Support for Gun Control Subsides as Crime Increases

[Charlie T Waite]

Amidst a growing wave of crime, combined with calls for defunding law enforcement, Americans have chosen to arm themselves in record-setting numbers; new data also indicates Americans are dropping their support for stricter gun-control laws.

A new poll from Gallup found that support for stricter gun-control measures is down to 52% from 67% in 2018, reaching its lowest point since 2014. The same poll found that 35% of American adults think laws covering the sale of firearms should be kept as they are, with 11% favoring less-strict firearms laws. Support for a complete ban on handguns hit its lowest point since 1959, when Gallup first started polling the American public on “a law which would forbid the possession” of “pistols and revolvers.”

Previously, we reported that crime actually increased in 2020, according to FBI crime data, during a time when many called for defunding law enforcement. At the same time, Americans have chosen to purchase firearms in record-setting numbers, and also seem to favor fewer restrictions on their right to keep and bear arms.

Another Gallup poll found that 88% of gun owners now say they own a gun to protect themselves from crime, a sharp increase from the 67% figure in 2005. Beyond this, the poll found that 31% of adults own a firearm, and 44% of households have a firearm owner.

While the accuracy of such polls may be open to question, the trend is clear; Americans are losing interest in radical anti-gun legislation, and are increasingly relying on themselves to ensure their safety.

Americans have embraced their Second Amendment rights and now understand that it is incumbent upon them to be able to defend themselves and their loved ones. After all, even the best law-enforcement responses can take minutes when seconds matter.

It is encouraging to see Americans understanding just how valuable this constitutional right is.