This week hasn’t exactly been filled with good news and it’s only Tuesday. That means it’s time for something that’s a little change of pace, so let us set our eyes upon the state of North Carolina.

As many of you know, the state recently repealed its permit-to-purchase requirement.

It seems that a lot of people are thrilled they don’t have to get government permission to buy a handgun in the state. How are they celebrating? By buying handguns.

It’s been nearly two weeks since North Carolina lawmakers passed Senate Bill 41, bringing an end to the requirement of a pistol purchase permit for people looking to buy a handgun and not already in possession of a concealed carry permit.

During that timeframe, Fuquay Gun & Gold owner Clay Ausley said business has been, “Wide open. Busy like Christmas.”

His comments come as he is reporting a nearly 250% increase in business for the month of April, an otherwise slow month for his store and the industry.

He said he feels the passage of SB41 will continue to be beneficial to the bottom line.

“If I had to gamble,” Ausley said, “I would say when we get to the end of the year, I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t wind up 75%-100% increase this year over last year on handgun sales.”

That’s amazing to see.

It should be noted, however, that contrary to what many critics claimed, all of these buyers are undergoing background checks prior to taking possession of their purchases.

That’s because gun stores are required by federal law, which is also why requiring a permit in order to buy a gun is especially stupid, even if it wasn’t an infringement of people’s Second Amendment rights.

So while officials don’t get to decide who can and cannot buy a gun, no one is going out and arming criminals.

Plus, it’s not like North Carolina didn’t have plenty of armed bad guys when the permits were in place.

Now, though, law-abiding citizens don’t have to get permission to buy a handgun, which is what North Carolina’s previous law effectively required. That’s going to benefit gun stores because now if someone wants a firearm, they can just buy it rather than going “Mother, may I?”

While the process isn’t ideal even now, it’s still better. North Carolina took a step in the right direction, and while many may remain critical of it, I believe history will show that it isn’t the step backward anti-gun activists are claiming it to be.

The truth is that North Carolina just eliminated a Jim Crow-era law that should never have been allowed to remain in the first place. Now that it’s gone, the state can focus on much more important matters.

And gun stores in the state can go about selling firearms to law-abiding citizens so they can defend themselves from the predators in the Tar Heel State, just as nature intended.

Anti-gun activists, however, are likely to try and restrict rights again any chance they get, so folks there should remain vigilant.