Guns are the most politicized matter in the United States; wherein many people have polarizing opinions regarding gun laws.
In the US, it is legal for a citizen to carry firearms as per the second amendment in the constitution. So, more than a quarter of citizens in the country have some firearms in their house.
People who support the laws that allow them to carry firearms show their support towards laws in a lot of ways. Some people have bumper stickers, yard signs, or even pro gun flags hoisted outside their homes.
But, if you are a pro-gun supporter, you must know certain facts about guns in the United States.
Here are some of the facts about guns and America.
- Thirty percent of the people own a gun.
Almost thirty percent of all Americans own some kind of a firearm, and four in ten people in the country live in a household where someone has a gun. However, the gun ownership rate varies as per certain demographics. For instance, men are more likely to carry firearms than women, with the ownership rate being thirty-nine percent for men and twenty percent for women.
Moreover, as compared to urban cities, people in rural areas are more likely to own a firearm. Almost forty percent of all the people living in the country’s rural areas brandish a weapon.
- People mainly buy guns to protect themselves.
Most of the people who own guns cite personal protection as the main reason behind owning a firearm. Besides, people own guns because of some recreational sport, hunting. Moreover, six percent of all gun owners have acquired it as a family heirloom or antique.
However, to ensure that people are buying guns for non-threatening reasons, there are various background checks conducted by the FBI to ensure the credibility of a citizen.
- A highly polarised topic
As per the research conducted by pew center, the nation is split between those who believe stricter gun laws would reduce the violence and those who do not believe it.
Forty-seven percent of the population do not believe stricter laws will make any difference in mass shootings, while the other half believes it would make a remarkable difference.
- People in rural America favor gun access.
When compared with the people living in urban cities, rural people favor more excess to firearms. On the other hand, Americans living in a more urban landscape prefer more strict and restrictive policies.
You are more likely to notice more pro-gun flags in a suburban or rural landscape as compared to an urban city.
- Despite the pandemic, firearm sales soared.
It is estimated that more than seventeen million firearms were sold in the spring of 2020, even when the pandemic was at its peak. Moreover, data suggests that many people bought their first gun ever during the pandemic due to safety concerns.
- There are more guns in the country than people.
You would be surprised that know that there are more firearms in the country than there are people. As per research conducted by VOX, there are 120 guns in America per 100 citizens, making the US the second leading country in gun ownership.
So, these are some of the facts about firearms in the country that you must know.