I would love to see an unbiased study (if that is possible), but have my own theory.Houston1944 wrote:...During the past 20 years we have made huge gains in technological advancements to make our lives better. Maybe we need some research on how we got in this situation. I know we have always had crime in this country but not to the point that churches had to arm their staff.
30+ years ago, my father kept a shotgun in the coat closet near the front door, a pistol in a kitchen drawer and another on his nightstand. My grandparents kept a shotgun near the front door and another in the bedroom. Most pickup trucks had a shotgun and deer rifle in the gun rack. My grandmother kept a small pistol in her purse. I must assume these people were all doing these things way before I got old enough to notice.
Today, the number of firearms in the general population has significantly increased but you rarely see a rifle in a truck's gun rack because it would either scare people or be stolen if left unattended in a parking lot. Fewer guns are left unsecured around the house and more people are "licensed" to carry concealed.
It seems to me that not much has changed other than the way we view firearms. They used to be common tools that everyone had out in the open, but now they are more often locked up or carried concealed.