A new poll conducted by The New York Times and CBS News says that one of the most popular initiatives being pushed by gun control advocates is pretty popular among gun owners too. One of the key legislative proposals made by President Obama yesterday—it was the first one he mentioned during his announcement speech—is that background checks should be required for any and all gun purchases, ending loopholes that allow some gun buyers to pick up weapons at shows where checks are currently not required. According to the poll, that particular idea enjoys almost universal support. North, South, Democrat, Republican, gun abolitionists, or even members of the NRA—every groups stood solidly behind it.As we've suspected all along, those who oppose universal background checks represent a tiny fringe minority. I call it the fanatical fringe.
Only seven percent of those who were asked are against the idea of universal background checks, and 90 percent of current gun owners are in favor of them. Opinions quickly diverge on other issues, however. Around 75 percent of respondents from all backgrounds actually side with the NRA on the issue of increased security at schools, agreeing that more armed police and guards could help prevent school shootings.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
If the details I laid out in your last post on background checks become better known, you'll likely see the support numbers for that bill fall significantly. Y'all specialize in the bait and switch--you get support by asking vague questions about "Universal Checks" and then turn around and chug out a law that makes it illegal for me to let a friend use my gun to shoot clay pigeons on my own farm.
ReplyDeleteSurvey done by the New York Times. You do realize that the way questions are asked affects the results, no? Can you name any other issue in American politics that gets 90% support in our divided nation?
ReplyDeleteBut then, when rights are subject to a majority vote, we're already past the line when it's time for civil war.
90% of people LOVE prison! Who wouldn’t want to give up freedom for free stuff (room, board, medical care)?
ReplyDeleteThe problem is people who don’t follow the issue closely think you guy just want background checks, but they don’t realize all the major legal pitfalls in Schumer’s bill that could easily catch anyone who OWNS guns with no intention of selling. You’re a felon if your mon-fri business trip gets extended through the weekend. You’re a felon if you let someone plink cans with your gun on your own property. You’re a felon if you store your gun at a friend’s house out of state- and the only reason why you keep it there is because you’d be a felon if you didn’t! How well do you think those things poll among gun owners? Even non-gun owners who aren’t complete statists?
I need to correct myself. The third example is already a felony.
DeleteHere’s what gets me. You say 90% of gun owners want this. So why not just employ a voluntary, easy, low cost method of verifying non-prohibited status for private people to use? You claim 90% of us love the idea, and we know there currently isn’t a way for those 90% to check. If there is a way to check, 90% of the people are going to use it, right? Coupled with the 60% of transactions that already go through a dealer- that’s 96% sales you have covered! And you don’t even have to pass a law, you don’t have to arrest anyone, you don’t have to piss off entire cultures, you don’t have to risk political capitol, you don’t have to risk losing blue dog democrat seats in 2016- geeze, this is a total no brainer. 96%! How do you expect to get better than that anyway?
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