FLORIDA — The role of firearms in our society is still one of the most controversial issues dividing voters, especially during election season.

According to a recent poll released earlier this month titled “Gun Attitudes and the 2024 Election” by the Pew Research Center, there are sharp divides between the supporters of President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.

For instance, when registered voters were asked if “it is more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns or control gun ownership,” 80% of Biden supporters prioritized gun control over gun rights. An even larger number of Trump supporters stated the opposite, with 85% wanting the rights of gun owners to be protected.

Pew researchers also reported starkly different opinions regarding gun safety.

When registered voters were asked if “gun ownership does more to increase safety by allowing law-abiding citizens to protect themselves,” 86% of Trump supporters agreed, compared to 23% of Biden supporters.

Lastly, when asked to weigh in on whether “an increase in the number of guns in the United States is bad for society,” there were starkly different opinions among supporters. A majority of Biden supporters, 83%, agreed, while a much smaller margin of Trump supporters, 21%, identified with that sentiment.

There is one area where a majority of gun owners were in agreement. Personal protection was cited as the primary reason for owning a gun, in another recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center.

“We get people from every demographic, all walks of life. They all come in with one common goal — protecting their families,” said Russ Abston, a former sheriff’s deputy who now manages the gun shop at Bill Jackson’s Shop for Adventure in Pinellas Park.

Abston said he wants people to remember that bad things don’t always happen to someone else.

“Having a firearm in your home is like having a fire extinguisher in your home. You hope you never have to use, but if you do, you’re glad you had it,” Abston said.

Nearly one-third (32%) of U.S. adults said they personally own a gun, according to the Pew Research Center, a statistic that has held steady in recent years.

Additionally, the majority of gun owners, 72%, agreed protection is the primary reason for having one, which far outnumbered other reasons, like hunting or sport shooting. An even larger number, 81%, said they feel safer owning a gun.

“I think it’s very interesting that people say they feel protected and safer with a gun in the home when actually there are plenty of statistics that indicate that children specifically are not safe in homes with guns,” said Judith Scully, professor of law at Stetson University College of Law and founder/director of the Social Justice Advocacy Concentration program. 

“What we’re seeing is that there are over 390 million guns in the United States and a third of those are homes with children, and what we know is that children who are in homes with guns are often the victims of accidental deaths and accidental injuries,” Scully said. “Over 1,300 children are killed each year in accidental gun incidents at their own homes.”

Scully emphasized that training and gun safety education are both critical, along with ensuring guns are safely stored inside a home.

“In order to really be safe, the guns have to be unloaded. They have to be locked up, and the ammunition needs to be locked in a separate place as well. That’s the only way that everyone will be safe,” Scully said. “Safety is learning how to use the gun. Security is making sure that the entire community will be secure and safe from any accidents or any other unfortunate incidents related to guns.”

Abston said Bill Jackson’s employees always strive to provide training and knowledge with every purchase, including a free month of range time for every customer who purchases a handgun.

The FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks records for anyone applying to obtain a firearm from a licensed dealer. Data for 2024 shows more than two million people each month have had background checks processed to purchase a firearm.