Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why can't more people figure this out? [View all]spin
(17,493 posts)128. You are assuming that the General Social Survey (GSS) report...
is accurate.
Share of Homes With Guns Shows 4-Decade Decline
By SABRINA TAVERNISE and ROBERT GEBELOFF
Published: March 9, 2013
The share of American households with guns has declined over the past four decades, a national survey shows, with some of the most surprising drops in the South and the Western mountain states, where guns are deeply embedded in the culture.
***snip***
Measuring the level of gun ownership can be a vexing problem, with various recent national polls reporting rates between 35 percent and 52 percent. Responses can vary because the survey designs and the wording of questions differ.
***snip***
The centers 2012 survey, conducted mostly in person but also by phone, involved interviews with about 2,000 people from March to September and had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.
Gallup, which asks a similar question but has a different survey design, shows a higher ownership rate and a more moderate decrease. No national survey tracks the number of guns within households.
(Ref: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/10/us/rate-of-gun-ownership-is-down-survey-shows.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0)
Gun control advocates love this survey because it offers the impression that fewer people own guns and therefore their approach is working.
Unfortunately they ignore the fact that many American citizens fear that the government plans to ban and confiscate all firearms. Therefore when contacted on the phone or in person, many people will simply deny that they own firearms. I believe that many bought their first firearm fearing that the government planned to set up a registration system and didn't want their names on it. If they bought that NRA propaganda then you can bet they would lie when asked if they owned firearms.
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
132 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
I agree and the attempt to pass the assault weapons ban caused the sale of firearms and ...
spin
Jul 2013
#70
Except if you lose your cognitive abilities, you won't be able to make a good decision, will you?
mbperrin
Jul 2013
#65
So I take it you believe people should be punished for the crimes of others?
NutmegYankee
Jul 2013
#18
Who cares if a car is not household property? You are the only one calling it that.
A Simple Game
Jul 2013
#90
Again, I can't read your mind. Is there such a thing as writing comprehension?
A Simple Game
Jul 2013
#106
Gun accident rates have fallen as well, check the WISQARS CDC link above. (both fatal and non-fatal)
X_Digger
Jul 2013
#50
But it proves the point-the more guns, the more gun deaths. Proliferation is the problem. nt
ErikJ
Jul 2013
#81
I also consider the courage factor. Guns give a coward courage, a knife not as much. n/t
A Simple Game
Jul 2013
#79
guns have one real purpose, to kill people. all other uses are just marking time until that happens
msongs
Jul 2013
#7
Actually one of the first on-target meme ads about this issue I have ever seen.
AtheistCrusader
Jul 2013
#14
No it didn't mention gun bans but I distinctly remember the push for the assault weapons ban ...
spin
Jul 2013
#61
perhaps because of the legislative push to hold gun makers accountable for crimes such as Sandy Hook
Boom Sound 416
Jul 2013
#20
Bottom Line: Guns are exclusively killing machines. The more guns the more that must die.
ErikJ
Jul 2013
#30
Given how many guns already exist in America, do think banning guns would take them out of
Omnith
Jul 2013
#53
People kill people...true! Guns just make it a hellofalot easier and deadlier. nt
NorthCarolina
Jul 2013
#102