Growing Diversity of Gun Owners Nationwide
A Transformational Shift in America’s Relationship with Firearms
By: Katie Pointer Baney | RealClear Policy | October 21, 2024
There has been a self-defense awakening in America over the last several years. As a result, the national conversation surrounding gun ownership has also undergone a significant transformation. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have exercised their Second Amendment rights at unprecedented rates, marking a notable shift in the nation’s relationship with firearms.
In the last few years, gun ownership has surged dramatically across the United States, with millions of citizens deciding to purchase a firearm for the first time. This trend is noteworthy for both its scale and diversity. Gun owners are not a narrow demographic, but now reflect a broader spectrum of identities, backgrounds, and beliefs.
New data reveals that Americans from all walks of life – spanning various racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and political backgrounds – are increasingly choosing to be their family’s first line of defense. Perhaps the most striking shift occurring is in traditionally anti-gun voting groups including registered Democrats and left-leaning individuals. According to the findings, nearly a third of Democrats or those leaning Democratic reported having a gun at home in 2022, a significant jump from the four-decade low of 22% recorded in 2010. Even more telling, researchers analyzing the data found that since 2020, more than half of Democratic gun owners were first-time purchasers, compared to less than a quarter of Republicans.
The rise in liberal gun ownership represents a potential ideological shift that could have profound and far-reaching implications for gun policy and Second Amendment debates in the United States. We have seen the evolving stances of the Harris-Walz ticket on firearms bring this issue to the forefront of this election cycle. Both have emphasized their personal gun ownership, signaling a strategic elevation of the issue within the broader Democratic agenda, and perhaps tapping into the urgency felt by many Americans with surging crime rates and a porous southern border. As more left-leaning Americans become gun owners, they may develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for firearm rights, potentially bridging what has recently been a vast political divide.
The diversification of gun ownership extends beyond political lines. Women, people of color, and urban dwellers – groups that have historically had lower rates of gun ownership – are now purchasing firearms at all-time highs. Firearms ownership among Black Americans increased 58.2% through the first six months of 2020. There have also been notably large pockets of growth with women of color purchasing their first firearm. Pew Research Center found that about 1 in 5 women (22 percent) own a gun. This trend suggests a broader cultural shift in attitudes toward self-defense and personal security.
Read the full Op-Ed from RealClear Policy HERE.