Majority don't support gun control or AWBs

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Glenn E. Meyer

New member
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66874.html

Interesting poll - indicates that handgun control is not at all popular. 73 percent against as compared to 1959 with 60% in favor.

53% against laws to ban assault rifles (spare us the definition please - we all understand that here).

Seen as a massive change in attitudes. Unfortunately, some folks live in antigun bubbles and cannot understand the attitude outside of their bubble. Like Manhattan for the NY Times who are fuming about possible CCW reciprocity.

Pragmatically, I wouldn't expect significant legislation to ban this or that or a treaty to be really pushed. Some rhetoric for the antigun choir and then no action. Pretty typical politics on hot button issues - right and left do that.
 
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Isk

New member
Pretty interesting. Is it possible that people have finally come to realize that gun control only punishes the law-abiding? There definitely feels like a shift away from gun control in this country and I don't think it comes solely from the Heller decision. I wonder what it is...
 
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MLeake

New member
I suspect part of it is that when the economy tanked, some of those who were previously in favor of gun control - to keep guns out of the hands of criminals - suddenly realized those same laws kept guns out of their hands, as well.

I don't think some of them had ever thought about that, before a bad economy raised their concerns over potential rises in crime rates.

It may only be my opinion, but I suspect most of those who are in favor of legislating away rights never really do think those laws will affect them, personally, and they don't imagine themselves in the position of running afoul of such laws - until something gives them an unpleasant awakening.

I also suspect that such persons suddenly realize they may be setting the stage for future political opponents to then legislate against their own things held dear.

Kind of like the Martin Niemöller quote:

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
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Crazy88Fingers

New member
I'm always confused by the logic that all guns should be banned, except for police officers. Why would the police need guns if all other guns are banned? And why are they the only people who need them? (these are rhetorical questions)
 
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Glenn E. Meyer

New member
To answer that is easy. The state is defined usually by the monoply of legal force. Unarmed mobs, those with sticks and stones, knives and cudgels might assault the pillars of society or innocent victims.

Thus, the police need an edge in force options over the citizen.

That is the rationale in most countries. The USA is unique for the most part as part of heritage is maintaining a reservoir of powerful force among the citizenry that can combat tyranny on a more equal standing.

That ill ease with our system by governmental forces and monied classes can be seen in:

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/morning_call/2011/10/man-with-ak-47-big-reason-reed-ordered.html

Man with AK-47 big reason Reed ordered Occupy Atl. out

WXIA-TV’s Jaye Watson spoke to the man, who declined to identify himself. "(The gun is) a symbol of the last line of resistance against a government that's going to try to push people out because of their ideals," he said. The man told Watson the weapon was a semi-automatic version of the AK-47. Such weapons are legal in Georgia.
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So if you think you are going see a clash between the vested interests of government and well to do against the rest of society - you want the rest unarmed.
 
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mete

New member
Statistics about guns and kids ?? They don't want you to know but the definitions of 'children' used by many of the anti-gunners such as CDC, AMA etc are those of the CDC's 'child status' where that means any one under 27 years old !!!
That does skew the numbers doesn't it .
 
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Patriot86

New member
http://www.gallup.com/poll/150353/Self-Reported-Gun-Ownership-Highest-1993.aspx

Part of the same poll

Gun ownership is also at an almost two decade high.

Forty-seven percent of American adults currently report that they have a gun in their home or elsewhere on their property. This is up from 41% a year ago and is the highest Gallup has recorded since 1993, albeit marginally above the 44% and 45% highs seen during that period.
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Gun ownership is more common in the South (54%) and Midwest (51%) than in the East (36%) or West (43%) -- a finding typical of Gallup's trends in gun ownership by region.
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Only 1/3 ownership in the east? I am surprised it is that low but I guess they did not count the criminals ;). Seriously though, I imagine the repressive gun laws in most north east coast states have something to do with that. I would like to see where the draw the line as to what is considered "west", I think if we counted California, WA and Oregon only the numbers may be more in line with the "east".



The USA is unique for the most part as part of heritage is maintaining a reservoir of powerful force among the citizenry that can combat tyranny on a more equal standing.
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Yep, we all remember what happened in Red Dawn when the Soviets invaded!

In all seriousness though, that is why many Europeans IMO cannot grasp the American "Gun Obsession" it is as much a part of our culture as lederhosen is to Germany or losing wars I mean the fine arts is to France. You try to take away Lederhosen or Beer from the German people or The Arts and Fine Wine from France and see how the people react...
 
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Glenn E. Meyer

New member
Haven't research it but it would be interesting to break down the East by county - if they didn't do that.

