Gun Ownership Is NOT Increasing In The United States

(Cartoon image above is by Jen Sorensen at jensorensen.com.)

As all of us have seen, there has recently been a spate of individuals carrying guns openly into restaurants and other establishments. Put that together with the fact that there is nearly one gun in circulation for every American, and since the election of President Obama there has been an increase in gun sales, and one might think that most Americans own a firearm (and the number of people owning firearms is growing).

But that would not be true. Those carrying guns into business establishments are just a tiny fringe element of a minority of Americans who want to see "open carry" become legal and/or commonplace. They are not even smart enough to know they are hurting their own cause -- by terrifying other customers (who have no way to know if they are there to shoot people or just demonstrate). These actions are already creating a backlash among the general public.

The large number of guns in circulation and the increase in gun sales are also misleading. It turns out that that large number of guns are owned by a minority of Americans, and the increase in gun sales is going mainly to that minority that already own guns (and who are now just stockpiling guns). As a New York Times article tells us (see chart below), gun ownership in the United States is actually decreasing -- and the number of households with at least one gun has dropped by 18 points in the last 40 years (from 50% in 1970 to only 32% in 2010).

That means that two out of every three American households do not own or keep a gun in their home. These people know that a gun in the home is far more likely to be used against a member of their family than a criminal -- an unpleasant fact that the NRA doesn't want people to know. Frankly, this restores my faith in the commonsense of most Americans.

NOTE -- My remarks above should not be interpreted to say I believe guns should be confiscated from law-abiding Americans (or even registered). Unlike some of my progressive brothers/sisters, I read the Second Amendment as guaranteeing the right of individual Americans to own a firearm (regardless of what our Forefathers might or might not have intended).

But the Supreme Court has found repeatedly that the right to own a firearm (like many other rights) is not absolute -- and cities and states can make reasonable restrictions on that right (like denying criminals and other dangerous individuals the right to possess a gun). I do believe closing the loopholes in our background check law would be a reasonable and constitutional action that should be done. It simply makes no sense that criminals (and other dangerous individuals) can buy a firearm without any background check.