More Americans Want Less Gun Control, But The Debate Still Divides The Country
America has traditionally been a gun-loving country. Americans have easier legal access to guns than any other country in the world. In fact, as far as gun-related violence is concerned, America seems to be on the top of the world. Unsurprisingly, a recent poll shows that support for tighter controls on gun availability is rapidly declining.
A new Gallup poll conducted recently unearthed an interesting change in the mindset of Americans regarding access to guns. The poll results indicated that support for stricter gun control has been on the decline in a major way since 2012. But the question does bring out the bitter partisan divides among the demographics.
As compared to 2012, when 58 percent of Americans were in support of tighter gun control, the 2014 poll indicates a sharp 11 point drop. Only 47 percent of Americans now feel gun control is essential. Incidentally, the historic low was reached in 2011, when support for stricter gun laws had fallen to just 43 percent. More than 33 percent of Americans strongly believe that gun regulations are fine the way they are now and they needn’t be altered. However, about 14 percent believe that gun control laws are already way stricter than they should be. These people feel gun control laws should be further loosened.
When the issue of gun control surfaces, the political differences become more apparent than ever. Needless to say, Democrats still come out on top by far for increasing gun control. About 71 percent of Democrats are in favor intensifying gun control laws, however, this figure too is down from 79 percent in 2012. But surprisingly, even Republicans dropped from 39 percent who were in support for stricter laws to 29 percent in 2014. But the sharpest decline in support for stricter gun control laws was observed in Conservatives where only 32 percent feel stricter laws are necessary. In 2012, 44 percent believed so.
Men have always been more passionate about guns than women. So judging by the common consensus, it was understandable that support of gun control laws among men fell from 47 percent to 40 percent. However, even in case of women, the support fell even sharper. About 55 percent women now want stricter gun control laws. In 2012, 69 percent women felt guns were too easy to get in America, reported Townhall Magazine.
In summary, the Gallup poll revealed a near record-breaking high of 73 percent of Americans strongly believe that handguns should not be banned. Though the Gallup poll consisted of a little over 1,000 adults, does the poll indicate America still dearly loves its personal arms and ammunition?
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