The large percent of nonownership could come from the large urban centers with draconian laws as compared to the rest of Eastern states outside of those metro areas.
 
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Patriot86

New member
@Glenn: Thats my theory too: IMO "Many" Gun owners are frankly lazy, they buy a gun, they shoot it once a year if that and it sits in a closet or a nightstand until "needed". Making people jump through hoops is a good way to sort of weed out the "non serious" gun owners from those who activly shoot, train and maintain their firearms. What you are left in with those Urban centers are those who take firearms(as they should be) deadly serious.
 
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BlueTrain

New member
My feeling is that those who are lazy and buy a gun only to leave it in a dresser drawer are the serious ones. For the rest, even if they "activly shoot, train and maintain" their firearms are really just hobbiest. That is, unless you are among those who believe you will lose all of your handgun shooting skillis within the space of two weeks. The problem with that line of thinking is that you soon find yourself thinking that guns are just for experts and you need to have professional training and maybe even ought to be required to have a license. Some guns, like a Colt Government Model, are really for experts and anyone else should content themself with a revolver.
 
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maestro pistolero

New member
53% against laws to ban assault rifles (spare us the definition please - we all understand that here).
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What's interesting about this to me is that even with the widespread misinformation and mistaken understanding about what an 'assault weapon' is, that the majority still oppose a ban. Very encouraging. Imagine if they all knew how bogus it really is!
 
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mack59

New member
Changes in the polls on some of the questions that have been asked for decades are affected by many variables. Consider the handgun question in 1959 vs today - remember the Red Scare back then. Did people generally trust their government to have their best interest at heart. What laws were in place in 1959 vs today. How were laws enforced back then vs today - many laws in the south and in cities were unevenly enforced so they were acceptable to many as they were never impacted by them. The trubulent 60's and the concealed carry movement - the rise and fall of gun control organizations. The changes in the gun rights organizations - the NRA of 1959 was quite different than the NRA today. The impact of the internet on the dissimination of information - think of just the Firing Line thread on the current 2nd ammendment court cases. In 1959 where did you get the information to base your opinions on - newspaper, radio, tv, friends and neighbors - much more limited then.
 
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Glenn E. Meyer

New member
I have somewhere (now packed for a building move), an article about how progressives should have guns and support the 2nd Amend. Standard exposition of the defense against tyranny.
 
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Eghad

New member
If I was Prez I would give out an AR-15/AK-47/SKS ( your choice) and ammo and localized lessons to every law abiding household in our nation.

Some of our progressives are a different breed of cat over here. They think that the unwashed citizenry is too dumb to take care of itself and that government is the best suited delivery option to help out the unwashed. That the unwashed citizenry needs to be controlled by the government.

I have come to the belief that our problem is too much government foisted on us by these progressives.
 
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ZEBRARANGER

New member
Some Interesting Poll Numbers On Guns In Households In America

Just reading the paper today and saw some interesting Gallop poll numbers on guns. What caught my attention to the article was the big bold title.
The recent Gallup poll showed the following numbers.
Percentage of American women who say there is a gun in their home or on their property is 43%, up by 7%.
Percentage of American men who say there is a gun in their home or on their property is 52%.
55% of Republicans admit to owning a gun.
40% of Democrats admit to owning a gun, up from last years number of 32%.
Most interesting is that the poll showed that public support for the right to bear arms has hit an all time high. When asked whether there should be a law banning possession of handguns, 73% said no.
 
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RamItOne

New member
nope, that is more about assault weapons ban, this is about ownership and breaks down by sex, political affiliation, age and level of education.....

the best sign is the traditional opposition (dems) are coming over to the "dark side" and realized gun ownership is not a bad thing. a 25% increase like that is substantial.

female ownership also looks like its increasing


found link

http://www.gallup.com/poll/150353/Self-Reported-Gun-Ownership-Highest-1993.aspx

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Mike Irwin

Staff
Not sure whether these are different polls, or the same poll being broken down farther in one presentation, but they're close enough that I'm merging them into the same discussion thread.
 
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mes227

New member
Interesting poll - indicates that handgun control is not at all popular. 73 percent against as compared to 1959 with 60% in favor.
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That's not what the poll says. It actually says that 73% oppose a complete ban on handguns, which is just one subset of gun control more generally. Only 11% want more lax gun control laws, which means that 89% want the current or more stringent gun controls. 60% favor having the gov't enforce existing laws more strictly, which is more gun control; this is unchanged since 2000 when Gallup first asked that question.

While the poll is generally good news for the 2A, the OP overstates the issue.

Here's Gallup's raw data: http://www.gallup.com/poll/150341/record-low-favor-handgun-ban.aspx
 
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