A year ago today, 37% of American households contained at least one gun. A large swath of the country for sure but also a low point since such statistics had been studied. This wasn’t a big surprise as many younger households have increasingly shied away from using a firearm for personal protection and gun ownership generally been politicized. There are moments that transcend politics, however, even in today’s hyper-partisan environment, personal safety is one of them. If you don’t feel safe, if you don’t have safety, not much else matters. It’s not only at the crux of the 2nd Amendment, ironically providing for our safety is the only mandated function of government. There literally is nothing else they must do, but with most people never having been taught the Constitution and no shortage of politicians who’re willing to ignore it, here we are in the middle of a defund police movement.
A movement that has led to many Americans feeling defenseless and even more who’re fearful it could come to their neighborhood. That's led to a record increase in gun ownership in 2020. And in fact, we’ve gone from tying a record low in gun ownership to above-average gun ownership in under a year. Over time, we've seen a record high household gun ownership of 47% in 1990 and a record low of 37% in 2013 & 2019. That makes the average 41%.
So where are we today? After a record surge in first-time gun purchases, exceeding 5 million first-timers in 2020 thus far, we’ve had the largest one-year increase in the percentage of households with firearms at 6%. Currently, 43% of American households contain at least one gun. That’s a 16% increase this year. It’s clear what the impact of local governments allowing riots to occur, and entertaining defund movements for police has caused in our society. Combine that with the prospect of a Biden Presidency and many families, regardless of political persuasion have felt the need to provide for their own protection. This is what happens when governments fail to achieve their only mandated function.
It’s also a reminder that freedom isn’t free and shouldn’t be taken for granted, even in your own community. This moment in time is a teachable moment that hopefully most will learn from. That includes the need for increased civic engagement, increased participation in local elections, and a better understanding of our Constitution and the role of government under it.
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