Stricter Gun Laws Supported In Recent Poll

Despite many people still being against stricter gun laws, a recent poll shows that the support for a change is growing. The poll comes after more shootings, and a report that claims a toddler or child is killed on a weekly basis due to gunshot wounds. It also helps that Australia’s decision to introduce stricter laws on firearms has helped to reduce mass shootings.

According to the Dallas Morning News, the number of Americans in favor of stricter laws has increased slightly compared to the number two years ago. However, it is clear that the country overall is still deeply divided. It shows that 60 percent of Republicans want to keep the gun laws the same or want to see them loosened. Democrats are more in favor of tightening the current laws, with 80 percent in favor. They are not completely alone, with 37 percent of Republicans wanting to see tighter laws when it comes to guns.

The number of people in total wanting to see stricter gun laws has increased by six percent since December 2013. It was in that year that Sandy Hook Elementary School was attacked, with a number of children being killed. Only 12 percent in the most recent poll say that the laws surrounding guns should be less strict, with 27 percent in favor of keeping the laws the same.

It is a difficult subject, especially as many political campaigns are supported by firearm groups. Until funding changes, it is unlikely that the laws surrounding guns will change considerably. However, there have been some positive moves in recent weeks to keep children safe. Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted on stricter laws for the storage of guns. Unfortunately, many of the toddler and child shootings are results of accidents in the home due to guns not being stored properly. Gun owners now must store their firearms in locked cabinets. The handguns must also be disabled and when on a person, must be close to that person.

The National Rifle Association is against the storage laws, saying that gun owners should “choose the safest storage options for their household.” It is not a one-size-fits-all situation to keep children safe. The NRA believes that it affects the Second Amendment Rights.

While changes to gun laws may go against the Second Amendment, the whole point of amendments is to make changes as times and situations change. Australia made a positive change to keep individuals safe after a gunman open fired on seaside tourists in 1996. It took just 12 days for the government at the time to change the law, a policy that still remains today. The shooting is still considered the worst Australian mass murder, supporting stricter gun laws can help to reduce gun crime.

The United Kingdom also has a lower gun crime rate. Guns are not completely banned, but owners must have permits and training. The firearms are available for hunters and farmers under strict circumstances. Those in America who claim that banning guns would be bad for hunters and farmers just have to look at the UK’s method of gun control to see that it does work.

While gun crime is still a problem in Australia and the United Kingdom, it is not on the same scale as in the United States. In Australia, gun crime dropped by 59 percent between 1995 and 2006, according to Slate. Suicide by gun also dropped by 65 percent, and armed robberies saw a decrease.

With gun crime and mass murders through shootings on the rise, it appears that American citizens finally want something to happen. The number of people calling for stricter gun laws is on the rise, albeit a slow rise.

[Featured photo by David McNew/Getty Images]