The cycle is a familiar one- a news story rolls in about yet another violent attack, posts flood social media with clamoring cries that “We must do something!!” The various suggested remedies run the gamut from “thoughts and prayers” posted in comment sections to calling for an immediate and total repeal of the 2nd Amendment- the individual right to keep and bear arms. Both sides go to their trenches, and a lot of people are caught in the middle.

  Ask folks to complete the saying “American as….” and you’ll likely get replies about apple pie, baseball, and certainly more than a few about firearms. Private gun ownership in America can trace its lineage back to the founding of our nation. Indeed, restriction of ownership of firearms by the British Empire was part of the reason for the Revolutionary War kicking off. Between hunting for subsistence, protection against wild animals and rogues, and more than our fair share of fighting other nations and ourselves, guns have been a fixture in American homes since the start. However, as time progresses onward we note that firearms ownership rates have been on a decline for years. Today we will examine why that is, and why Millennials and Gen Z folks might be opting to go gun free.

  The last one hundred years has seen a great deal of change. We have become creatures of convenience that no longer need to scout and hunt for wild game to have something on our plates. There’s certainly a correlation between shrinking numbers of hunters, and lower rates of gun ownership, I’m sure. But firearms have never been strictly limited to use for hunting purposes in the United States either. Indeed, vocal gun rights enthusiasts will frequently bring up that hunting is a side effect of the 2nd Amendment, rather than its true purpose. The argument is often made that the authors of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution were not worried about tyrannical deer- and in that, they would be historically accurate in bringing it up. So, if guns are not strictly or even principally intended to be owned by the populace for hunting purposes, any decline in the numbers of legal hunters shouldn’t be considered as the primary reason for declining gun ownership rates.

  In a survey, the Pew Research Center found that a whopping 78% of US adults believed violent crime has increased from 2010 to 2020. In all actuality though, rates of both violent crime and property crime have plummeted since the 90s. Crime itself going down could be considered a cause for lower percentages of adults choosing to arm themselves- were it not for the study showing that their perception was that crime was increasing. The argument could also be made that law enforcement efficacy had increased and made people more trusting that law enforcement could and would protect them in the event of violent crime. But we would quickly run into a conflict between feelings on that matter, and the facts. In short, law enforcement communication has gained capability, and the same for investigatory techniques and equipment. Despite these advances in capability, law enforcement only manages to solve 36.7% of violent crime. This also says nothing of law enforcement managing to prevent and intervene on the behalf of the victim before the crime is committed. This would require a crystal ball and psychic abilities hitherto undiscovered. Also, we’d have to ignore the Supreme Court case that ruled that law enforcement has no duty to protect citizens that are not in their custody or otherwise have their freedom revoked. In short- law enforcement personnel do not have to protect you, legally.

  At this point, the data would suggest that given the limited overlap between the principles of private gun ownership and hunting, the perception of violent crime being on the rise, and the availability of firearms to be purchased by eligible, lawful citizens that we should be seeing an uptick in gun ownership. This leaves us with just two more concepts to explore- cost and culture. There’s no denying that firearms as a hobby is an expensive venture, but also the cost of entry to even own one firearm that you rarely shoot is simply not that high compared to the myriad of other things we spend money on. I feel pretty comfortable marking “cost” off the list for the vast majority of the non-gun owning populace.

  Culture surrounding gun ownership is shifting, and has been for some time. I’m a mid-30s Millennial, and even anecdotally can say that the way things were during my childhood, are not the way things are now. Walk down the toy aisle in the chain retailer of your choice and look for things that were once staples for folks my age and older. See any G.I. joes? Wardrobe and weapon sets for them? Playmobil and LEGO sets containing weapons? Even on TV, note the disparity between the “good guys” and the villains and whether or not they have firearms. If you look enough places you will note that it’s no longer in vogue to be associated with being a gun owner, shooting recreationally, or training. After all, how are you going to rationalize condoning your membership in the “NRA-funded death cult” of gun owners to people that have never needed a firearm, never could see themselves needing a firearm? When you, a lawful, moral, responsible person who has never even dreamt of harming an innocent person are painted as being in the same vein as those who attack children in schools, how do you respond? This is to say nothing of the inter-personal conflicts between family members that can arise over the subject, or professional reprisals. I’ll posit that for many, the “social cost” and pariah status it could cause is not worth it to them. I’d say that there’s a lot of folks “in the closet” when it comes to wanting to own a firearm.

  A quick scan of this relatively new blog, and my YouTube Channel will dispel any notion that I’m impartial on this topic, even with the desire to be as neutral as possible while perusing the data I based this article on. A caveat to the stance on the topic I have very publicly taken is that I am able to speak to the friction my views have sparked. There have been more interactions with people, both in real life and online, in which I- an honorably discharged Veteran, Eagle Scout, husband, and father, have had to defend myself against accusations that I was somehow complicit in the actions of deranged individuals. The “social cost” of being a gun owner is less imagined than many people would think. To be clear, I’m not attempting to paint myself as a victim- I’m not. However, depending on one’s career field, colleagues, and so on, one could easily find themself in a position of stagnant growth or even termination with a convenient excuse just because they exercise a legal right, and their immediate superior doesn’t like it.

  For those of us in the Millennial and Gen Z generations, social media is largely a huge part of our lives. While the health aspect of that is certainly up for debate, the fact stands. In addition to having to square our decisions and positions with people we actually know and care about such as family and friends, we find ourselves engaging in comment warfare with strangers on a virtual battleground. Vile comments can be hurled at the opposition with little risk of retaliation. Comments, I might add, that are only based on the small window of who you are that you present for the world to see. It can become exhausting easily. The term “culture war” is tossed about almost as recklessly and cluelessly as “assault weapon.” I firmly believe that we are in a culture war on firearms ownership though, and it’s disproportionately affecting the generations who are most likely to spend their time arguing with strangers on the internet.

  Let me know your thoughts in the comments.