According to a 2021 report from the National Firearms Survey, since 2019 roughly 3.4 million American women have purchased a firearm for the first time. 4 million men bought firearms for the first time in this time period.
Cam Edwards of Bearing Arms noted that “new survey’s total number of new gun owners is far less than what groups like the National Shooting Sports Foundation have estimated based on surveys of firearm retailers.” However, the percentage of women owning firearms is somewhat higher than the data presented by the NSSF.
The Wall Street Journal covered some of these surprising findings:
The National Firearms Survey polled more than 19,000 adults. It is one of the largest nationally representative, population-based surveys about gun purchasing ever conducted, Dr. [Deborah] Azrael said.
In addition to its findings on gender, the survey found that new gun buyers were more racially diverse than existing owners who bought more. Among new gun buyers, 55% were white, 21% were Black and 19% were Hispanic. Among new women gun owners, 28% were Black. The 19.6 million existing gun owners who bought more firearms since 2019 were 71% male and 74% white.
After seeing women coming forward with stories of sexual assault and harassment as part of the #MeToo movement, Wendy Hauffen, chief executive of the gun-rights advocacy group San Diego Gun Owners, said she decided to found NotMeSD in 2019 to combat sexual assault and domestic violence through more women carrying firearms. About 400 women have gone through the program which pairs them with women mentors who guide them in purchasing a gun and training.
Kanisha Johnson, 39 years old, joined NotMeSD and bought a 9mm Glock earlier this year. The father of her children nearly killed her by shooting her in the head in 2017, according to court records.
“If any type of situation like that ever happens again, I just want to be better protected,” Ms. Johnson said.
No matter how Gun Control Inc. spins it, the Second Amendment benefits Americans of all backgrounds. It’s the ultimate equalizer for groups that are perhaps weaker and more physically frail, especially when they’re confronting criminals that are much stronger than they are.
There’s no need to pander to special interest groups based on their race, sex, or creed. Making the case for the Second Amendment is as simple as demonstrating how individuals are the best first responders and the right to bear arms is the foundational liberty of any free man who fears centralized governance.
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