A new Washington Post/ABC News poll asked respondents, "Would you support or oppose a law requiring background checks on people buying guns at gun shows?" To understate matters, the results were one-sided.
Washington Post/ABC News poll
If you're having trouble making out the details, the poll found that 91% of Americans support the background checks. That includes 95% of self-identified Democrats, 91% of self-identified independents, and 87% of self-identified Republicans. What's more, this is broadly consistent with other independent polling in recent months.
It's worth emphasizing, in case it's not immediately obvious, that this kind of near-unanimity is extremely unusual in contemporary American politics. As partisan polarization has grown more intense in recent years with the Republican Party moving sharply to the right, the number of policy issues, especially involving hot-button controversies like gun policy, that enjoy 91% support has dwindled to an extremely small number.
Put it this way: support for expanded background checks is greater than support for monotheism and capitalism.
The timing of the poll is fortuitous for its proponents: the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to debate a bill today that would "broaden the requirement for federal background checks to nearly all firearms purchasers."
The NRA is already lobbying against the proposal -- remember, the NRA supported universal background checks as recently as the 1990s before changing its mind -- and a majority of congressional Republicans are expected to oppose the idea.
We talked last week about the collapsing talks to craft a bipartisan plan to close the gun-show loophole, and for now, there's been no progress towards a resolution. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is still leading the charge on background checks, but his GOP colleagues remain unwilling, at least for now, to sign on to the effort.
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All crazy people are required to carry a gun. The Constitoooshun says so.
Universal background checks will pass, even over NRA objections. The NRA is drawing an absolute like in response to the way the gun control debate is being waged. The vast majority of NRA members and all gun owners is in support of universal background checks.
Where the NRA and gun owners will draw the line, is in banning guns because they look mean or are made of black plastic, or banning the clips that the vast majority of semi-automatic guns today already have, thereby making them illegal to own or replace. The fact that the democrats keep beating that drum is what keeps us from getting some good legislation passed, and soon.
Where the NRA and gun owners will draw the line...
Speak for yourself, but don't lump all gun owners in with you. Gun nuts, maybe, but there are many many hunters out there that do not support the NRA on this issue.
And don't pretend that you represent the views of the majority of Americans. You don't.
Red Dog . You too can be a statistic. I love how you lot frame it about gun rights and then lie outright about banning guns.
What about the rights of the 2,605 killed by guns since Sandy Hook .
Click on some of the little children icon's and think about the families destroyed by gunfire. You will be proud to support guns guns guns . Good for 'Merikans.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2012/12/gun_death_tally_every_american_gun_death_since_newtown_sandy_hook_shooting.html
Illegal just means that you have to file for a tax stamp and pay for a personal federal backround check... and wait a couple months. Don't worry, you can still commit horrible crimes with heavy duty military equipment if you REALLY want to. The best part, it will all be legally obtained.
That's how I got one of my "toys" that I play with at the range. Funny part: I freely admit that it's a toy, a guilty pleasure, and people still act like I'm the devil for owning it. No matter how secure I keep it (and all of my firearms and ammo) in my home... no matter that I'm actually trained in using such equipment... no matter that I'm the most pro-regulation person I've ever met...
You just can't please everyone.
I'm for background checks myself, the question is, how do we implement them? NICS that law enforcement uses is not available to the public (for good reason). Are they (policians/government) going to open this system to public use, create another system?
I don't know, but how it will work is just as important as that it's required.
False Red Dog. It's not democrats that are preventing meaningful gun laws that will actually produce the wanted result- less violence.
It's the industries that own the politicians that make the laws that are the primary obstacles. It's ALWAYS about the money in this country, you should know that.
In the past universal background checks were expensive and difficult, but these days evolving technology makes background checks easy. Procedures can be put in place that lets grandpa hand his favorite shotgun down to his granddaughter.
Who is not opposed to sales to gang bangers and crazies?
NRA supports sales to everyone, no matter how crazy.
