Buckeye Reporter

Gun control activists argue that increased gun ownership leads to more violence, asserting that firearms contribute to crime. However, recent data suggests a significant shift in public sentiment since the 2020 election, with over 22.3 million Americans becoming first-time gun owners—equivalent to the population of Florida.

The surge in gun ownership is attributed to several factors, including COVID-19 lockdowns, the "defund the police" movement, and concerns about personal safety amid civil unrest. Chris Cheng, a competitive shooting champion, testified before a U.S. Senate committee: “The past year-and-a-half or so with COVID-19 has been a pressure cooker... When you couple that with calls to defund the police and taking law enforcement officers off the street... it makes citizens like me less safe.”

African-American mothers Kennette Brown and Nicole Washington also shared their reasons for purchasing firearms. Brown stated, “A lot of times men look at women and they think we are defenseless... We can defend ourselves as women.” Washington added, “With all the things going on in the world, you just want to be able to protect yourself.”

Industry data reveals that since 2020, at least 22.3 million Americans purchased firearms for the first time. The initial surge occurred in 2020 with approximately 8.4 million new gun owners. This trend continued with about 5.4 million new buyers in 2021 and around 4.2 million in 2022. In 2023, this number slightly increased to approximately 4.3 million.

Mark Oliva from NSSF commented on recent firearm sales figures: “May showed that over 1 million Americans chose to exercise their Second Amendment rights... That streak over more than 1 million background checks has continued for 58 months.”

Gun owners are also making their voices heard at the ballot box by supporting candidates who uphold Second Amendment rights. Voters have recently ousted soft-on-crime prosecutors and supported constitutional carry laws in various states.

With federal elections approaching and early voting beginning soon in some states, control of Congress is at stake while crime and safety remain key issues for voters. President Biden's stance on gun control contrasts sharply with former President Donald J. Trump's commitment to upholding Second Amendment rights.

As Election Day nears, these new gun owners are encouraged to register and vote to protect their rights.

Republished with permission from NSSF.

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