For some time, anti-gunners have looked at the influx of guns into private hands and decried it. Their allies in the media have jumped all over it and tried to argue that the increase in guns would lead to, of all things, an increase in suicides.

We’ve argued that no, the increase in gun sales would have little to nothing to do with suicides. Instead, the wrecked economy would have a better claim as to the cause of many of these deaths.

It seems the New York Post agrees. It seems that Everytown does as well?

The financial stresses surrounding the coronavirus pandemic could result in a significant uptick in firearm suicides this year, according to a new study.

The global health crisis could lead to a 20 to 30% increase in such suicides as the uncertainty surrounding the pandemic negatively affects the mental health of many, increasing their anxiety and depression, according to gun control nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety’s research hub.

Everytown also noted unemployment increases the risk for suicide and pointed to the uptick of about 2.6 million gun sales during the pandemic.

“At the same time that gun purchases are surging, unemployment in the United States is approaching levels not seen since the Great Depression,” reads the study. “Research indicates that both access to a gun and economic stress significantly increase the risk of adult suicide.”

And yet, people commit suicide with a wide assortment of implements. Guns aren’t the only one and if someone doesn’t have a gun, they’ll use another method to take their own life.

While those who use guns tend to be more successful in their attempts, but that shouldn’t be interpreted to mean that those who don’t use guns aren’t particularly successful when killing themselves.

However, the story continues:

The potential uptick could result in 5,000 to 7,000 more gun deaths this year alone “solely as a result of the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic,” the study said.

The estimates don’t consider “the impact on gun suicide of social isolation and increased access to guns, but they do illustrate the strong link between unemployment, job insecurity, financial loss, and suicide around the world, especially for men of working age.”

Wow.

I mean, it’s almost like Everytown recognizes that suicide is a complex issue with numerous potential factors that could lead to someone taking their own life. It’s like they can see that the lockdown had real, lasting consequences for millions of Americans and that some people are likely to be horribly impacted by what transpired.

One might also think they’d advocate efforts to increase employment and to speed up the economic recovery.

But, of course, they don’t.

In order to reduce the risk, Everytown advises people securely store their firearms, encouraged economic support programs and supported Extreme Risk laws, which allow loved ones or law enforcement to step in to temporarily stop someone in a crisis from gaining access to firearms.

Because nothing makes a depressed person feel better than having their civil liberties ripped away by a faceless entity like the courts. That won’t have damaging consequences to anyone, now would it?

It seems that all Everytown really sees when they look at the increased risk of suicide is an opportunity. For them–the very people who use the bodies of children as a soapbox every chance they get–it’s nothing more than a chance to push for the policy changes they wanted regardless of the impact it might have on people.