Support for gun control dwindling in America

[JonJ]

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/support_for_gun_control_dwindl.html
This is a blog report but there's a link to the poll at the end.

Support for gun control dwindling in America

by Mark Silva

The other day, when two armored car guards were gunned down in Philadelphia by attackers who never even bothered to stop and say, “This is a stick-up,’’ the chief of police lamented that it’s time that the candidates for president of the United States start spotlighting the question of gun control.

But there could be a good reason for the silence – “too quiet,’’ as John Wayne might have said -- about a question that Democrat Howard Dean once identified as part of a trinity of conservative issues on the minefield of the campaign trail: “God, guns and gays.’’

Public support for stricter gun control has reached a low ebb in modern times, according to a new report of the Gallup Poll. Just 51 percent of Americans believe that laws governing the sale of firearms should be made more strict. Those saying laws ought be kept the same or made more lenient are running at a comparable 47 percent in the early-October survey.

In many tests of sentiment during the 1990’s, never fewer than 60 percent of Americans voiced support for “more strict’’ gun laws. The tide turned in October of 2001 – one month after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 – when Gallup found that support for stricter laws had fallen to 53 percent.

Support for stricter laws started building again between 2003 and 2006, Gallup found, but then started dwindling again this year. And for all the violence on American streets, the number of Americans saying handguns should not be banned – 68 percent – is significantly higher than in 1987 – 50 percent.

“Given that the country is entering a national election year, a time when gun control issues would normally be expected to be debated, the latest results are a notable reversal,’’ Gallup reports today. For more on the report and surveys behind it, see Gallop's report.

 

[9000S]

Two words: Personal Accountability.

Maybe people are starting to wake up and see its people doing damage, not the tools...

 

[JimB]

Rudy

Gulliani was interviewed on 96.9 yesterday. The subject of gun control and its laws was brought up. I thought Rudy's reply went a
long way, " we already have enought laws on the books, we need
to enforce them"

Jim

 

[Migmojo]

Gulliani was interviewed on 96.9 yesterday. The subject of gun control and its laws was brought up. I thought Rudy's reply went a
long way, " we already have enought laws on the books, we need
to enforce them"

Jim

I heard him,and for once he sounded reasonable, but I still don't trust him.

 

[fubar]

But , isn't that sort of like thanking the guy who just kicked your ass because he got tired of kicking you ?

I think " we have enough gun laws on the books " is flat wrong. We need at least a one more :

Something along the lines of " All the unconstitutional trigger lock , roster & approved list , AWB gun & magazine Bans , state registration, Police Chief "discretion" , interstate sale of ammunition & components , lack of national reciprocity and other stupid laws , listed above , above are hereby declared Shenanigans & are to be forgotten ASAP.

 

[Rob Boudrie]

Something along the lines of " All the unconstitutional trigger lock , roster & approved list , AWB gun & magazine Bans , state registration, Police Chief "discretion" , interstate sale of ammunition & components , lack of national reciprocity and other stupid laws , listed above , above are hereby declared Shenanigans & are to be forgotten ASAP.

With the common voting pattern being "major party only, third party is a wasted vote", it would be tactically unwise to go further than necessary to win the gun owners vote, since doing so would cost him votes from some people in the middle without winning any gun owners votes.

 

[JonJ]

but I still don't trust him.

+1