Gun Owners Are The Happiest People In The US - XDTalk Forums - Your HS2000/SA-XD Information Source!

Bongo45 · 04-22-2008, 12:05 PM

Gun owners are the happiest people in the US

Posted by Mark Frauenfelder, April 21, 2008 2:40 PM | permalink

The Wall Street Journal reports that gun-clingers are not, in fact, bitter.

According to the 2006 General Social Survey, which has tracked gun ownership since 1973, 34% of American homes have guns in them. This statistic is sure to surprise many people in cities like San Francisco – as it did me when I first encountered it. (Growing up in Seattle, I knew nobody who owned a gun.) Who are all these gun owners? Are they the uneducated poor, left behind? It turns out they have the same level of formal education as nongun owners, on average. Furthermore, they earn 32% more per year than nonowners. Americans with guns are neither a small nor downtrodden group.

Nor are they "bitter." In 2006, 36% of gun owners said they were "very happy," while 9% were "not too happy." Meanwhile, only 30% of people without guns were very happy, and 16% were not too happy.

In 1996, gun owners spent about 15% less of their time than nonowners feeling "outraged at something somebody had done." It's easy enough in certain precincts to caricature armed Americans as an angry and miserable fringe group. But it just isn't true. The data say that the people in the approximately 40 million American households with guns are generally happier than those people in households that don't have guns.

The gun-owning happiness gap exists on both sides of the political aisle. Gun-owning Republicans are more likely than nonowning Republicans to be very happy (46% to 37%). Democrats with guns are slightly likelier than Democrats without guns to be very happy as well (32% to 29%). Similarly, holding income constant, one still finds that gun owners are happiest.

Link

jeepinbanditrider · 04-22-2008, 12:14 PM

Weapons=Happiniess. Whodathunkit.

gsx1138 · 04-22-2008, 12:17 PM

Sounds about right. I'm happy as f_ck and anyone who says different will just piss me off.

Each side has their warped view of the other. Seems that most people are right in the middle.

I'll be even happier when my tax return comes and I buy myself an AR.

afmo · 04-22-2008, 12:32 PM

i get REALLY happen especially when i buy a NEW gun

dreydin · 04-22-2008, 12:51 PM

i didnt read too much into it, but that would be a tricky survey to keep accurate

lobster_roboto · 04-22-2008, 01:04 PM

It doesn't matter.

I know I'm happy.

Buying a gun isn't like buying some electronic gadget. Which is old and outdated within a few months.

Guns stay in my family for life.

Every time I get a new one it's like a family addition.

They never get old.

m9fan · 04-22-2008, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lobster_roboto

It doesn't matter.

I know I'm happy.

Buying a gun isn't like buying some electronic gadget. Which is old and outdated within a few months.

Guns stay in my family for life.

Every time I get a new one it's like a family addition.

They never get old.

JakeUSA · 04-22-2008, 04:40 PM

Do you think the level of happiness could have something to do with the feeling of security one has in knowing that they are prepared should a criminal try to do them or their family members harm? I think there's definitely a correlation. And then there's the fact that shooting is just plain fun!

**Rustynuts** · 04-22-2008, 06:21 PM

I don't think that's correct. We're never happy since we always need "just" one more gun for the collection. And now with ammo prices, I'd say there are more a little miffed than happy right now!

JakeUSA · 04-22-2008, 08:47 PM

Well, I don't think anyone expects you to be happy. Not with a name like Rustynuts, anyway. That's gotta chafe.

04-22-2008, 12:05 PM	#1
Bongo45 XDTalk Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 50	Gun Owners Are The Happiest People In The US Gun owners are the happiest people in the US Posted by Mark Frauenfelder, April 21, 2008 2:40 PM \| permalink The Wall Street Journal reports that gun-clingers are not, in fact, bitter. According to the 2006 General Social Survey, which has tracked gun ownership since 1973, 34% of American homes have guns in them. This statistic is sure to surprise many people in cities like San Francisco – as it did me when I first encountered it. (Growing up in Seattle, I knew nobody who owned a gun.) Who are all these gun owners? Are they the uneducated poor, left behind? It turns out they have the same level of formal education as nongun owners, on average. Furthermore, they earn 32% more per year than nonowners. Americans with guns are neither a small nor downtrodden group. Nor are they "bitter." In 2006, 36% of gun owners said they were "very happy," while 9% were "not too happy." Meanwhile, only 30% of people without guns were very happy, and 16% were not too happy. In 1996, gun owners spent about 15% less of their time than nonowners feeling "outraged at something somebody had done." It's easy enough in certain precincts to caricature armed Americans as an angry and miserable fringe group. But it just isn't true. The data say that the people in the approximately 40 million American households with guns are generally happier than those people in households that don't have guns. The gun-owning happiness gap exists on both sides of the political aisle. Gun-owning Republicans are more likely than nonowning Republicans to be very happy (46% to 37%). Democrats with guns are slightly likelier than Democrats without guns to be very happy as well (32% to 29%). Similarly, holding income constant, one still finds that gun owners are happiest. Link

04-22-2008, 12:14 PM	#2
jeepinbanditrider XDTalk 4K Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mineral Wells, Tx Posts: 4,847	Weapons=Happiniess. Whodathunkit. __________________ Stuff USPSA-A59201

04-22-2008, 12:17 PM	#3
gsx1138 XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bremerton, Wa Posts: 474	Sounds about right. I'm happy as f_ck and anyone who says different will just piss me off. Each side has their warped view of the other. Seems that most people are right in the middle. I'll be even happier when my tax return comes and I buy myself an AR. __________________ “The very existence of flamethrowers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, "You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I'm just not close enough to get the job done."” ~ George Carlin on the flamethrower Yeah, it's me: http://www.myspace.com/yngvar Wake up America, watch: America Freedom to Fascism

04-22-2008, 12:32 PM	#4
afmo XDTalk 3K Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Northern California Posts: 3,607	i get REALLY happen especially when i buy a NEW gun __________________ I survived 8 years of vitriolic hate directed towards George W. Bush. The shoe is on the other foot now: Barack Obama is NOT MY PRESIDENT. Ruger 22/45 MKIII Springfield XD-9 Service Stevens Model 67 Series E 12g 1948 M44 Mosin-Nagant

04-22-2008, 01:04 PM	#6
lobster_roboto XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 1,683	It doesn't matter. I know I'm happy. Buying a gun isn't like buying some electronic gadget. Which is old and outdated within a few months. Guns stay in my family for life. Every time I get a new one it's like a family addition. They never get old. __________________ "Let's go straight to the source and ban crime"

04-22-2008, 12:51 PM	#5
dreydin XDTalk 2K Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 2,641	i didnt read too much into it, but that would be a tricky survey to keep accurate

04-22-2008, 04:40 PM	#8
JakeUSA XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CO Posts: 436	Do you think the level of happiness could have something to do with the feeling of security one has in knowing that they are prepared should a criminal try to do them or their family members harm? I think there's definitely a correlation. And then there's the fact that shooting is just plain fun!

04-22-2008, 06:21 PM	#9
Rustynuts XDTalk 1K Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 1,388	I don't think that's correct. We're never happy since we always need "just" one more gun for the collection. And now with ammo prices, I'd say there are more a little miffed than happy right now!

04-22-2008, 08:47 PM	#10
JakeUSA XDTalk 100 Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: CO Posts: 436	Well, I don't think anyone expects you to be happy. Not with a name like Rustynuts, anyway. That's gotta chafe.

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