Trends in gun ownership in the USA

[billh58]

Last edited Fri Feb 21, 2014, 07:53 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.

[SunSeeker]

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

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

[Kolesar]

2. Who alerted *this*?

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]

3. Just more Second Amendment absolutist

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]

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

That is one reason that I visit here infrequently.

[doc03]

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

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

[billh58]

6. Yes, I believe that their

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

[jimmy the one]

7. less gun rate, less crime rate

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]

8. Yes, The Blaze IS

Last edited Sat Feb 22, 2014, 03:25 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]

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

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

[billh58]

10. The paranoia that causes

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.