Gun control opinion

[Glenn E. Meyer]

http://news.yahoo.com/first-more-ame...223803476.html

The change from after Sandy Hook is significant news. Also, check out the opinion of the sample minorities.

By a margin of 52 percent to 46 percent, Americans say protecting the rights of gun owners is more important than gun control, according to a survey by the Pew Research Center released Wednesday. It is the first time Pew found more support for gun ownership than gun control in more than two decades of surveys on the issue.

Among African-Americans, Pew found a dramatic shift in opinion. A majority of blacks, 54 percent, now say gun ownership does more to protect people than to endanger personal safety. Two years ago, only 29 percent of black Americans held that view.

Well, politicians should take a look.

[Tom Servo]

After something as atrocious as Sandy Hook, it's hard for folks not to be outraged. It's also par for the course that they demand action on the part of politicians.

So, yeah. There was more support for something to be done. "Background checks" sounded reasonable to people who weren't steeped in the issue. What we're seeing now is cooler heads prevailing.

[Gary L. Griffiths]

Perhaps the lessons provided by the Oathkeepers at Ferguson haven't been lost on the public at large, even in the minority communities.

[DaleA]

Well after Sandy Hook there were a lot of guns sold, there was a big, big buy of ammunition...

I 've got to believe there are more people shooting and once they get familiar with guns and shooting their idea of 'common sense gun laws' changes from what the anti-gun folk think to more along the lines of what most of us here think.

Guns can be fun and useful. They needn't be scary. If people go shooting I think they realize this.

[skizzums]

I think the big push or control got ALOT more people to get educated by gun owners and of course started a national debate on a scale I hadn't seen n my lifetime. the debate just happened to favor gun rights and not the control the politician's were seeking. I think it also got a lot of people into politics that otherwise had little interest. if I had to put a finger on why the pushes for laws turned everyone off, I think it is because none of the laws proposed would have prevented sandy hook or other "mass" shootings. He didn't get a background check when he took his mom's guns and no law would have made him. I also think people were smart enough to understand that a ten round magazine in any other type of gun against defenseless children would have had the exact same outcome as a 30 round in an AR or AK. SAndy Hook was a terrible tragedy and I feel terrible for the loss of the families. I would have no problem with universal background checks if we had a government that was held accountable when it broke the rules and didn't use information on citizens to silence their opinions......but since we don't have an honest and transparent system, and government officials can no longer be held accountable by the press or even the opposing party, and if you vocally disagree with the people in power they can now use the full force of the government to hold their boots on your neck; I am absolutely against anymore personal information to available to the feds. I don't see how universal background checks couldn't also come with a federal registry. my opinions aside, the people spoke and spoke loudly, and our elected are now too scared to even make a peep about control on a national level, state to state is fine, that's how are system is supposed to work.

[Skans]

Gun ownership has increased substantially. I'm sure lots of groups (even some that I support) would like to take credit for this. But, I think what it comes down to is that owning guns, particularly hand guns is pretty trendy right now.

But, be careful, because trends and fads have a way of halting and then reversing without any warning at all. You old timers, remember Disco? Remember Disco Destruction? Around 6th grade, just as everyone was loving on Disco, I remember college students calling for the destruction of Disco.

[madmo44mag]

Just my ¢ nickel 98

There are two groups or types of gun control advocates.
The uneducated and those in power who realize that for them to stay in power an armed society is a threat to their power.

[jtmckinney]

There was at least some price paid by the gun control politicians for exploiting the Sandy Hook tragedy. I think this was seen as what it truly is by a lot of voters. We were also given gifts from gun control advocates, special thanks to Feinstein and Biden, several others also deserve mention.

The real reason the Senate bill didn't pass is because those voting for the bill would have to come home and face the voters in their districts. To those who did support and vote for the Senate bill this may have paid a part in the last election.

I have also noticed an increased number of minorities at the local gun ranges I frequent. When I took my CHL class a couple months ago the class was at least half people of color.

In the places I work firearms and concealed carry are discussed in one form or another almost on a daily basis, always in a positive way, a lot more than I remember from a few years ago.

[buck460XVR]

Well, politicians should take a look.

I believe many have Glenn. Many that haven't, lost their job in the last election. You see little anymore about major gun control legislation as opposed to 4 or 5 years ago. EBRs have become "modern sporting rifles" and even Illinois has given private citizens the right to CWC. I believe what we are seeing is the recent education of the masses to the advantage of an armed society as opposed to the media induced fear that was a major cause of folk's prior inclination to regulate firearms heavily.

[Brotherbadger]

It's a great thing to see. I think the public educating itself, as well as the public perception of the police changing amongst many Americans(the old standby argument I always heard was "why do you need a gun, just call the police") are the main reasons for the change in perception.

[Crankgrinder]

I think it's funny all the articles, Gallup polls, propaganda in the news while the debate was going on and we are only seeing "most Americans support gun rights" in the news AFTER half of congress has been voted out part because of it and part because of obamacare

[Glenn E. Meyer]

Let's not go off on other topics, like Obamacare vs. McConnellcare.

Ok?

[Tom Servo]

half of congress has been voted out part because of it

I'd be wary of jumping to that conclusion. There were many factors in play, and for the most part, gun control wasn't brought up as an issue in the midterms.

