd squirming in
their seats.
That's right.
Harvard.
Yes, Harvard.
That Harvard dropped some truthbombs into the economic impact
of guns, and it's, it's a gamechanger maybe.
(02:04):
So now before we get into this,let's set the stage.
We all know the second Amendmentisn't just about self-defense or
hunting, it's about freedom.
It's about culture.
It's about the backbone of thiscountry.
But the left, oh, they love topaint guns as some sort of
boogeyman, a drain on society, aproblem that needs to be solved.
They'll throw out their tiredtalking points about gun
(02:25):
violence and public healthcrisis while ignoring the real
data.
So, well, guess what folks?
The folks at Harvard Kennedyschool, hardly a bastion of NRA
or Governor of America, decidedto take a hard look at the
economics of firearms and whatthey found.
It's kind of a mic drop momentfor every freedom loving
American out there.
So here's a headline from thestudy of by Lewis Armona,
(02:46):
assistant Professor of PublicPolicy at the Harvard Kennedy
School.
Guns aren't just a right,they're a massive economic
driver.
We're talking billions ofdollars in value to consumers
every single year.
How big?
Try 18 billion annually.
Just over 10% of the valuepeople get from buying a new
car.
Right folks.
The ability to purchase firearmspumps nearly$20 billion of
(03:09):
benefit into the hands ofeveryday American, and that's
not thumb back of the nap.
And guess that's hard data fromdetailed research on supply
demand and market behavior.
Yes.
You hear at gun drivers, yourcommon sense reforms aren't just
an attack on our rights.
They're attack on our eyes,their attack on our wallets.
But wait, there's more.
The study didn't just stop it.
Warm fuzzies for gun owners.
(03:30):
Armona and his team dug intosome smart regulations, emphasis
on smart that could balancepublic health with economic
reality.
They looked at things liketaxing handguns a little bit
more than while easing up onlung guns.
So that we'd have an a net zeroimpact on.
Taxes between guns just to keepthe consumers happy while but
(03:52):
cutting down on fire, but hopingthat this would cut down on
farm's death.
All the Tweet did was it said itsaved 25 lives a year.
About 40% of it, of an, of theimpact of a big blanket tax on
all guns.
But yeah, so that big 40%, itwas 50.
If you taxed all guns, it wentdown to 25.
(04:13):
Well, 25 lives are precious.
It's not a big savings when yougo through this and look at the
economic impact of firearms.
I.
So that being said, I'm, I'm notsold on more taxes.
You know, me, I'd rather keepAmerica's government hands off
of, of my guns and my money.
But the point is, even Harvardsaying a total ban or even a
(04:35):
crackdown isn't the answer.
Why?
Because it'd take the$18 billionin consumer value and piss off
millions of law abidingAmericans.
That's not a solution, that's adisaster.
And don't forget the, the shallnot be infringed.
And I believe taxes are aninfringement.
So, and here's where it getsreally interesting.
Armana points out somethingwe've been saying forever.
(04:57):
Guns aren't the problem.
Gun owners are where the focusshould be.
He talks about the long tail ofownership.
20% of gun owners hold 80% ofthe stock.
That's a stat that should makeyou sit up and.
Sit up straight from a publichealth angle.
They're saying it's not abouthow many guns are out there,
it's about who has them.
So instead of wasting time onpointless buybacks, the cost of
fortune and do squat, becauselet's be real criminals aren't
(05:20):
lining up in there to sell, inturn in their Glocks, they're
suggesting we figure out how totarget the right policies at the
right people, and imagine that aHarvard egghead accidentally
stumbling into a pro SecondAmendment argument.
I'll take it now.
Let's flip it over and look atfrom our side of the fence, the
18 billion in consumer value.
That's you and me, folks.
That's the hunters buying a newrifle for dear season.
(05:41):
That's the mom picking up aconcealed carry piece to protect
her family.
That's the competitive shoe,grabbing a new pistol for the
range.
Every one of these purchasesisn't just an exercise of our
rights.
It's a boost to the economy andnot just us.
The firearm industry itself is ajuggernaut according to the
National Shooting SportsFoundation.
The gun and ammo industry pumped90 billion into the US economy
(06:02):
in 2023 alone.
That's 371% growth over 2008,over 375 thou jobs, real jobs,
good jobs tied to the industryjobs here in the United States.
I might point out.
Bankers, retailer, manufacturer,you name it, they're all eating
because of our second Amendment.
And don't forget the taxes.
Last year, the industry did payover 10.9 billion in business
(06:26):
taxes, property income, sales,you name it, but nearly a
billion bucks in federal excisetax that goes to straight to
wildlife conservation throughthe Pittman Robinson Act.
That's right.
Every time you buy a gun or abox of Amil, you're funding bald
eagles, deer habitats in stateparks.
Tell me again how guns are doinga drain on society.
Anti-gun crowd out there isclutching their pearls while
(06:46):
we're literally saving theplanet.
One trigger pull at a time.
But here's the kicker.
Armon says, political capitalfor big gun control is scarce at
the national level.
Why?
Because of us, because of groupslike us and millions of
Americans who won't roll overwhen our rights are on the line.
He's admitting what we know allalong the Second Amendment isn't
(07:08):
just a law, it's a fortress andit's a right.
And when you pair that with theeconomic reality, 18 billion in
consumer value, 90 billion inindustry impact, you've got a
case that's bulletproof.
Pun intended.
So what's the takeaway here?
Patriots.
The Harvard study isn't gonna,isn't some pro-gun manifesto.
(07:28):
It's a cold, hard.
Look at the numbers.
And those numbers say gunsaren't just a right, they're a
powerhouse.
Their jobs, their freedom, theirconservation, their billions of
dollars, keeping the countryrolling.
Next time some blue hairedactivists tries to tell you, we
need to get rid of our guns.
For the greater good.
You hit'em with this.
18 billion in consumer valuesays you're wrong.
And Harvard's got the receipts.
(07:49):
We're not just defending theSecond Amendment, we're
defending an American way oflife.
Well, that's all it is.
Keep a powder dry and keep youraim true and your rights close.
If you like this episode youknow, subscribe, share it with
people, write me a review, sendme something.
Follow this on x, do whateveryou need to do, stay free and
keep America safe.
Take care and I will talk to youlater.
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