Interesting poll on gun control.

[rn79870]

Some very interesting results. 54% to 40% of Americans support stronger gun control laws. 78% to 17% oppose banning guns.79% to 20% favor requiring owners to register their guns with their local government.

Much more at...

http://www.pollingreport.com/guns.htm

[Cold_Zero]

Nice find Bob.

It would seem to me that the American people are saying through these polls:1. We support gun owners individual right to own firearms.2. We support the state and federal government to regulate the ownership and sale of firearms.3. We do not support a ban on all firearms.

The other thing I noticed is how some of the numbers trend towards being pro 2nd Amendment the closer you get to the current date.

This set of questions struck me very funny:

"How serious a problem is gun violence today . . . ?"4/17-19/07Very Serious 62%Somewhat Serious 25% Not Too Serious 8%Not at All Serious 4%Unsure 1%

So we have a serious problem, yet..

"How often do you worry about becoming a victim of gun violence . . . ?" 4/17-19/07 Frequently 12%Occasionally 23%Rarely 33%Never 32% 65% of the people rarely or don't even worry about being a victim of gun violence and yet..

"Do you personally know anyone who has been a victim of a crime that involved a gun in the past three years, or not?"4/17-19/07Yes 22%No 78%

None of us really know someone a victim of gun violence. I think this is systemic of our society. We have a problem, in someone elses neighborhood that doesnt really affect me, but we need to fix the problem. Great... It's very similar to the mantra, "We need to sweep out the entire Congress because they are do not.. well except for My Senators and Congressmen."

Two great questions and the answers are the questions asking:1. "Do you think stricter gun control laws would reduce the amount of violent crime in this country, or not?"4/22/07Would 49%Would Not 50%Unsure 2%

04/00Would 51% Would Not 48%Unsure 2% 9/99Would 50%Would Not 48% Unsure 1%



2. "What do you think is the best way to reduce gun violence in this country: by passing stricter gun control laws, or by stricter enforcement of existing laws?"4/22/07Stricter Laws 29%Stricter Enforcement 52% Both (vol.) 9% Neither (vol.) 8% Unsure 1% 4/00Stricter Laws 33% Stricter Enforcement 53%Both 7%Neither 5%Unsure 2%

The only thing I would take issue with are the people that indicated that more stricter regulations are needed for the sale and ownership of firearms. I suspect that the majority of the people responding have never attempted to buy or own a firearm and thus probably have no concept of what laws are on the books or what you have to do to go through the process. My rational is taken from:"Are you a gun owner, or not?"4/17-19/07Yes 32%No 67%

10/4-6/04Yes 31%No 68%

9/7-9/04Yes 33%No 67%

I also take issue with the answer:

"Requiring gun owners to register their guns with the local government"6/4-5/08Favor 79%Oppose 20% Unsure -

I resent a requirement that gun owners need to register their guns or themselves. Why do we need such a requirement, why would local, state or federal governments need to know what firearms and how many firearms you own? So the police can later go door to door to confiscate firearms like they did during Hurricane Katrina?

[rn79870]

What struck me is that for the most part, Americans are not changing their position on gun issues. It is a part of America and it will always be a part of America.

Why do we need such a requirement, why would local, state or federal governments need to know what firearms and how many firearms you own?

I can see a real advantage in law enforcement knowing what weapons were registered to a specific address, etc. should they get a report of a burglary, etc., at that address. It might save a cops life and I'm all for anything that does that.

[Cold_Zero]

There is some fascinating information at that site..

[HashiriyaS14]

Nice find Bob.

It would seem to me that the American people are saying through these polls:1. We support gun owners individual right to own firearms.2. We support the state and federal government to regulate the ownership and sale of firearms.3. We do not support a ban on all firearms.

Yeah, I think that pretty well sums up the aggregate view of the American people towards gun control.

It's that 2nd one that tends to cause a lot of ruckus.

I, personally, am PRO registration simply because I do not recognize the legitimacy of the argument that we own guns to protect ourselves from the government, but we've already had it out on that issue once.

Otherwise, obviously, I don't support banning them and I also support, more or less, the idea that the states should be the ones regulating (short of perhaps assault weapons and stuff like that, but states should regulate, say, carry laws).

[Cold_Zero]

I can see a real advantage in law enforcement knowing what weapons were registered to a specific address, etc. should they get a report of a burglary, etc., at that address. It might save a cops life and I'm all for anything that does that.

In this case it doesnt really matter, because the police know they can not create a false sense of security when responding to a burglary. "Oh this house does not have any firearms so the burglar must not be armed." Wrong they always assume that a perpetrator is armed. It is the police's preparedness and training that keeps them alive. Not some list of who or who does not own a firearm. Also, think of the logistics of creating a database of who does or does not own a firearm (at the local level where most cities’ budgets are already tight), keeping it update to date with relevant information and then nexus-ing this database to the Law Enforcement’s database. Not to mention privacy issues and data security issues. No thank you that is why I live in a state that does not retain firearms sales information for more than 1 year and does not require you to register yourself (as a firearms owner) or your firearm.God Bless Indiana

[telcoman]

...that is why I live in a state that does not retain firearms sales information for more than 1 year and does not require you to register yourself (as a firearms owner) or your firearm.God Bless Indiana

Bud

I'm glad you are happy there

What a sorry *** state!

