Gun Restrictions Doomed by Growing American Support for Self-Defense Rights

Belief that gun ownership makes you safer has steadily risen for years

The Establishment is very concerned this morning that the representatives of the people have resisted demands for stricter gun control measures. The president calls it "shameful." The New York Times editorial board intones, "The Senate Fails America." Dana Milbank of the Washington Post deplores a lack of "courage" on Capitol Hill, though some might think it takes courage to defy the overwhelming drumbeat of the national media.

Whatever the merits and popularity of the specific measures that went down to defeat in the Senate on Wednesday, I think the Establishment fails to appreciate the depth of American support for the Second Amendment. NPR and other media have lately noted a growing libertarian trend in American politics. That's not just about taxes, Obamacare, marijuana, and marriage equality. It also involves gun rights. After each high-profile shooting, support for gun control rises. But it tends to fall again in short order, as public opinion reverts to the baseline of strong support for gun rights.

I was struck by this poll graphic in the Washington Post on Wednesday. Despite the virtually unanimous support for stricter gun control in the national media, along with other opinion shapers such as Hollywood and the universities, and despite the mass shootings that have received so much attention in our modern world of 24-hour news channels, Americans are becoming more convinced that guns make your family safer.