[Crankgrinder]

I must apologise. It was not to drift the thread or jump to conclusions. Just the way almost the entire news media seemed to be controlled by anti gunners at the time. Every day it was a healthy serving of "poll shows most Americans support common sense..... yet congress has failed to take action to protect.......children". Major issue or not I'm very happy the elections went the way they did, and I'm happy to finally get a bit of a reprieve from the drumbeat we've all been putting up with for goin on 8 years. HOORAH! But again I apologise.

[steve4102]

Not so sure I agree with the "educated voter" angle here?

The poll may be an accurate sample, but then again it may not. We still have these "educated" voters passing laws like I-594 with more to come.

Bypassing the legislators and putting Gun Control issues in the hands of "Educated" voters worked so well in WA, it's being put to the test in several others States at this very moment.

[44 AMP]

Major issue or not I'm very happy the elections went the way they did, and I'm happy to finally get a bit of a reprieve from the drumbeat we've all been putting up with for goin on 8 years. HOORAH!

I don't think you would be as happy if you lived in Washington state. Thanks to billionaires money, and a slickly deceptive ad campaign, the "educated" voters of 5 of WA's 38 counties were able to pass the measure.

Thanks to them, now, ALL firearms transfers, outside of a tiny number of listed exemptions must go through an FFL for a background check. And, if its a loan, you have to go through the FFL and check twice, once when loaned, and once when returned!!!!

And although how, and what parts of the law are going to be enforced is still being figured out by the state, the law, as written makes you or I a criminal if we simply hand a friend a gun to look at in our own living room!!!!!

Look for this to be coming to your state soon!!!
AND, when a majority of non-gun owning suburbanites in the metro areas of your state get the law passed through their weight of numbers, tell me again how good the gun control fight is going for us....

[johnwilliamson062]

Something I have been wondering about lately is what percentage of the population has a "firearms disability." I have an anti-gun acquaintance who is "disabled" through several avenues that will almost certainly never be removed from law. Very anti-gun. I can't help but think some of it is a sort of jealousy. There is almost no way the 4473 will ever be removed or even amended to allow her to purchase a firearm.

With 1% of the US population imprisoned at any time, the mental health population seemingly booming, etc, etc, is it possible that 25% of people are disabled from owning a firearm? If so, does that mean that closer to 75% of the eligible population thinks firearms are positive?

[jmr40]

In the long running anti-gun or anti-hunting debate it has always worked out that about 15%-20% of the population is strongly in support of, or strongly opposed to banning either. It is the 60%-70% of those in the middle that don't have strong feelings either way that are easily swayed one way or the other in public opinion polls. And that does influence political decisions.

I saw the momentum swinging slowly in our direction during the 1994-2004 AWB. It has been a gradual 20 year swing, but pro-gun groups have done a better job of educating that 70%.

[pathdoc]

Non-US opinion.

I am in favour of TWO forms of gun control.

1) Keeping firearms out of the hands of those with a record of unprovoked violent or other very serious crimes (robbery under arms, assault and battery, murder, rape, treason, etc.)

2) Ensuring that any purchaser has a working knowledge of how to load, unload, keep and bear without being an unknowing menace to those around them.

Other than that, I do not give a damn.

I would like to see hunters be able to take SOME sort of course which helps them learn what to shoot and what not to shoot, especially those who are new to the game with no preceding generations to show them or no experienced friends to mentor them, with perhaps a first preference for game "ticket" issue to hunters who have their course (or have experience through the harvesting of previous tags).

I'm sure there were people at the time of the founding of the American Republic of whom it was said "That boy is too d*mn stupid and too d*mn careless to have a gun. Someone take him in hand and straighten him out before he blows his own d*mn-fool head off. Or someone else's." Surely something can be done in that regard.

[Crankgrinder]

I feel for the people of Washington state. From what I understand it has a rather liberal voter population in places like Seattle. I live in Texas and Wendy Davis just got laughed out of politics pretty much, despite the liberals betting on the "high hispanic population" (their words, not mine). Open carry is on the state's docket come January. I'm sure not happy about what happened in Washington, but the way I see it is Bloomberg and gates went after Washington because their liberal track record made them feel like they had a shot there. All of the states on their list have such a track record. Somehow Texas didn't make their list. Sure it doesn't mean it won't later but they've got to see a chance someplace first.

[22-rimfire]

I don't think you would be as happy if you lived in Washington state. Thanks to billionaires money, and a slickly deceptive ad campaign, the "educated" voters of 5 of WA's 38 counties were able to pass the measure.

Thanks to them, now, ALL firearms transfers, outside of a tiny number of listed exemptions must go through an FFL for a background check. And, if its a loan, you have to go through the FFL and check twice, once when loaned, and once when returned!!!!

And although how, and what parts of the law are going to be enforced is still being figured out by the state, the law, as written makes you or I a criminal if we simply hand a friend a gun to look at in our own living room!!!!!

Yes, many continue to be in favor of "universal background checks on transfers" (all transfers). I do think that the populated portions of WA tend to lean toward the liberal side of the fence, so passing that law was no big surprise to me. Enforcement may be a problem. It may in fact be unenforceable when lending a firearm and certainly difficult on face to face transfers between individuals. Oh I've had this gun for years....