By Chad D. Baus

When it comes to the futility of addressing the epidemic of inner-city violence with impotent gun control laws, it would seem there are at least a two people at the Cleveland Plain Dealer who "get it."

Last year Plain Dealer columnist Regina Brett's series on the thug culture earned her title as a top-three finalist for the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Commentary, and since then she has written articles that prove she "gets it."

Plain Dealer editorial writer Phillip Morris, on the other hand, has a more spotty history of support for armed citizens. But his latest op-ed indicates that he is now prepared to join Brett in the effort to lead the newspaper into becoming a positive force for change in the city of Cleveland.

NEWTOWN, Conn. -- Firearm sales continued to surge across the country for the fifth straight month, extending a trend that began after the November elections. The increase also follows recent comments by several high-profile members of the Obama administration about re-imposing permanently and expanding the ban on modern sporting rifles.

Data from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) show background checks on the sale of firearms jumped 29.2 percent in March when compared to March 2008 and were up 27.1 percent for the first quarter of 2009 over the same quarter last year.

The increase follows a 23 percent rise in February, a 28 percent rise in January, a 24 percent rise in December and a 42 percent jump in November, when a record 1,529,635 background checks were performed.

FBI background checks are required under federal law for all individuals purchasing firearms from federally licensed retailers. These checks serve as a strong indicator of actual sales.

Correspondingly, ammunition manufacturers are reporting record sales across the country as demand continues to outpace supply.

"Americans concerned about their ability to purchase many types of home defense, hunting and target shooting firearms in the future are continuing to purchase these products in record numbers today," said NSSF President Steve Sanetti. "Along with this strong sales showing, we've also seen increased participation in firearm safety and education programs such as NSSF First Shots."