Share of Homes With Guns Shows 4-Decade Decline

Quote from Elmer : No, I'm suggesting that most gun owners are more intelligent than you believe they are.

You mean a gun owner, knowing how the Dem's ultimate objective is to confiscate aALL guns from private ownership wouldn't tell someone calling them on the phone they had guns?

Sure glad I have never had any guns in my house and will never allow any to be brought in.

Of course .. this is assuming this poll was taken by phone with sampling from the whole country. This is why I asked how was the poll taken of which the only response I received was what I hope was a joke ... seeing as how no one in their right mind would take a survey done F-T-F on a Chicago University campus as having any meaningful results.

Quote from roughnready : That there are fewer households with guns in spite of what gun manufacturers and gun interest groups have been telling us.

Also from the article you linked to BTW,.

Quote : In 2012, the share of American households with guns was 34 percent, according to survey results released on Thursday. Researchers said the difference compared with 2010, when the rate was 32 percent, was not statistically significant.

Yeah, that increase in their chosen surveys claimed ownership rate, isn't significant.

Quote : Measuring the level of gun ownership can be a vexing problem, with various recent national polls reporting rates between 35 percent and 52 percent.

Quote : Gallup, which asks a similar question but has a different survey design, shows a higher ownership rate and a more moderate decrease.

So, another hand picked survey, that wildly disagrees with others, but is elevated to "factual" status by the party faithful and their drones.

Quote from Elmer : So, another hand picked survey, that wildly disagrees with others, but is elevated to "factual" status by the party faithful and their drones.

This sort of thing brings into question the validity of surveys, and the value of their results. Not just in phrasing the questions accurately to get honest answers, but also in evenly spreading the demographics.

Quote from Elmer : Also from the article you linked to BTW,. Yeah, that increase in their chosen surveys claimed ownership rate, isn't significant. So, another hand picked survey, that wildly disagrees with others, but is elevated to "factual" status by the party faithful and their drones.

Odds are the survey had say a +/-4% margin of error. If that margin of error is greater than the 2% difference then they are right to say that the surveys can't, statistically speaking, claim a difference over that 2 year period. Of course if the margin is 4% (a number I just picked out of the air) then the actual results could be a decline over the two years by upwards of 6% (grossly simplified math) or conversely the increase in ownership might be a very large 10% (again grossly simplified). Either way they are probably right to make the not significant claim based on the margin of error.

Quote from ZeeDuck : Odds are the survey had say a +/-4% margin of error. If that margin of error is greater than the 2% difference then they are right to say that the surveys can't, statistically speaking, claim a difference over that 2 year period. Of course if the margin is 4% (a number I just picked out of the air) then the actual results could be a decline over the two years by upwards of 6% (grossly simplified math) or conversely the increase in ownership might be a very large 10% (again grossly simplified). Either way they are probably right to make the not significant claim based on the margin of error.

My point was they're flogging one survey that actually showed a small increase, whether significant or not, and ignoring others that completely disagree with what they want to believe.

Quote from LivninSC : You may want to tell Elmer that because he seems to think surveys that support his findings are correct while that those that don't are faulty.

Please support that theory of yours.

And please look through all my comments regarding various surveys, even those where I agree with their findings.

Quote from JackHandey : This sort of thing brings into question the validity of surveys, and the value of their results. Not just in phrasing the questions accurately to get honest answers, but also in evenly spreading the demographics.

I think many surveys are done with a chosen outcome in mind. They're also often done after media blitzes designed to skew the answers.

If you asked the public whether gun homicides had risen in the last 20 years, a large percentage would likely answer 'yes' today. Despite the fact they've dropped. If you asked what percentage of crimes were committed with "assault weapons", the answer would probably be a multiple of the real number.

I wonder if there were surveys done in the 1950's asking whether a person was a homosexual? And if so, I wonder if the results would be the same as they would be today?

Quote from Elmer : My point was they're flogging one survey that actually showed a small increase, whether significant or not, and ignoring others that completely disagree with what they want to believe.

I wouldn't doubt that there is some selective survey reporting going on.

Quote from ZeeDuck : I wouldn't doubt that there is some selective survey reporting going on.

The OP's original link all but said that.

Quote : Measuring the level of gun ownership can be a vexing problem, with various recent national polls reporting rates between 35 percent and 52 percent.

Quote from Elmer : Please support that theory of yours. And please look through all my comments regarding various surveys, even those where I agree with their findings.

It's not a theory, it's a fact. You dismiss surveys I, and others provide that directly counter those which you support. Why? Because gun owners are apparently pusses and many won't admit to owning a gun. I mean, what else is it? If some stranger asks you if you have a weapon you always answer "hell ya, a whole trunk load!"


There is no point in arguing it because we all know this to be true...

Quote from Elmer : I think many surveys are done with a chosen outcome in mind. They're also often done after media blitzes designed to skew the answers.

Similar to news "reporters" creating a "news report" that promotes their biased agenda with a preconceived outcome. They will include quotes and interviews with persons who support their agenda and the preconceived outcome and conveniently omit those who don't.

Quote from JackHandey : Additionally, the smaller the sample size, and the less generalized it is in the sampling... The less relevant and less accurate the data collected is. Also, when the group sampled has a reasonable reason to be dishonest in their answers, this also makes the data collected unreliable.

with the current anti-gun hysteria in the media and government, I would EXPECT gun owners to be reluctant to tell media and government officials and pollsters that they have them. the empty gun stores alone are proof that gun ownership is up, not down. As an example, with the recent stories about doctors being asked to report patients with guns, I fully expect people will most definitely lie to their doctor about their gun ownership if asked.

In today's climate, I'd hasten to say many firearms owners will be reluctant to tell an anonymous caller that they owned firearms. Too much Reynolds Wrap being passed around.

I might own 22, or I might own none, depending on who asked.

All I know is that gun stores in the South are seeing runs in firearm and ammo sales.

Gun checks soar 39 percent, set new record: FBI [reuters.com]

Sales of Guns Soar in U.S. as Nation Weighs Tougher Limits [nytimes.com]

People answer those poll calls? I always figured those numbers were completely made up.