Countable Primer: Guns in America

America has a complicated relationship with guns. For some they are a symbol of self-sufficiency and personal freedom. For others they represent a ubiquitous threat of violence. Lawmakers and lobbying groups largely square off on these two sides, making both gun-rights and gun-control some of the thorniest issues in American politics today.

The Constitution:

The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution protects the right of the people "to keep and bear arms." The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that this is an individual right of private citizens, though it is not unlimited. In the last decade, The Court has upheld in several cases that The Second Amendment does not prohibit all regulation of firearms.

The NRA and Gun Rights:

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is among the most powerful grassroots lobbying organizations in U.S. politics. It's leadership describes it as "America's foremost defender of Second Amendment rights," as well as a firearms education and safety organization. The NRA raises and donates money to political campaigns at all levels of the government, and rallies its considerable membership against any proposed gun regulation it perceives as infringing upon Second Amendment rights.

The Rise in Gun Violence:

After a nearly 15-year period of relative stasis, the U.S. rate for gun deaths has been steadily increasing since 2015. According to data collected by Gun Violence Archive, at least 15,549 Americans were killed by guns in 2017, excluding suicides. The deadliest mass shooting in modern American history – Las Vegas – occurred in October 2017; the eighth deadliest shooting - Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school in Florida – occurred in February 2018.

The Call for Gun Control:

In the wake of historically deadly mass shootings in Las Vegas and at a high school in Florida, gun control advocates are calling for firearms restrictions with renewed vigor. Immediately following the Florida shooting, students and teaches began staging protests and walk-outs around the country. Some lawmakers have pledged to introduce new measures in Congress. Countable will keep you up to date with the latest proposals.

Congress & The President:

In Pew's latest poll on the subject, 79% of Republicans favored protecting gun ownership rights over limiting gun access. That compares with 20% of Democrats who felt the same way. In other words, there was a stunning 59 percentage point partisan gap on the issue….