Gun ownership (and attitudes about guns) in America

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AlexanderA

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According to the latest NBC News poll, 52% of Americans say they own guns.

https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-pr...es-record-high-american-electorate-rcna126037

The actual number is much higher, when we account for those who won't admit that they own guns to a pollster. I venture to say that most people on this board fall into that category.

What I find interesting about this is that the number of those who will openly admit to owning guns is growing. The stigma of gun ownership is diminishing.

This has serious political implications. Running on an antigun platform is a losing proposition, when at least 52% of the electorate has a vested interest in keeping its guns.
 
BLACKHAWKNJ said:
It should be, unfortunately some people vote some way because "they always have".
I live in a liberal town, lots of closet gun owners but they are afraid of bucking The Party Line.
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A gun owner can finesse a vote for an antigun candidate, as long as the antigun proposals aren't too extreme.

The latest drives of the antigunners ("assault weapon" bans, magazine restrictions, etc.) have crossed that line. When you consider that most current handguns have a designed magazine capacity of 15-18 rounds, they would all be covered by the proposed bans. And these are the very guns that the new owners are buying (in addition to the ubiquitous AR-15's).
 
AlexanderA said:
A gun owner can finesse a vote for an antigun candidate, as long as the antigun proposals aren't too extreme.

The latest drives of the antigunners ("assault weapon" bans, magazine restrictions, etc.) have crossed that line. When you consider that most current handguns have a designed magazine capacity of 15-18 rounds, they would all be covered by the proposed bans. And these are the very guns that the new owners are buying (in addition to the ubiquitous AR-15's).
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Sorry, but I'm of the belief that any amount of gun control is an infringement, no ifs, ands, or buts, about it. We've seen what happens when we give them an inch.

It is nice to see the numbers actually going up. Do find that the timing of this and that the latest guns owned in private hands also went up. Supposedly around 500 million firearms are in private ownership in the US. I'm sure that number is way off.
 
It had seemed to me that more of us were "coming out of the closet", but I couldn't be sure if that was an accurate perception, let alone a nationwide phenomenon. So yay for us.

I do still know quite a few "I should be allowed to own guns because I'm a responsible person, but we need more laws for all those other guys" types, though. In particular, I have several "pro-gun" acquaintances who are still in favor of "assault weapon" bans.

We seem to be on the winning team, but the game isn't anywhere close to over...
 
Shanghai McCoy said:
It sounds good in theory but not all gun owners are pro gun politically.
An example, we are good friends with a gay couple who live on a small farm and own a few guns.
Their personal political leanings and priorities would trump their firearms ownership.
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Yes, if it were not for defunding the police and the Soros DA's decriminalizing petty crime a lot of them would never consider owning.
 
It's nice that they can parade out a poll. I agree that the numbers are higher, because a lot don't want to answer.

Now, what would happen if they added one last question...

Q: If the government told you to turn in your guns or go to jail.

What do you think the number would be? I'm guessing 99% of dems, liberals would. Probably 90% of Republicans and others would also.

Seeing how my company went full Nazi, asking fellow employees to turn in others that violate FMLA.

The other question would be about the above. That or just calling a hotline to turn them in.
 
Even the left sees the necessity for firearms. Unfortunately they fear open conflict between left and right in a time when both sides share a common foe who practices divide et impera (divide and conquer) on us based on ideology, race, gender or gender orientation, age group, class and anything else. By keeping us fighting among ourselves, we failed to see the common foe (globalists interests including Satan Klaus "you'll own nut'n", Bill Gaytes (vaccine, education, climate and pestilence expert), big banks (J. D. of Morgue-Stanley who feels you should not own your own home or Lloyd Blankmind of Goldman Sack o'feces who thinks bankers are doing "God's Work."), Dr. Evil (Phauxi who had millions poisoned or killed (give it time), etc.
 
Of the 52% who've admitted owning a firearm, there is undoubtedly a percentage of that percentage who became a first time gun owner in the last couple of years. The societal discomfort provoked several people I know personally to purchase a gun after many years of "I'll never have a gun in my house".

Converts? Not really. Most still aren't what I'd consider pro-2A and in fact make up some of the contingent of folks who "own guns but are in favor of common sense gun control" we hear about. Which is worse, the anti who wants no private gun ownership, or the gun owner who wants everyone else limited by what they feel is necessary?

Example*--I'm a hunter and I can tell you, nobody needs an AR or more than 6 round magazines
Or*-- I have a gun for self defense, but nobody needs more than 1 or 2 guns.

Given the choice, I'll take irrational over emotional. At least they're consistent so I always know what side they're on.
 
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AlexanderA said:
What I find interesting about this is that the number of those who will openly admit to owning guns is growing. The stigma of gun ownership is diminishing.

