Banning certain forms of gun ownership has become a centerpiece of the progressive political platform. But after radical progressive politicians fomented a crime wave beginning in the summer of 2020, many Americans, even those in left-wing constituencies, began purchasing firearms for protection. The Editorial Board of The Wall Street Journal explains:
More than half of American voters say that they or someone in their household owns a gun, according to a poll by NBC News. That’s the highest level since its polls began asking in 1999. After progressives drove up firearm ownership with policies that are soft on violent crime, they can’t figure out why their gun-control ideas fail to pass.
The share of voters with a firearm in the household is 52%, up from 46% in 2019 and 42% in 2013. A partisan split is evident. Gun households now include 66% of Republicans, 45% of independents, and 41% of Democrats. This is no surprise, in part because rural areas tilt right, and that’s where hunting is a family event and bears might be prowling the woods.
Notable, though, is that the numbers are increasing the fastest on the left side of the aisle. In 2019, 64% of Republican voters reported that their household had a firearm, compared with 33% of Democrats. The figure for Republicans has risen two points over four years, compared with eight for Democrats.
Twenty-four percent of black voters were in gun households in 2019. Today it’s 41%, up 17 points. Over the same period, the number for white voters rose three points, to 56% from 53%. Could this increase in black ownership be related to self-defense concerns amid the runup in urban crime? The survey doesn’t delve into the reasons, but it’s a reasonable guess.
The NBC survey includes 1,000 registered voters, and the margin of error is plus or minus 3.1 points. But it fits other evidence, and the trend is hard to miss. The Second Amendment protects Americans who want to own firearms for self-defense, and lately millions more people have availed themselves of that right.
If politicians want to pass gun regulations, even red-flag laws that seek to bar firearms from people with mental-health issues, these are the voters they need to convince.
Action Line: When seconds count, police are minutes away. Sometimes even longer if their department has been defunded by radical progressive politicians. You need to get your gun and your training now. Click here to subscribe to my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter.
