Public Support for the Shooting Sports

I guess this goes in the “we’re winning” column, but the optimist in me sees room for improvement.

Seventy-one percent of those polled approve of recreational shooting, with 44 percent strongly approving. …

The most noteworthy part of the survey documents a slight but consistent upward trend in American opinions favoring shooting sports. In 2001, 59 percent indicated shooting sports were “perfectly acceptable.” In 2006 the percentage had climbed to 63 percent; this year shooting sports are “perfectly acceptable” to 66 percent. In contrast, the percentage of Americans who said “shooting sports are inappropriate” dropped from 11 percent (2001) to 5 percent (2011).