Gallup boss: More Americans oppose gun control than ever

[#shooter]

First things first. Hooray! It's about time.

Link

Gallup boss: More Americans oppose gun control than ever

Amid a wave of publicity about school shootings and drug-related gun violence along the Mexican border, more Americans than ever oppose government efforts to regulate guns, Gallup's top pollster said today.

Frank Newport, the editor-in-chief of the Gallup Poll, told a breakfast meeting of reporters hosted by the Christian Science Monitor that "every bit of data is showing us that Americans are getting more conservative about gun control."

Newport cited polling conducted by Gallup, the Pew Research Center and CNN to back up his contention that "attitudes toward gun control have become more conservative -- not wanting more gun control."

The veteran pollster said the growing opposition to gun control is "counterintuitive" because of the heavy media focus on the use of assault weapons to kill police officers and school students, as well as the coverage of drug-cartel lawlessness in Mexico.

But he said that Americans are clearly saying that they want gun laws to "stay as they are" or become "less strict" rather than becoming "more strict."

"The NRA is in a pretty good position, public-opinion-wise," Newport said.

A CNN poll conducted in April found that 39 percent of Americans wanted stricter gun control laws, down from 50 percent in 2000. Another 46 percent said the gun laws should stay as they are, while 15 percent said they should be loosened--up from 9 percent in 2000.

When asked to identify the best way to reduce gun violence, 61 percent of Americans said stronger enforcement of existing laws, while 27 percent opted for stronger laws, according to an ABC News-Washington Post poll, also conducted in April.

Even an assault-weapon ban is not the political "sure thing" it once was. An Apr. 23-26 poll by NBC News and the Wall Street Journal found that support for curbing the sale of assault weapons and semiautomatic rifles has dropped from 75 percent in 1991 to 53 percent today.

The shifting public mood on gun issues is the reason why the Obama administration is not trying to reinstate the assault-weapons ban that former President Bush allowed to expire in 2004. Obama and other administration officials said they have decided instead to adopt a strategy of enforcing existing laws.

I have been noticing this as well. I just hope gun rights groups and their supporters don't get complacent. As the article mentioned even despite a wave of media focus on a string of high profile mass murders the public still wants the same or less gun control. Personally, I am shocked that is the case. Many Americans are finally realizing the promises made by advocates of more gun control just never materialized. I wonder how much of this sentiment is due to the Heller ruling?

 

[Ned Kelly]

I hope this can tickle the ears of the ammo hoarders so they can relax and chill.

 

[Shovelhead]

...It's just a government plot to get us to drop our guard........

 

[neverjeg]

IMHO, it appears that "the people" are starting to pay attention.

With thousand buying for the first time - sharing with their friends and family - it is possible for a critical mass to come and attitudes entirly shift.

 

[neverjeg]

Shovelhead,

Where'd ya get the cool hat?

 

[outerlimit]

This is a poor attempt at painting a positive picture when in fact we are still losing if this poll is to be believed.

More than twice as many Americans still want more gun control than want gun laws loosened up.

 

[Blackbeard]

I hope this can tickle the ears of the ammo hoarders so they can relax and chill.

You're assuming that the Congress and White House are interested in the public's opinion.

 

[kentucky bucky]

This administration is agenda driven and will not give up . They will find new "back door" ways of achieving what they want. They know they can't bust through the front door, so they will sneak in the back.

 

[desidog]

You're assuming that the Congress and White House are interested in the public's opinion.

Congress, no. But BHO has proven he's willing to do whatever he believes the majority wants; even if he reverses himself to do it. The question is where his intel is coming from...and this is a refreshing neutral source.

After spending a lot of time in DC, i find it interesting that the ardent Dems are more likely to walk away mid conversation - when they find out i'm not like-minded - than do republicans (of which i'm not either.)

That being said, there are enough people on the Hill with agendas that i'm not fully exhaling just yet.

