It is Election Day.
Did you know that gun owners are more politically active than non-gun owners? A University of Kansas study on political participation from 1972 to 2012, found that gun owners are more likely to sign petitions, vocalize opinions, donate money and directly contact representatives than others. But most importantly, we vote in higher numbers.
Political Science grad student Abbie Vegter says, “Owning a gun for hunting doesn’t necessarily mean being a hunter is a core part of your identity but owning a gun because you think it’s an essential right guaranteed in the Constitution is more a part of your political identity. It’s something more attached from the get-go to politics.”
Though it is impossible to get a solid number, it is reported that 4 in 10 U.S. households have a gun. A recent Gallup poll shows that 57% of Americans oppose a ban on semiautomatic firearms. And further, the National Instant Background Check System (NICS) proves that people were still buying guns in record numbers in September.
Today, gun ownership and the Second Amendment are inclusionary. This right shouldn’t be a partisan issue.