This has serious political implications. Running on an antigun platform is a losing proposition, when at least 52% of the electorate has a vested interest in keeping its guns.
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Not to sure about that, the anti gunners in the media and Hollywood are still actively painting gun owners in a bad light, college professors as well.

Fewer and fewer people make it obvious they own guns. The fight is anything but over, it's really ramped up on the anti gun side over the last decade.

That said, I hope being anti gun does keep some of them out of office, not very likely though, we keep voting them back in, and it will cost us dearly one of these days.

Find someone who backs your world view who's not an anti, make this come true.
 
In my experience gun owners have never been ones to go around and flaunt the fact that they owned guns. That's just the way we are. Open carry has been legal in Ohio all of my life but I have never seen anyone open carry. The media? The media does what ever is sensational. What ever gets folks riled up. The media straddles the fence on everything and will not take accountability for what they say.
 
I personally am Not opposed to basic background check , I DON'T want guns in the hands of derelicts and want OUR Country SAFE . Disarming American Citizens is about as stupid as it comes or restricting law abiding citizens from carrying NATION WIDE or Purchasing weapons !.

Proven from time in memorial that " Good People with Guns Stops Morons with Guns" ! . It doesn't get any clearer than that .

IF someone is opposed too that line of thought , then explain too ME WHY do we have POLICE !.

Look back upon OUR Country's History and tell ME how we'd all be safer or better off , if we weren't allowed to own guns !.

I feel the same about politicians as well , regarding background and qualification checks . Unfortunately a bunch are derelicts themselves !.
 
frogfurr said:
In my experience gun owners have never been ones to go around and flaunt the fact that they owned guns. That's just the way we are. Open carry has been legal in Ohio all of my life but I have never seen anyone open carry. The media? The media does what ever is sensational. What ever gets folks riled up. The media straddles the fence on everything and will not take accountability for what they say.
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I know several people including myself to a degree who are martial arts experts and never flaunt the fact they are capable of crippling disabling nearly anyone within reach . Outside of 15 ft. a Gun wins 98.5% of the time . Along with the fact 98.5% of the time PERPS ARE ARMED !.

So I'm with You and a firm believer in Sam Colts motto : “God created men, Col. Colt made them equal,” AMEN NO one should be bullied !!!.
 
No scientific proof but I do feel guns are gaining more acceptance. The recent surge in the freedom to carry is certainly a step in the right direction. Around our area more and more indoor ranges have been built in the last few years when it wasn't that long ago that indoor ranges didn't exist. Cabela's has added a couple of stores. Do we proclaim this to the world? We don't dare. We are the "Don't ask don't tell group.". As well we should be. Let our Gun Rights Orgs fight our battles. We can't fight the courts or media but they sure can. I kind of think we are doing a good job at holding our own right now considering the circumstances. Still a lot more work to do though.
 
I don't think "they" (the few people who are actually steering the direction of the country and the world) care much about our guns anymore. I think they USED to be worried that there would be an uprising against the take-over of the country, and that they needed to somehow manage a mass confiscation and disarming. But now I think they realize that there isn't going to be any uprising against them as they just gradually transform the country to what they want instead of what made it the greatest country in the history of human civilization. Nobody is going to do squat to "them." There may be an uprising between groups of "us," but they couldn't care less about that so long as they still have the power and control of the country, and the ability to print money and hand it out to whomever they want, and thereby transfer our wealth to them and their backers.
 
frogfurr said:
The media straddles the fence on everything and will not take accountability for what they say.
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They seem to have fallen off on the left side of the fence IMO but you are certainly right about accountability. There is none. Depending on what the pollster wants a poll can be made to show whatever is wanted.
 
AlexanderA said:
This has serious political implications. Running on an antigun platform is a losing proposition, when at least 52% of the electorate has a vested interest in keeping its guns.
Click to expand...

Maybe for a libertarian, the R’s have their own unfavorable baggage, when it comes to controlling people.
 
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AlexanderA said:
This has serious political implications. Running on an antigun platform is a losing proposition, when at least 52% of the electorate has a vested interest in keeping its guns.
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This is relative to location.

52% have guns, it may be 90% in some places. 10% in others. Politicians will take a position accordingly.
 
As far as accountability of news media, I’m always amused when I see a lead story blasted across the front page, only to be followed several days later by a tiny retraction buried several pages in.

Lives may be ruined, but hey, it’s not our fault if you didn’t find the minuscule retraction saying we were wrong.
 
doubleh said:
Depending on what the pollster wants a poll can be made to show whatever is wanted.
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Up to a point. But even if the assumption about made-to-order polls is correct, it begs the next question: why is the media pushing the latest spate of pro-gun polls? What is the hidden agenda for doing this?
 
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