The People in Conflict with the Privileged Few
In the vast expanse of the United States, the right to keep and bear arms has been a populist staple since before the time of the Founding. This constitutional right, enshrined in the Second Amendment, has faced numerous challenges over the years, yet it continues to stand strong.
A significant shift was observed in 2008, before the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in D.C. v. Heller. Nearly every newspaper in the country argued that the Second Amendment did not protect an individual right. However, a Gallup poll showed that 80% of voters understood it did.
Fast forward to 2014, during a change in Obama's stance on gun control, his party was given a "shellacking" in the midterm elections. This suggests that the American public has consistently refused to acquiesce to full-court presses staged by high-profile figures in media, academia, Hollywood, and the political class.
The gun-control movement in contemporary America has maintained the same set of talking points for over 50 years. One of the most persistent is the claim that the American public is clamoring for stricter gun control, but is thwarted by "elites." However, the reality is quite different.
The strongest protection of the right to keep and bear arms has been the citizenry itself, which has refused to relinquish its guns. This is evident in the rise of constitutional carry, a policy that allows individuals to carry concealed weapons without a permit. As of the writing, 29 states have adopted this system, up from just one state, Vermont, in 2002.
Not one of the states that have adopted constitutional carry has held a hearing to discuss repealing or paring back its changes. Furthermore, there has been no documented case of a governor or lawmaker losing his seat over the policy of constitutional carry.
The political activity of pro-Second Amendment campaigners tends to be distributed across the country, while institutions such as the NRA are funded by membership dues and small-dollar donations, as well as by volunteers who willingly donate their time. This grassroots approach stands in stark contrast to the attempts to render the Second Amendment a dead letter, which have been mostly the preserve of a small group of wealthy and connected elitists.
Interestingly, between 2019 and 2021, women accounted for around half of all new gun purchases. This trend continued as approximately 26.2 million Americans bought a gun for the first time between 2020 and 2023. Over the same period, purchases by blacks increased by nearly 60%.
The inclusion of the Second Amendment within the U.S. Bill of Rights has helped protect this right in ways that would not be possible in other nations. The sheer physical size of the United States makes gun control a presumptive dead letter due to the inability of the average American to realistically outsource his security to the state.
In reality, the defense of the Second Amendment has been a grassroots enterprise, while attempts to render it a dead letter have been mostly the preserve of a small group of wealthy and connected elitists. This enduring spirit of self-defense and individual liberty continues to shape the American landscape.
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