The millennial generation, which are broadly classified as individuals born between 1980 and 2000, tend to vote more progressive on various hot-button issues like recreational drug use and same-sex marriage. They are also more open to socialism than past generations, and not surprisingly, have voted Democrat in the past three presidential elections. Those facts aren’t surprising.
However, with that being stated, it might be surprising to learn that millennials aren’t intransigently against gun ownership. This is in spite of being thoroughly incubated in the liberal cesspools known as universities and inundated by the mainstream media for most their lives.
Here’s what the research unexpectedly revealed:
Millennials Surprisingly Open-Minded About Gun Rights
A recent Pew Research Center poll that polled both the under 30 and Generation Y individuals, found a year-long increase in support for firearm ownership while simultaneously showing a decline in opposition.
Another poll by Gallup in 2015 found that only half those who were under 35 years-of-age supported an increase in gun control measures. Another Gallup poll found an astounding two-thirds of millennials polled believed guns made them safer.
This all came as another survey found that 26% of millennials have themselves purchased a firearm, while other Pew poll data found 43% of those under 30 live with someone who owns a gun. To put this number in perceptive, consider the fact that this is the highest percentage of any age demographic aside from those aged 65 and older.
The New Civil Rights Generation
When writing for Politico, author Ben Wofford explained, “Even though this generation seems to be against the NRA in general, they appear to believe the narrative that the only way to protect yourself from bad guys is to empower the good guys.” Woffords campus interviews for his article reveals a more open-minded, even somewhat libertarian belief on the subject of gun rights. One interviewee said the following that proves this point, “If someone isn’t violating my rights, why do I care?”
Many millennials like to champion the cause of the underdog. They organize marches to demand equal compensation for women, they want the race wars to stop, and they desire equal rights for homosexuals. In general, they seem to empathize with the plight of those they perceive to be systematically oppressed. Perhaps that, above all else, is why millennials are surprisingly more accepting of gun rights.
It is no secret that gun rights and gun owners are attacked by the mainstream media at every opportunity, and the political left is constantly fighting to take away the rights of citizens to own guns. Therefore, the underdog narrative is naturally beginning to include gun owners.
Who really knows what is behind the surprising poll results. More than likely, each person polled has different motivations. Some were likely just raised to be more accepting of gun ownership. After all, this generation has essentially come of age at the same time as the conceal-carry movement. This is, of course, thanks to 30 years of winning gun rights battles, which has lead to a sharp increase in the amount of concealed carry licensees and applications.
~ Firearm Daily