The overall number of concealed carry permits have exploded in the last decade, according to John Lott, from 4.6 million in 2007 to over 16 million now.
But where the real explosion is taking place is among women and minorities.
Watch:
Lott says the concealed carry permit rate for women went up by 93% in the last four years where it only went up 22% for men. He also notes that permits are growing 30% faster among blacks than they are among whites.
In terms of an explanation for this, Lott points out that polling over the last decade shows that there’s been a ‘sea change’ in the attitude toward guns. He said there is now a majority of women who believe that it’s much more safe to have a gun in the home than it is dangerous. He said to a lesser extent that’s also true among blacks.
I’m sure all of that is very true. I would add to Lott’s explanation, however, that Obama’s war on guns as well as all of the violence we’ve seen in the last 5 years must also be a contributing factor in this rise of permits. There’s no doubt that Obama has in some ways fundamentally transformed the country, but I believe he’s also fundamentally transformed gun ownership by making guns more popular than ever, as Lott’s data above suggests.
Watch the video for more…