The other thing this article points to is the general distrust the public has for the media these days, what with the lack of good unbiased reporting.
I think whoever drummed up the Mexico/guns argument for their own agenda really shot themselves in the foot.

 

[rbernie]

I think whoever drummed up the Mexico/guns argument for their own agenda really shot themselves in the foot.

I don't think so - it was a fishing expedition and it served as that very well. It stirred up the faithful so they'd not feel forgotten, and planted seeds in the uncommitted. No loss to the foes of the RKBA in that...

And I do not believe that this administration can/will turn their back on the party plank and that core group of believers that mobilized to get them voted into office.

 

[Ned Kelly]

So far he has had a better pro-gun record as president than Bush did.

 

[KBintheSLC]

So far he has had a better pro-gun record as president than Bush did.

Except that he/they keep using phrases like "not right now" or "not the right time" when referring to their ban agenda. This tells me that they will continue to pursue it and are merely waiting for the timing to be right. Also, as BO and his minions fish through existing gun laws to enforce, they will seek out more back-door loopholes that can be exploited to make guns and ammo more costly and less accessible.

When it comes to guns, I don't trust these guys for one second...

 

[Hugo]

Sounds like Finally many people are wising up and learning "This unreasonable gun control is total crap!". Good. Let's hope soon we can sing "ding, dong, the witch is dead..." except there's always some other witch somewhere to deal with.

 

[VonClausewitz]

Gun control activism is no national phenomenon that just happens to coincide in several countries simultanously. Civilian disarmament is a centally administered process of supranational institutions (UN-ODA), national governments and NGOs.

The binding element of all participating state and nonstate actors is the furtherance of shared interests by means of cooperative rent-seeking behaviour. It is the establishment and fortification of the de facto monopoly in the excercise of force, from which all other political power derives. This strategem is shared by otherwise completely adversarial actors who would not cooperate on any other agenda.

We, the advocates of individual gun ownership, miss this point completely as we lament abour crime statistics, sporting use and self defense. Even as we have the facts on our side, we a sidetracked in a debate about utility and effectiveness when the counterparty could not care less. Again: Gun control is a strategem of the consolidation of of political power.

It is not about presidents, not about political partys, not about crime or public safety. It is about the division of power between the state and the people.

 

[Monkeyleg]

So far he has had a better pro-gun record as president than Bush did.

Not if he winds up making people use guns for the reason that the 2A was written.

 

[uofaspyder]

Maybe people are finally getting it.

 

[SodiumBenzoate]

This administration is agenda driven and will not give up . They will find new "back door" ways of achieving what they want. They know they can't bust through the front door, so they will sneak in the back.

While Obama may support a new AWB, I think it's pretty clear by this point that it's far from being one of his priorities.

 

[2RCO]

This is a poor attempt at painting a positive picture when in fact we are still losing if this poll is to be believed.

More than twice as many Americans still want more gun control than want gun laws loosened up.

:banghead::banghead:

All you folks that think gun control won't get worse, they won't do it to us because a minority of us cares are the one that are dellusional.

Wake up folks we are behind in the polls--Yeah the numbers are better but we are still the losers. We must remain vigilant in fighting for our rights they can easily go poof and the majority of Americans won't even care. The 2A is pretty damn clear to anyone that can read at a 3rd grade level but has been trampled on countless times and continues to be gutted by several states.

But I'm glad you all feel our guns and freedoms are safe, I'm pretty that your feelings of safety and lack of political action will lead to a very unsafe condition for our sport and right!

 

[264]

I don't think there will be more than "talk" in the next four years from the White House. They've got to know that being aggressive now in matters relating to the 2A will severly hurt chances for a second term. If there is a second term, watch out. They'll have nothing to lose then...

 

[rtroha]

So far he has had a better pro-gun record as president than Bush did.

How so? The Bush administration changed the rule to allow CCW in National Parks. The Obama administration has done what to defend that rule?

 

[rbernie]

No poly ticks, folks.

 

[REAPER4206969]

Gun control is a strategem of the consolidation of of political power.

Beautiful.