Nearly three out of four American gun owners say that self-defense is the reason they own a firearm, according to recent study from Pew Research Center. The data shows the 72% said “protection” is a main reason they own a fire- arm, as opposed to 32% who said “hunting,” 30% who said “sport shooting” and the remainder who say either “as part of a gun collection” or “their job.” Adding to those who said it is their “main reason,” a further 19% said that it was a “minor reason."
To put this into context, only 26% of people listed self-defense as their main reason for owning a firearm in 1999, when Pew conducted a similar study. That figure jumped to 48% in 2013 and has only continued to rise.
This is a monumental shift in attitude. Most recently, many anti-freedom politicians have continuously demonized law-abiding firearms owners while turning a blind eye to criminals. As such, constitutional carry has spread throughout more than half of the states in the nation, but this is not the only noteworthy change.
Last year, America’s 1st Freedom reported that the average response times in New York City for both a “Critical Crime in Progress” and a “Serious Crime in Progress” increased between 2013 and 2021. The Big Apple is not alone, either.
Nashville law-enforcement report that response times have jumped from 10 minutes to 15 minutes in the last three years. In New Orleans, wait times are reportedly nearly three hours on average, according to recent findings.
Incredibly, law-abiding Americans have purchased more than a million firearms per month for over 51 straight months, according to data from the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
