From Denny: The NRA and the Republicans might as well give up now while they are still treading water. The public is growing increasingly restless, anxious for the safety of their children, and downright angry that the NRA and members of Congress are pushing back against common sense and decency.
Thirty days after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, American opinion is rising to higher levels to support serious gun control measures never before considered on a national scale. Local cities and various states are not waiting for Congress and are passing their own gun control legislation, like New York state.
In the latest Pew Research poll about gun control released yesterday the numbers are high in favor of many gun restrictions, contrary to the NRA public relations campaign attempting to sell to the contrary.
Check out the break down with bipartisan support from Republican and Democrat respondents:
* 85 percent favor background checks whether at currently unregulated gun shows and even private sales
* 80 percent favor to prevent the known mentally ill from purchasing guns
Now we get into the divide between party lines:
* 67 percent favor creating a federal data base to track gun sales
* Democrats - 84 percent
* Republicans - 49 percent
* Independents - 68 percent
* 55 percent favor a ban on assault weapons
* Democrats - 69 percent
* Republicans - 44 percent
* 54 percent favor a ban on high-capacity ammunition clips or ammunition sales online
Here is what is most interesting:
* 64 percent favor installing armed security guards and police in schools
But get this:
* 57 percent oppose arming teachers and school officials while only 40 percent favor the idea
Of that 40 percent that favor the idea:
* Republicans - 56 percent want to arm teachers and school officials
* Democrats - 23 percent favor arming teachers and school officials
* Independents - 42 percent favor the same policy
So, obviously the public gets it that teachers and school officials are ill equipped with the proper training and policing mindset to consider arming them.
If you just measure the various political parties as to who favors armed security guards or police in more schools it breaks down like this:
* Republicans - 73 percent favor
* Democrats - 62 percent favor
* Independents - 59 percent favor
No matter the results, people don't like guns around children and have mixed feelings as how to best protect America's school children.
Then the poll tested for gun control vs. gun rights:
* 51 percent favor controlling gun ownership
* 45 percent favor protecting gun rights
Now check out the level of political activism between the gun rights proponents and the gun control folks:
* 23 percent who favor gun rights gave money to organizations favoring their stance
* only 5 percent gave money to groups prioritizing gun control
Who contacted a public official about gun policy?
* 15 percent of those who favor gun rights have done so
* only 8 percent of those who favor gun control have done so
OK, so who was willing to get vocal - or vociferous - on social networks?
* 19 percent of gun rights supporters did so
* 15 percent of gun control activists did so
Who signed a petition about gun policy?
* 12 percent of gun rights supporters signed a petition
* 10 percent of gun control supporters signed a petition
Check out the differences of opinion, even shades of opinion in each party on various solutions:
Favor a ban on semi-automatic weapons:
* Republicans - 49 percent
* Democrats - 68 percent
Favor a ban on assault-style weapons:
* Republicans - 44 percent
* Democrats - 69 percent
Gender differences are pronounced as to gun rights vs. gun control:
* Men on gun rights are 51 percent favor gun rights to 44 percent favor gun control
* Women on gun control are 57 percent favor gun control to 38 percent favor gun rights
Gender differences on banning semi-automatic weapons:
* Men are divided as 48 percent in favor vs. 50 percent opposed
* Women are in favor by 67 percent
Gender differences on creating a federal database to track gun sales:
* Men support the idea by 61 percent
* Women support the idea by a whopping 73 percent
Gender differences on armed teachers and school officials:
* Men favor it more than women by 47 percent
* Women favor it at only 32 percent
Check out the stats by education who favors putting armed security guards or police in more schools as it proves a wide disparity the more educated is a person. College graduates are also more in favor of banning high-capacity ammunition clips and assault-type weapons than high school grads:
* High school education - 75 percent favor
* Some college - 68 percent favor
* College graduates - 44 percent favor
* Men support the idea by 61 percent
* Women support the idea by a whopping 73 percent
Gender differences on armed teachers and school officials:
* Men favor it more than women by 47 percent
* Women favor it at only 32 percent
Check out the stats by education who favors putting armed security guards or police in more schools as it proves a wide disparity the more educated is a person. College graduates are also more in favor of banning high-capacity ammunition clips and assault-type weapons than high school grads:
* High school education - 75 percent favor
* Some college - 68 percent favor
* College graduates - 44 percent favor
One thing is for sure, the majority of the country is in agreement to prevent the mentally ill from buying guns - 90 percent favor this policy. Also in agreement the public favors by 85 percent to make both private gun sales and gun show sales subject to background checks. By a good margin of 60 percent it is gun owners who favor creating a federal database to track all gun sales.
Now is the time for the entire country to regain its balance by pulling together to intelligently address this issue of extreme violence. Now is the time for national politicians to grow some real courage and do something important in memory of the 20 children killed in a mass shooting last month just before Christmas. It could have not been more cruel in its timing. It would be far more cruel to ignore its significance.
For the complete report check out this pdf file from Pew Research, an independent group.
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