I'm sure glad to be living in a much more progressive state.

Telcoman

[audtatious]

And we are much happier to have people of your calibre not living here. Please, do not visit anymore either.

[smockers83]

Yes, stay in your sorry dirty *** metropolis full of crime and filth. You wouldn't know how to survive out of that environment.

[Jimefam]

That is exactly how I feel about guns. I want to be able to own them and I appreciate the fact that some states register gun owners wish mine did. I'm in favor of background checks no matter where you bought it. I just dont understand why someone with nothing ill in mind and nothing to hide would be opposed to registration and checks. Then again barack obama said something tonight that really resonated with me. He said that the perspective of a rural hunter in ohio is vastly different with an inner city resident of cleveland. Now this is obvious when thought about but it helps me reconcile the differences I see living now in rural a** cumming, ga to growing up in the middle of miami.

[szh]

Bud

I'm glad you are happy there

What a sorry *** state!

I'm sure glad to be living in a much more progressive state.

Boy, what a trolling statement!

Having driven through NJ - the armpit of the nation - many, many times in the past, and seen what it has to offer (not!), I am glad that I do not live there!

Z

[Cold_Zero]

That is exactly how I feel about guns. I want to be able to own them and I appreciate the fact that some states register gun owners wish mine did.

My apprehension is based more on federal mandates to register firearm owners or firearms themselves. Especially, when you as the firearm owner has done nothing wrong. I find it interesting that people yell, spit and cuss about police departments engaging in racial profiling, yet have no problem with the Government (be it Federal, State or Local) profiling its citizens who decide to exercise their constitutional right.

Quote »I'm in favor of background checks no matter where you bought it. I just dont understand why someone with nothing ill in mind and nothing to hide would be opposed to registration and checks. [/quote]I have submitted to two background checks to get my CCL. I had no problem doing so since I was petitioning the State of Indiana to license me to carry a firearm outside of my property, which is a privilege. Each time I buy a firearm at a gun show the dealer runs me through the Federal Database NICS to do a background check. I have only ever once bought a firearm from a gun store (which also did a background check.) I understand why we do this and personally I have no problem with the background check being performed always at the point of sale of a firearm. I don't even have a problem with the forms that I have to fill out. What I do have a problem with is the government (at any level) treating its citizenry like criminals by collecting and storing information because they have engaged in an activity that is not contrary to the principals of this country and is guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. I also have a real problem with the government collection information from its citizenry that can be later used against them in the future and how they store, secure and use that information. But hey, I am sure people will jump all over me because now we live in a post 9-11 world where we forfeit our freedoms for security. (BTW I am not a fan of the Patriot Act).

Make no mistake, if Telcoman had to register in a federal database because he was a union member, I would be adamantly opposed to such type of activity.Think about this guys, if the Federal, State or Local government wanted you (as a car owner) to register your car in a database system anytime you modified your car to make perform over the original manufacture's standard, so that law enforcement officers could be notified that if you decide to run from the police, or if your car is stolen, they know the performance characteristics of the car so that they can use the appropriate measures to stop the car. Would you guys *****, complain and feel like you are being harassed? These types of activities are meant to do one thing, discourage people from engaging in such activity. Taxes are no different.

Quote »Then again barack obama said something tonight that really resonated with me. He said that the perspective of a rural hunter in ohio is vastly different with an inner city resident of cleveland. Now this is obvious when thought about but it helps me reconcile the differences I see living now in rural a** cumming, ga to growing up in the middle of miami.[/quote]Obama, no matter what type of white washing his campaign does, will never get it. He never has and he never will. He comes from Chicago, where handguns are effectively illegal because you are not allowed to register them with the municipality. Yet they sit and scratch their head wondering why it is the home of the Gangster Disciples, they have a huge gang problem and a huge crime problem? I firmly think that the State of Indiana needs to sue the city of Chicago for the exportation of gangs to our state. I also resent politicians that come from the big city that look down their noses on people from rural areas. I have only ever lived in big cities or on military bases, but I have inlaw from rural Indiana and I will not look down my nose on their perspective or the culture in rural areas. I find people that come from big cities are just as prejudice than people who come from rural communities.

The only thing that resonates with me about Obama, is that he is a classically trained Socialist-Marxist from NYU and Harvard. The guy was trained by the likes of Saul Alinsky in Chicago and is good friends with some pretty radical people (Louis Farrakhan, William Ayers, Rev. Wright and Jesse Jackson). Sorry I have no use for someone like that. What made this country what it is today and I might say a pretty damn good country who does have problems but has a lot of potential is NOT a victim mentality that says, some force beyond your control has been acting against you and YOU need the federal government to step in, eradicate the problem and hold your hand for the rest of your life to make the entire situation right. No, what made this country great was self determination and yes a lot of hard work to break down barriers of all different types to make yourself better. But I understand why the Democratic mantra is so popular, it implies that you have to nothing except to vote for them and then sit back and be taken care of by Uncle Sam. It is really a platform laziness.