I didn’t dream this one up: today is National Ammo Day.

In support of the Second Amendment, the firearms industry, and the ammunition makers (some of whom think I took an unfair shot at them recently when I said ammo was the fuel of the gun industry - and we were seeing pretty high fuel prices) we’re all being encouraged to go out and purchase 100 rounds of ammo.

It’s being called a “BUYcott” - a positive twist to the idea of voting with the wallet by not buying something. It’s an effective tool to let business know we’re behind them.

The idea of voting for something - rather than against it - is a nice wrinkle. Normally, you hear protesters say “buy any brand but - ” as they call for a boycott of something. Jesse Jackson’s the master of the technique and has used it over the years to extort funds by demonstrating the power to take purchasers elsewhere.

But a positive spin on a proven technique may be the first indication that we are capable of turning the tables on people who are always “anti-” our interests. If we all, for example, bought hunting licenses, the sudden inflow of cash to wildlife agencies would prove - beyond a reasonable doubt- that it is the sportsmen and women of America who are “toting the note” for wildlife.

Back to the topic at hand - National Ammo Day/Week. The general idea sprang from the mind of Kim du Toit, a staunch defender of the Second Amendment (a naturalized US Citizen, he appreciates our rights more than most of us) and one of the cyber-world’s most entertaining bloggers. Today happens to be Kim’s birthday, so organizers thought it appropriate - and it didn’t conflict with any other holiday.

The organizers say ammo’s a better choice than guns for a couple of reasons:
First, we’re all a little suspicious of anyone who wants to collect information on our guns, there’s the matter of qualification to own and operate a gun, and finally, buying more ammunition is something can do that is not only positive for the industry, but adds to our personal ammo inventory.

I agree. Despite my wife’s protests to the contrary, I like to keep “some” ammo on hand in every caliber I own. Otherwise, that firearm isn’t much use to me - unless I need expensive - but poorly designed - hammers or pry bars.

Some of my friends who go a good bit further with the idea.

One, for example, says he has enough loaded ammunition to see him through the next millennium and enough components to last until the next Ice Age. Another has enough to conduct a small war, but is always looking for more.

They think every day is National Ammo Day - or should be.

The long and the short of this idea is simple: we can’t get the media to report that “Today, 75-million gun owning households committed NO crimes” -that’s not even news to our highly-focused services.

But if we can make a significant impact on ammunition supplies at retail outlets across the country, that’s a business story worth reporting.

The National Ammo Day website (www.ammoday.com) says today should be just like Daylight Savings Time’s association with the time to check the batteries in your smoke alarms. National Ammo Day is the day you take inventory of your ammo stores, and replenish and re-supply as necessary.

Which reminds me, I need to check the batteries in my smoke detectors, too. I can pickup batteries for them while I’m out.

–Jim Shepherd