Gun Control Reform Activism

billh58

(6,642 posts) Fri Feb 21, 2014, 04:46 PM Feb 2014

Trends in gun ownership in the USA

Last edited Fri Feb 21, 2014, 06:53 PM - Edit history (1)

"Despite the high number of guns estimated to be in the U.S., indications are that gun ownership is actually on the decline. The long-running General Social Survey, maintained at the University of Chicago, has been asking about gun ownership since its inception in the 1970s. It has found that the number of people who say they have a gun in their home is at an all time low – hovering around 30 percent, from a high of 50 percent in the 1970s."

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“Survey data shows self-reported gun ownership peaked at 53 percent in 1973 before seeing a fairly steady decline to 32 percent in 2010, the most recent year available. He cautioned singling any one year out, saying the numbers are better judged in the context of a whole: the 1970s averaged about 50 percent, the 1980s averaged 48 percent, the 1990s at 43 percent and 35 percent in the 2000s."

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"Smith pointed to several main factors responsible for the overall decrease in firearm ownership: a general decline in hunting, the rise of single-adult households and an overall drop off in crime."

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"Gallup polling from 2007 to 2012 found that gender, region of the country and marital status were some of the biggest predictors of whether an individual owned guns. In the South, 38 percent reported owning a gun, compared to 27 percent in the West or 21 percent in the Eastern U.S."

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/19/how-many-people-own-guns-in-america-and-is-gun-ownership-actually-declining/

Second Amendment absolutists claim that people tend to lie to pollsters, but the statistical margins of error incorporated in polls take that possibility into account. Second Amendment absolutists point to increased sales of guns in areas where sensible gun control laws have been overturned by right-wing courts as "proof" that more Americans have guns, but they don't take into account the number of Americans who have disposed of their guns for various reasons.

I am confident that the general decline in gun ownership in this country will continue until, like cigarettes, guns will become a recognized public health hazard and shunned by new generations.

10 replies

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Highlight:

Trends in gun ownership in the USA (Original Post) billh58 Feb 2014 OP

The large sales are because gun nuts are hoarders, much to the delight of the gun industry. SunSeeker Feb 2014 #1

Who alerted *this*? Kolesar Feb 2014 #2

Just more Second Amendment absolutist billh58 Feb 2014 #3

The administration of DU should stop the abuse of the alert system Kolesar Feb 2014 #4

Did they take into consideration that there may be a lot of nut jobs that doc03 Feb 2014 #5

Yes, I believe that their billh58 Feb 2014 #6

less gun rate, less crime rate jimmy the one Feb 2014 #7

Yes, The Blaze IS billh58 Feb 2014 #8

If I had a nickel for every gungeoneer that wasn't capable of comprehending the fact DanTex Feb 2014 #9

The paranoia that causes billh58 Feb 2014 #10

SunSeeker

(54,072 posts)

1. The large sales are because gun nuts are hoarders, much to the delight of the gun industry.

Reply to billh58 (Original post)

Fri Feb 21, 2014, 05:03 PM

Feb 2014

Fortunately, the gun nut represents a smaller and smaller percentage of our population.

Kolesar

(31,182 posts)

2. Who alerted *this*?

Reply to billh58 (Original post)

Fri Feb 21, 2014, 05:14 PM

Feb 2014

I just served on the jury. What is your concern? How is this over the top or "disruptive"? Do tell

Jury voted 0-6 to LEAVE IT.

Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: No explanation given
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Have that conversation in the thread, rather than hide.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE
Explanation: Whoever alerted this is trying to cause trouble.
...

billh58

(6,642 posts)

3. Just more Second Amendment absolutist

Reply to Kolesar (Reply #2)

Fri Feb 21, 2014, 05:41 PM

Feb 2014

attempted bullying because they can't control the conversation in this Group, so they revert to abuse of the alert feature. This is both normal and expected from right-wing NRA apologists.

Kolesar

(31,182 posts)

4. The administration of DU should stop the abuse of the alert system

Reply to billh58 (Reply #3)

Fri Feb 21, 2014, 05:43 PM

Feb 2014

That is one reason that I visit here infrequently.

doc03

(36,972 posts)

5. Did they take into consideration that there may be a lot of nut jobs that

Reply to billh58 (Original post)

Fri Feb 21, 2014, 06:37 PM

Feb 2014

won't admit having a gun for fear the govmnt might take them?

billh58

(6,642 posts)

6. Yes, I believe that their

Reply to doc03 (Reply #5)

Fri Feb 21, 2014, 06:39 PM

Feb 2014

statistical margin of error took right-wing paranoid gun nuts into consideration.

jimmy the one

(2,718 posts)

7. less gun rate, less crime rate

Reply to billh58 (Original post)

Sat Feb 22, 2014, 09:35 AM

Feb 2014

It has found that the number of people who say they have a gun in their home is at an all time low – hovering around 30 percent, from a high of 50 percent in the 1970s."

This is the underlying reason in the drop off in violent crime rate since the early 90's, & the rise in violent crime rate from early 60's thru early 90's. From early 60's to early 90's the firearm ownership rate remained approx the same, households about near 50% throughout, then from early 90's to now ~2012 the household firearm ownership rates fell to about 35%, coinciding with the drop in violent crime rates.

“Survey data shows self-reported gun ownership peaked at 53 percent in 1973 before seeing a fairly steady decline to 32 percent in 2010, the most recent year available. He cautioned singling any one year out, saying the numbers are better judged in the context of a whole: the 1970s averaged about 50 percent, the 1980s averaged 48 percent, the 1990s at 43 percent and 35 percent in the 2000s."

Author doesn't mention the 60's where gun rate was in upper 40%ile, note he says gun rate peaked in 1973, obviously from lower rate in 60's, thus from 60's thru early 90's gun rate about the same, high. Then from early 90's to now, gunrates declined about 30%.

"Smith pointed to several main factors responsible for the overall decrease in firearm ownership: a general decline in hunting, the rise of single-adult households and an overall drop off in crime."

Cannot agree with the last one (the blaze appears rightwing, touting glenn beck & the keystone pipeline), he has it back ace-wards - the overall drop off in crime was the result of lessening gun ownership rates, not the precipitate. People not wanting guns, realizing they're more harm than good.

billh58

(6,642 posts)

8. Yes, The Blaze IS

Reply to jimmy the one (Reply #7)

Sat Feb 22, 2014, 11:38 AM

Feb 2014

Last edited Sat Feb 22, 2014, 02:25 PM - Edit history (1)

a right-wing rag, but in this instance even they could not cover up the truth about the declining gun ownership rate in the USA. That is why I decided to use their report while gagging at the rest of their garbage.

DanTex

(20,709 posts)

9. If I had a nickel for every gungeoneer that wasn't capable of comprehending the fact

Reply to billh58 (Original post)

Wed Feb 26, 2014, 04:24 PM

Feb 2014

that there are more guns but less gun owners than before...

billh58

(6,642 posts)

10. The paranoia that causes

Reply to DanTex (Reply #9)

Fri Feb 28, 2014, 01:59 PM

Feb 2014

someone to walk around armed 24/7 also causes them to accumulate an arsenal and thousands of rounds of ammunition. In essence, they become one-person militias (in their own minds) and this amount of addiction is often indicative of anti-social tendencies.

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