You would never have seen numbers like this in the mid-1990s. Most people seem to favor restrictions on felons and the mentally ill, but beyond that there’s sharp division. Even on this particular topic:
Just over half of Americans (53%) see a national registry of firearm owners as reasonable, while roughly half say the same of outlawing fully automatic firearms (49%). Fewer Americans favor limiting either clip sizes (41%) or the number of firearms an individual can own (34%).
So we’re not even at a bare majority on outlawing fully automatics these days? I remember when we were pushing 2/3rds of American supporting semi-auto bans (granted, likely out of confusion, but still) in the 1990s. The poll also still show that there’s a significant gap between Republicans and Democrats on this issue, though it’s worth noting you still have about 20% of Dems who aren’t too fond of more gun control.
If these numbers are real, you could very well see a major sea change in this issue once we’re rid of Obama.
… makes me wonder how many of that 49% realize that machineguns are (effectively) outlawed now?
(And I’ve never even understood what the rationale for gun-count limits was supposed to be – is there some epidemic of guys carrying 10 firearms on murder sprees that I’ve never run across?
I understand why anti-gun people want magazine limits and semi-auto bans; I disagree, but it makes a form of sense compared with real-world actions. It’s wrong but not insane.
The ownership limit thing never has.)
I think the strategy of confusing semi with full auto is backfiring. If most people think the typical AR is full auto but they are against assault weapons bans then it’s a win for us.
I’ve been pointing this out for years.
The antis have persuaded millions that AR-15s are M16s, and then they still gotten trounced solidly at the polls and in the legislatures.
If only gun rights activists somehow figured out how to exploit this fact.
Yeah, But once we get rid of Obama his replacement will be Hitlery. According to the media it is already a foregone conclusion.
Probably inevitable. Young people want legal pot, same-sex marriage — but they aren’t libertarians. They believe in forcing people out of business for not baking gay wedding cakes or agreeing to photograph gay weddings, prohibiting “Satan’s stone” (coal), and mandating Green stuff that will bankrupt the country (and enrich the appropriately connected billionaires). I am sure all you people in your 30s and 40s are going to enjoy living in a Pink Swastika country. I’ll likely be dead, or close, by that point.
I’m in my 40’s, but I’ll be dead before I live in pink-swastika country. That’s just how I roll.
I don’t share your optimism that the expiration of ‘Bama’s term will result in a sea change on gun rights. Historically, Republicans on the national level don’t overturn firearms legislation; rather, they merely don’t act as aggressively to further restrict it.
Waidaminnint. FIFTY THREE percent see a national gun registry as REASONABLE?
I don’t see that as a good thing, AT ALL.
That number is actually down from what it used to be. A lot of people think registration is reasonable.
Right… However, just because it is the “most reasonable” out of the bunch does not make it reasonable. The gun control numbers will continue to fall regardless of 2016. I’m glad to see to see the support down. You’re right. If you compare the support for the AWB in 1994 to support now, it’s a positive change. I wasn’t even old enough then to get into the fight. It’s great to see that we are fighting in a lot more places now than we were then, too.
Amen.
Define mentally ill. Because a good chunk of Americans are considered to have some form of mental illness.
I sure as hell don’t want these fruitbats in charge defining it, that’s for sure.