Monday, September 19, 2016
Russell Sage Survey Finds Fear of Other People Is Now Primary Motivation for American Gun Ownership
Amid a historic plunge in the national violent crime rate, more Americans than ever are arming themselves to protect against attack by other people, a new survey of U.S. gun ownership by researchers at Harvard and Northeastern universities reveals.
The survey, which researchers characterize as the most authoritative since 1994, calculates that there are an estimated 265 million firearms in U.S. homes — more than the number of cars on American roads.
The Trace and The Guardian were provided an advance summary of the survey’s major findings, set for publication by the Russell Sage Foundation next year...