Gun Rights Are Favored Over Gun Control For First Time In 20 Years, Poll Finds

[Davius]

For the first time in more than 20 years, Americans say it's more important to protect the right to own guns than it is to control gun ownership, according to a Pew Research poll released Wednesday that finds "a substantial shift in attitudes since shortly after the Newtown school shootings."

While 46 percent prioritize gun control, 52 percent of Americans are more concerned about the right to own guns, the first time a majority has held that position since Pew started asking the question in 1993. In a poll taken immediately after the December 2012 shootings, public opinion favored gun control by 7 points, 49 percent to 42 percent.

Two Years After Newtown, A Shift in Favor of Gun Rights

While the partisan divide on the question remains as wide as ever, the increasing support for gun rights spans across a wide swath of demographics. Compared with last January, support for gun rights increased by 6 points among Republicans and Democrats, 7 points among independents, 8 points among whites and 10 points among African Americans.

Americans are also more likely than two years ago to say gun ownership does more to protect against crime than it does to put people's safety at risk. Fifty-seven percent now say guns are largely protective, up from 48 percent in 2012.

Other surveys show similar changes. An October Gallup poll found that 47 percent of Americans wanted stricter gun laws, down from 58 percent after the Newtown shootings.

The Pew Research poll was conducted between Dec. 3 and Dec. 7, using live phone interviews to reach 1,507 adults who use both landlines and cell phones.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/1...usaolp00000592

About time. Without the second, all the rest are unprotected.

[Vanoi]

It still finds that almost 50% of Americans want stricter gun control.

[HannibalExMachina]

a truly blessed land, where you only trust your own democracy at gunpoint.....

[Cerberus2185]

Americans really don't like their government right now.

[chilon]

About time. Without the second, all the rest are unprotected.

LOL

yes because of all those times we need to be personally armed to protect our civil rights

[Himster]

yes because of all those times we need to be personally armed to protect our civil rights

Even more significant: instances when people thought they were just "protecting their rights" (Waco, Ruby Ridge, Montana Freemen, Wounded knee etc.) always ended badly for them, 100% of the time.

[MathiasOfAthens]

Even more significant: instances when people thought they were just "protecting their rights" (Waco, Ruby Ridge, Montana Freemen, Wounded knee etc.) always ended badly for them, 100% of the time.

When the blacks uses guns to protect themselves in the late 60s they were terrorists and hunted down by the FBI. Apparently, only whites can use guns to defend their god given civil rights.

[Phier]

When the blacks uses guns to protect themselves in the late 60s they were terrorists and hunted down by the FBI. Apparently, only whites can use guns to defend their god given civil rights.

[Napoleonic Bonapartism]

If the general public has consistently favored control up until now - how come there has been so little? Up until this point it seems the minority has been enforcing its will over the majority opinion. This poll seems only to legitimatize what seems to me to have been an undemocratic action for the last 20 years.
I always assumed control was a minority - hence the lack of it... I am surprised they have been the leader for 20 years...

[Himster]

Yeah, that is weird. Maybe lax gun laws were enforced BECAUSE is was an unpopular idea and now that stricter gun laws are unpopular maybe striker gun laws will be enforced. Maybe that's just how America works on this issue.

[Phier]

You know this just gave me a Christmas idea for my wife. About 13 years ago I was going to get her a .223 rifle but we didn't have FOID cards and it got put on the back burner.



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Merry Christmas honey. I'm only half joking, we are applying for concealed carry permits.

[Border Patrol]

You know this just gave me a Christmas idea for my wife. About 13 years ago I was going to get her a .223 rifle but we didn't have FOID cards and it got put on the back burner.


Merry Christmas honey. I'm only half joking, we are applying for concealed carry permits.

Aren't guns outlawed in your neck of the woods?

[Dr Zoidberg]

Merry Christmas honey. I'm only half joking, we are applying for concealed carry permits.

I can't imagine living in a society where you feel you need to carry a weapon in order to feel safe.

[Mithridate]

I can't imagine living in a society where you feel you need to carry a weapon in order to feel safe.

The luxury of superior societies I suppose.

Faith in america, fading.​

[tarvu]

The luxury of superior societies I suppose.

Faith in america, fading.​

Oh please, the majority of people in the US support some gun regulation and most people who live in urban areas (regardless of what the carry laws are) do not carry a firearm. Gun ownership for "self defense" is predominately in rural and suburban communities, by mostly white people who want to act out their favorite Charles Bronson movie in case they ever encounter a black person in a dimly lit alleyway when they go into the big city for the weekend or on business.

It has very little to do with feeling safe, as much as feeling strong.

That's why it ends up on these people's Christmas cards, and in anecdote after anecdote about how cute it is that they got each other guns because of the epidemic of scary minorities threatening their lives. If they really felt threatened, and gun ownership was purely about protection they would have no issue with having training and licensing requirements and actually take the topic of them owning a deadly weapon seriously rather than merely their "god given right".

[Raubritter]

The luxury of superior societies I suppose.

Faith in america, fading.​

Oh you wanna take the high road on this one?

USA:
Assaults per 100.000 ~ 242
Rape per 100.000 ~ 27

Sweden:
Assaults per 100.000 ~ 845
Rape per 100.000 ~ 63

Sweden ranks first for total crime within the European Union, see nationmaster.

Yeah, tell me about your superior society.

[Phier]

I can't imagine living in a society where you feel you need to carry a weapon in order to feel safe.

I can't imagine living in a society so short sighted they disarm themselves for fear of their fellow citizens being armed.

My wife is something of a girly girl at times, maybe this one...

[Napoleonic Bonapartism]

Yeah, that is weird. Maybe lax gun laws were enforced BECAUSE is was an unpopular idea and now that stricter gun laws are unpopular maybe striker gun laws will be enforced. Maybe that's just how America works on this issue.

The irony of the founder of modern democracy having such a system... Your hypothesis is as good as any; the whole affair makes no sense at all to me - seems the Gun Lobby can punch considerably above its weight. Or at least has for 20 years, only now does it seem to have some legitimacy in enforcing it's agenda.

[Phier]

The irony of the founder of modern democracy having such a system... Your hypothesis is as good as any; the whole affair makes no sense at all to me - seems the Gun Lobby can punch considerably above its weight. Or at least has for 20 years, only now does it seem to have some legitimacy in enforcing it's agenda.

Amendment II A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Never had a legitimacy issue.

[Napoleonic Bonapartism]

Never had a legitimacy issue.

There is a clear difference between constitutional and democratic legitimacy. Democratic legitimacy must take precedence over constitutional legitimacy. But then there's always that grey area - as a rule however I stand by the above. And I will not go in to how I see the 2nd Amendment...