Is exercising your constitutionally-guaranteed right to keep and bear arms an act of patriotism?
In an attempt to answer that question, Fox News put that question to 1,018 randomly-selected, registered voters across the nation from June 21-23, 2014.
According to the poll, 50 percent of respondents said that owning a firearm was indeed an act of patriotism.
When examined across party lines the poll results show that Tea Party affiliates and Republicans are more inclined to believe that owning a firearm is patriotic, 79 percent and 69 percent respectively, versus 35 percent of Democrats and 40 percent of Independents who also agree that gun ownership is an act of patriotism.
Breakdown of results on whether owning a firearm is patriotic. (Photo: Fox News)
Meanwhile, 60 percent of men and 41 percent of women believe that owning a gun shows patriotism.
In the geographic breakdown, 65 percent of rural Americans, 46 percent of suburban Americans and 36 percent of urban Americans see patriotism in gun ownership.
Lastly and perhaps somewhat surprisingly, only 70 percent of those who acknowledged to having a gun in the household said that owning a gun is patriotic.
You can check out the poll results to this question, as well as others, or visit Fox News to learn more about the findings.
Overview of the questions on what is considered an act of patriotism. (Photo: Fox News)
I don’t think that owning a firearm is so much a patriotic act as it is a constitutional right. I have a constitutional right to defend myself, my family, and my property from invaders. I can still be patriotic without owning a firearm.
I do not believe owning a gun has anything to do with patriotism. I do own a gun but I don’t feel any more patriotic. If a person chooses not to own a gun does not make him unpatriotic. It only makes him vulnerable to aggression from the bad folks.
To my way of thinking that owning and not carrying your firearm is kinda like having a spare tire for your car that is locked up at home both become worthless when you need them but don’t have them with you. So if you have a car carry your spare tire and the same with the firearm of your choosing.
I grew up with guns. My grandfather had been a peace officer in Western Kansas in the early 1920s, and taught me to shoot when I was six years old. The first lesson he taught me was that you never point a gun at anything or anybody you are not prepared to, and or need to shoot, once the cartridge is fired you can not call the bullet back, and you will have to live with what you have done the rest of your life. I took his word as gospel, as he had killed two men in an attempted bank robbery, but I never saw him show any ill effects from the experience. When I was eight years old, I was given a .22 rifle and sent to the woods and fence rows to hunt squirrel and rabbits. I was given two more shells than the legal limit of what I was hunting, and if I shot all of them I had better have the limit. I was taught to shoot a handgun at the age of ten, and all the years I’ve handled guns, shot, and during my law enforcement career, have never had an accidental discharge, never shot anyone that was not shooting at me, and have carried a handgun daily since 1966. I hope to never again shoot anyone, but to protect my family, an innocent person, or my self shooting a criminal would not disturb my sleep. Any one that has never capped another person, and wants to, had better think twice about what you wish for. It is not something to take lightly, and until you have faced a gun in another man’s hand you never know if you are one of the men that will freeze. I was with an officer that shot a possible every qualification on a paper target, that froze and couldn’t pull the trigger under fire. He quit the department two days later, and became an alcoholic. We tried to talk to him, but he had found himself wanting, and chose that way to deal with it. He died eight years ago from liver failure, but he really started to die the night he froze.
Owning a firearm does not show patriotism it a constitutional right!!!! These polls are bogus and miss leading!!!! Pitting one against another is what these polls do and cause nothing more than grief, which we do not need…I myself own a gun to hunt and protect my family and I from any kind of threat, plain and simple.. there always has been gun violence and always will be… the only difference is that the government controlled media has been covering any kind of gun violence out there to try to manipulate the average joes point of view to view guns as bad, which they are not!!! This being said from a patriotic American… God Bless all!!!
I believe guns are one of the most fundamental & patriotic symbols that every law abiding American could have `seeing that since America has been in wars it has set the standard for personal protection and in billions of cases across the planet a way to forage food to fed the family and neighbors who cannot. it is also the main reason AMERICA has never been invaded by another army from other countries.
I think that the results may have been different is the qualifier “Legally owning a gun” had been used. This would surely have made a difference in urban areas where gun “ownership” is most often illegal.
Most Fox polls are landline random numbers (robocalls). That, according to the professional polling companies, skews the results.
I don’t own a gun because I have the desire to SHOOT ANYONE but I do own one because I HAVE THE DESIRE TO PROTECT ME AND MINE.–PERIOD
The left wing-nuts can’t seem to understand that a weapon(pistol or rifle) has never just gone off and indiscriminately killed anyone.
In mass shootings we have experienced there was always an unstable person ,either mentally or because of psychotropic drugs in possession and on the wrong end of a gun.
The Dumbocratic way is to punish everyone–good and bad alike, except themselves because they think they are better than “We the People” and are deserving of more protection.
The criminals will NEVER turn in their guns and the govt want to take the law abiding citizens guns s o that leaves US UNPROTECTED and the govt and criminals WITH GUNS—–
How dose that work for you–the govt is afraid of “WE the PEOPLE” and have no intention of protecting us. Gun control has never worked in any country in the world–its a proven fact.
Geeee , maybe if the polititions were doing their jobs correctly and doing what the swore to do they would not have to be worried about threats.
I don’t know ANYONE who carry’s, to ever act or think they are a cowboy/Rambo type.
To be quite frank about the subject–I know of nobody who even has the desire to have to use their weapon and shoot anyone we just want to go through life and FEEL SAFE.
If you are just itching to blow someone away then you need to turn in your CCW and sell your gun because you are a danger to those around you and YOU will wind up in jail.
We need to train,train,train and BE PREPARED for the worst and be content having to never use your weapon.
You will never know they are armed because they don’t advertise it–its not necessary to do so because it would put a target on your back, because you would be the first one a criminal would want to take out.
So the element of surprise is crucial if you choose to carry.
I own firearms for fun, but train to protect.
My family comes first, but I wouldn’t hesitate a split second to help my fellow citizens when threatened by any ill source.
You can call that whatever you want.