The Decline of the American Gun: How Superhumans Reshaped a Nation
By Amanda Jameson, for the New York Times
July 18th, 2015
In the United States, a country once synonymous with gun ownership, a dramatic shift has taken place over the past few decades. As of 2015, only about 34% of American households own firearms, a significant decrease from the 45% reported in the early 1990s. This decline, while multifaceted in its causes, can be largely attributed to one pivotal factor: the emergence of individuals with superhuman abilities.
The story of America’s great gun decline is a tale of how an extraordinary phenomenon reshaped the nation’s cultural landscape, challenging long-held assumptions about personal safety, individual rights, and the role of firearms in society.
The Revolt at Cincinnati and the Rise of Superhumans
The year 1977 marked a turning point for the National Rifle Association (NRA) with the Revolt at Cincinnati, where the organization shifted its focus from hunting and marksmanship to a hardline stance on Second Amendment rights. Coincidentally, this pivot coincided with the early years of the superhuman phenomenon, marked by the now-infamous “Genesis Births” of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
As reports of “Activation Events” – moments of extreme stress or life-threatening situations that triggered latent superhuman abilities – became more frequent throughout the 1980s, the NRA capitalized on the public’s fears. They argued that the right to bear arms was more critical than ever in a world where superpowers could upset the balance of power. Initially, this sentiment resonated with the American public, and gun sales surged. According to FBI data, background checks for firearm purchases hit a record high of 2.7 million in 1995 alone.
Shifting Perceptions and High-Profile Incidents
However, a series of high-profile incidents in the late 1980s and early 1990s began to shift public perception. In 1989, the tragic event in Cedar Mills, Iowa, where a child undergoing an Activation Event inadvertently caused a tornado that devastated the small town, highlighted the potential dangers of uncontrolled superhuman abilities.
Then, in 1994, a watershed moment occurred in New York City when a bystander – a child, no less – with superhuman strength thwarted a bank robbery, effortlessly disarming the robbers by crumpling their weapons into small balls. The dramatic footage made national headlines and sparked a conversation about the effectiveness of firearms against superpowered individuals.
These incidents, among others, began to erode the NRA’s argument that guns were a necessary safeguard in a world of superhumans. A Gallup poll conducted in 1995 found that 58% of Americans believed that the presence of superhumans made guns less necessary for personal protection, up from just 30% in 1985, and that the proportion that believed superhumans made guns more necessary had fallen precipitously from 41% to a staggeringly low 19% in the intervening 10 years.
Clearly, the conversation had changed.
Government Response and Legislation
As the superhuman phenomenon became more prevalent, the government began to take notice. The introduction of the Pivot Protocols in 1997, followed by the establishment of the Superhuman Study and Response Division (SSRD) in 2000, signaled a shift in how the nation approached the issue of individuals with extraordinary abilities.
The passage of varying acts of legislation regarding superpower usage such as the Mind Privacy Act, the Telekinetic Assault Act, and the Pyrogenetic Collateral Damage Act, as well as landmark cases such as Justin v. United States (2006) and Horowitz v. Sullivan (2012) further reshaped the conversation around personal safety and gun ownership. The idea that firearms could provide protection against telekinesis, mind control, or an invincible home invader began to seem increasingly absurd in light of these legislative milestones.
Superhumans and Crime: A Changing Landscape
As the presence of superhumans in society grew, so too did their impact on crime and law enforcement. By 2015, the number of gun-related crimes in the United States had fallen by nearly 40% since the early 1990s, even as the population of individuals with superhuman abilities had grown to an estimated 450,000 in the United States alone.
This decline can be attributed to a variety of factors, including stricter gun control laws, improved mental health services, and a growing recognition that firearms are of limited use against superpowered individuals. In many cases, an individual’s latent superpowers have been activated by gunshot wound, allowing them to turn the tables on would-be muggers or assailants. A study conducted by the National Superhuman Response Agency in 2012 found that in all recorded one-on-one confrontations, a superhuman would prevail in a fight against an assailant with firearms more than 60% of the time – even with no combat training. While there are, of course, considerations of survivorship bias to be had, it begs the question: are firearms useful anymore?
The NRA’s Decline and the Shift in Public Opinion
As the reality of the superhuman phenomenon became more apparent, public attitudes towards gun ownership began to shift dramatically. Surveys conducted by Pew Research in 2000 found that 60% of Americans supported stricter gun control laws, up from just 45% a decade earlier. By 2015, that number had risen to 68%, with support particularly high among younger Americans who had grown up in a world where superpowers were an accepted reality.
The election of President James Grant in 2008, who campaigned on a platform of superhuman rights and sensible regulation, marked a significant shift in the national conversation. Grant’s successful push to repeal the controversial Superhuman Registration Act was seen as a repudiation of the fear-based politics that had long fueled the gun rights movement.
For the NRA, these shifts in public opinion and the political landscape were devastating. Once a powerful force in American politics, the organization saw its influence wane considerably in the face of a society that was increasingly skeptical of the need for widespread gun ownership. By 2015, NRA membership had declined by nearly 45% from its peak in the mid-1990s, and the organization’s financial troubles were well-documented.
A New Era: Adapting to a World of Superhumans
As America enters a new era shaped by the presence of individuals with extraordinary abilities, the decline of gun ownership serves as a powerful reminder of how societal norms can shift in the face of profound change.
The story of the great American gun decline is not just about changing attitudes towards firearms, but about a nation coming to terms with a new reality. It’s a tale of how a society adapted and evolved in the face of the extraordinary, and how even the most entrenched cultural norms can be reshaped by the tides of history.
In a world where the line between the ordinary and the extraordinary is increasingly blurred, perhaps the most remarkable thing is not the decline of gun ownership itself, but the resilience and adaptability of a nation confronted with a phenomenon that once seemed the stuff of science fiction.
As America continues to grapple with the implications of the superhuman age, the lessons of the great gun decline will undoubtedly inform the debates and decisions that shape the nation’s future. And while the path forward may be uncertain, one thing seems clear: in a world of superpowers, the old rules no longer apply.
Chum 