While it may not occur every week, I am
starting a series of posts called “Firearms Friday”. This is where I will do my
best to keep all of the firearms related posts (unless there is a more pressing
topic that week). This is when I will discuss different topics in the industry,
review products, and share any other information that may be of interest. I
will also be seeking guest posts for this series so if you are interested in
writing on a topic or contributing a review please email me at timetokeepitsimple@gmail.com!
It
has been an interesting week in firearms news especially with regard to public
perception and support of the right to own firearms. While there have been many
instances when I have be, let us say, displeased with the results of PEW
Research surveys, it looks as though they are finally tracking a trend that many of us have seen progressing over the past few years. Overall, the survey concluded that “52% say it is more important to protect the right of
Americans to own guns, while 46% say it is more important to control gun
ownership.” Again, many of us have seen and experienced this over the
last few years despite the reports that keep flooding the news.
However,
the results become much more interesting when you really delve into the
numbers. Let us first look at the concept of guns as a means of protection:
“The
latest national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted Dec. 3-7 among
1,507 adults, also finds a shift in attitudes about whether gun ownership in
this country does more to protect people or put people’s safety at risk. Nearly
six-in-ten Americans (57%) say gun ownership does more to protect people from
becoming victims of crime, while 38% say it does more to endanger personal
safety. In the days after Newtown, 48% said guns do more to protect people and
37% said they placed people at risk.”
Looking
even deeper into the figures there is nearly an across the board rise in
support for gun rights over the past two years with the only outliers being
those who consider themselves to be liberal democrats.
Even
more recently, the support has increased over the past year regardless of age,
gender, political affiliation, and level of education with only a couple of
exceptions where we see a minor decrease.
The
important aspect that one must look at in this poll is that this is increased
support for the individual right to own firearms. People, regardless of the
background of the individual, seem to be coming around the realization that
there is a limit to what you want the government to control. It is a constant struggle,
especially with regard to the topic of firearms ownership, to maintain that
right. However, people are beginning to see how misguided and downright combative
the antigun groups really are and the nanny state mentality that they all
promote. Many people may not be gun owners, but they understand that the right
isn’t reliant upon them personally exercising it. Who knows, maybe they will
become a responsible gun owner in the future… if they support the right now
they will still have that freedom in the future.
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