America has more guns in fewer hands than ever before

[billh58]

4. From today's news

Chicago Tribune

The number of Americans who live in a household with at least one gun is lower than it's ever been, according to a major American trend survey that finds the decline in gun ownership is paralleled by a reduction in the number of Americans who hunt..

According to the latest General Social Survey, 32 percent of Americans either own a firearm themselves or live with someone who does, which ties a record low set in 2010. That's a significant decline since the late 1970s and early 1980s, when about half of Americans told researchers there was a gun in their household.

The General Social Survey is conducted by NORC, an independent research organization based at the University of Chicago, with money from the National Science Foundation. Because of its long-running and comprehensive set of questions about the demographics, behaviors and attitudes of the American public, it is a highly regarded source of data about social trends.

Data from the 2014 survey was released last week, and an analysis of its findings on gun ownership and attitudes toward gun permits was conducted by General Social Survey staff.

The right-wing gun lobby claims that Americans lie about owning guns when they are surveyed. Why then, would a "highly regarded source," such as NORC and the National Science Foundation risk their reputations and credentials by releasing skewed information?

Fact: There are less US households with guns now (32%) than the 1970s and 1980s, and that number is declining.