We believe that it is not the number of households with guns that has declined, as JAMA reported, but rather the number of gun-owner denials that has increased. It is our opinion that the data from gun-owner surveys reported by JAMA, and all similar surveys, deserve to be regarded with suspicion. Any survey in which the respondent feels he or she could somehow be identified, and in which there is the remotest possibility of serious repercussions resulting from one's answers, is probably not worth the paper it's written on. Misleading claims about the level of firearm ownership carry with them serious ramifications. The mistaken perception of a declining population of firearm-owners in America may well provide a false sense of encouragement to the efforts of those who would ban firearms entirely, or embolden them even to the point of attempting outright confiscation.
Accurate information is a prerequisite for any rational discussion.
As most of us recognize, when the discussion turns to firearms, there is little in the way of rational discussion in today's politically-charged climate. Disregarding all Constitutional considerations about firearm ownership, and the fact that public opinion has absolutely no place in such a discussion, the availability of accurate data is crucial for policy makers. Sidebar What readers had to say Written comments on completed surveys returned to us yielded a great deal of insight into gun-owner attitudes, over a wide range of concerns. It is clear, too, that their understanding of the U.S. Constitution is vastly superior. It is not a right given by the government to carry in any manner one wants.