Just three percent of adults own half of America’s guns

Tuesday, October 10th, 2017

The Washington Post‘s Wonkblog notes that just three percent of adults own half of America’s guns but has the sense to note that this is the same pattern we see everywhere.

It’s frankly terrifying that so many guns are concentrated in the hands of collectors who have no interest in killing anyone.

Comments

  1. Gaikokumaniakku says:

    “It’s frankly terrifying that so many guns are concentrated in the hands of collectors who have no interest in killing anyone.”

    It’s frankly terrifying that the Founders assumed that 95% of USA males would be armed and able-bodied and capable of armed decentralized resistance, whereas very few modern USA males live up to the Founders’ expectations.

  2. Redan says:

    Furthermore, the Militia Act of 1792 requires that those men be armed with military rifles, not just whatever rimfire is in the back of the closet.

    It is arguable that the militia have the same rifles that the standing army has, for commonality of ammunition, logistics, et cetera.

    Furthermore, now that females can be infantrypersons, it is arguable that the 1792 Act applies to women also.

  3. Adar says:

    Female commissioned officers of the National Guard are included as being part of the militia.

  4. Random Observer says:

    I had thought the 1792 Militia Act had been repealed and replaced in toto by the Dick Act and its subsequent legislation.

    Although the Dick Act and, as far as I know, its successors, maintained the distinction between the Organized Militia [National Guard, as so renamed] and the Unorganized Militia, which is all able-bodied men [I think] 18-45.

    It would have to apply to women now. Whether the age limit would hold up, I can’t say. That could be used to strip gun rights from men over 45. I think that age range was in the 1792 Act as well. Of course, for county defense purposes it’s hard to believe that 1792 America didn’t expect men older than that to turn up armed if needed.

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