Frankly listening to people like Wayne LaPierre and Ted Nugent - they really make me support mental health screenings in addition to back-ground checks. It's their paranoia and their fears. See it's people that think like that that killed Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis - had their killers not been so paranoid about "young black boys" and been allowed to be locked & loaded and concealed I'm sure that those young men would still be around today.
I'm not sure that either party is totally responsible for the mess we are in with respect to gun sales and background checks. The results of this survey would seem to indicate that the general population is in favor of background checks. Basically this will close the loop on gun shows and the selling of weapons to just anybody who wants to purchase guns. There is no doubt that needs to be done. There are people that we don't want owning guns. Its a simple as that. I don't own any guns and will keep that status, but I respect others desire to own weapons. I just don't see the need for anybody going rabbit hunting with 100 round clips attached to their rifles. The rabbit shown in the Monty Python movie isn't real guys!
How many of the people being asked are familiar with the current law?
What would be their answer to the laws being the Same in Chicago as Austin?
What are the details of private seller access to nics?
Will 50 state carry("defeated" 58-39 in the Senate) be attached?
Are people shooting up the streets of Tampa and Denver(reasonable gun laws)
Or Chicago and DC(ridiculous gun laws)
Mark Kelley(democrat), the husband of Gabby Giffords(democrat) just went through a background check and purchased an AR-15 ässault weapon" änd a .45 semi auto pistol. I wonder what their gun control group/organization has to say about that ? btw- its on his facebook page. I wonder what Sen. Feinstein(democrat) will say about that ?
The country continues to be pushed around by nothing but punks, this time of the gun pervert variety. And it's allowed by the failure of the Constitution.
I think you could probably get the same consensus of whether free speech should be legal.
There's only one problem with this poll. Background checks are conducted at gun shows.
What if we ask the question differently. What if we ask, should a father be able to give his son a gun without having to contact the FBI?
I am disappointed in the coverage and the comments because there is no mention of the issue that prevented a compromise between Sen Schumer (D) and Coburn (R) on the Judiciary committee. I accept that 91.0% probably favor (as do I) universal background checks, as is already the case in the majority of gun purchases.
The divisive issue is whether the test results for those law abiding citizens who pass the test should be saved in a government database. What useful purpose could that database serve? What harm could be done by that database in malevolent hands?
Before you accuse me of paranoia, imagine how that database could have been used in the hands of Joe McCarthy, J. Edgar Hoover, Richard Nixon, or any of a myriad of other good public servants during our recent history.
For the record... as a 46-year-long member of the ACLU... I support the BILL of RIGHTS.
I believe that they are sacrosanct... and that INCLUDES the 2nd Amendment.
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
As written, it calls for a "well regulated militia" & "the security of a free State", which ostensibly described (and was a precursor) to what became our National Guard.
Primarily, this means that the Amendment protects a COLLECTIVE right akin to "life, liberty and the freedom to pursue happiness".
Also, as written it points to "the people"... as in "WE, the People"... COLLECTIVELY.
It does NOT say "all persons".
BIG difference.
Personally, I ALSO believe that people in America do INDEED HAVE A RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS AS INDIVIDUALS AS WELL... with the CAVEAT that the ownership / use of such weapons are "WELL REGULATED" likewise.
I don't believe felons convicted of violent crimes should be allowed to own firearms... and I ALSO do not feel that "law abiding" residents of the United States should have a Constitutionally protected right to buy / own any ordinance that they wish (automatic weaponry, bazookas, grenade launchers, stinger missiles, Abrams Tanks, tactical nukes, etc).
Even staunch right-wing advocates like Justice Antonin Scalia agrees that certain regulations are Constitutional.
I truly feel for these people who have lost loved ones. It is devestating to have to endure such pain. But I do not support universal background checks. I am a 26 yr old disabled woman. I am just trying to protect my constitutional right to bare arms. I feel like I must defend myself from my own government! The possability of universal background checks leads to a possability of a universal gun registry and is not worth the risk