Weekly Spotlight 4/5/25 – 4/12/25
Growing Diversity of Americans Arming Themselves For Self-Defense
As Congress and legislatures across the United States continue to work to protect and expand Americans’ right to self defense, law-abiding Americans from all walks of life continue to exercise these freedoms. As a recent story in The Boston Globe outlines, a growing number of Black Americans are arming themselves for self-defense.
In this piece, Howard, a firearms instructor in Greater Boston, highlights the importance of self-reliance in safety, urging his students that they must be their own first responders. He warns the students that calling 911 is not enough, and that it generally takes 10 or 15 minutes for the police to arrive.
He also highlights the importance of self-reliance, saying, “People are taking control of their own lives and doing what they have to do for protecting themselves and their family members. “They’re making their decisions, instead of waiting on the government to help them out.”
This trend comes on the heels of a 2024 study from Pew Research that found that over a third (34 percent) of Black U.S. households own a firearm, compared to 49 percent of white households. Additionally, recent data released by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the leading trade association for the firearm industry, reveals that nearly 25 million Americans have become first-time gun owners since 2021.
Women too are choosing to purchase a firearm for their own safety. A November poll released by Gallup also revealed that gun ownership among women has spiked in recent years. Compared to 19% in 2007-2012, a third of Republican women (33%) in 2019-2024 now own a firearm. This follows a wide-ranging report by the Wall Street Journal earlier this fall which noted an increase among the number of Democrats, both men and women, who were purchasing firearms for the first time.
Law abiding gun owners across the country should be encouraged by the diversity of Americans that are choosing to safely and responsibly arm themselves. Americans from all walks of life, including gender, race, and political affiliation are recognizing the importance of exercising their fundamental right to self-defense.
The USCCA-FSL Action Fund will continue to invite all gun owners to participate in our advocacy efforts to urge lawmakers at the local, state, and federal level to protect the fundamental right to self defense.
###
OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Washington Examiner: Tesla Attacks And Political Unrest Spark ‘Self-Defense’ Gun Sales
Political unrest urged by anti-Trump liberals, coupled with attacks on Tesla vehicles and dealerships due to founder Elon Musk’s close association with the president, appears to be pushing some people to buy guns for self-defense. According to the marketing director for one of the nation’s largest gun sellers, customers are buying up smaller concealed carry firearms despite a slight drop in overall gun sales recorded by the FBI’s background check system.
Breitbart: GOP Lawmakers Pushing To Prohibit State-Level Excise Taxes On Guns, Ammo
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) reported the name of the legislation is the Unfair Gun Taxes Act. NSSF noted, “Firearm and ammunition manufacturers already pay a 10- and 11-percent federal excise tax on all firearms and ammunition, which funds wildlife conservation, habitat restoration, public land access, construction of public recreational marksmanship ranges and hunter education in all 50 states.” However, state-level excise taxes are different, more or less amounting to a “sin tax,” with the result that “funds generated by the lawful sales to law-abiding citizens are used to fund gun control efforts designed to suppress the free exercise of Second Amendment rights.”
Yellowhammer News: Tuberville, Britt Push Bill ‘That Cuts Red Tape And Protects Law-Abiding Gun-Owners’
March 31, 2025
Staff
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) reintroduced a bill Monday that will help protect Americans’ Second Amendment rights. Tuberville joined U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-Kans.) in reintroducing the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act. This legislation would remove the taxation, registration, and regulation of short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and any other weapons under the National Firearms Act (NFA).
Bloomberg Law: Gun ‘Silencer’ Ruling Suppresses Second Amendment Protections
April 1, 2025
Mark Smith
Five federal courts, including the usually conservative US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, have upheld restrictions on making or purchasing silencers for firearms since 2018. These decisions could greenlight gun-grabbing regulations across a variety of components—sights, optics, stocks, and trigger guards—needed for the full exercise of one’s right to bear arms. US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas once called the Second Amendment a “constitutional orphan,” referring to lower courts consistently refusing to give it due deference as an enumerated right.
###