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By Larry Keane

Lost in the storm of hurricane coverage, a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll demonstrates Americans’ growing support for gun rights.

The August survey of 1200 adults nationwide covers a range of current issues, including gun control.

Guns as a Voting Issue

When asked about the relative importance of issues when it comes time to vote, guns took the top slot. While the survey doesn’t show the split between those voting on gun rights vs. gun control, it’s clear that Americans see the Second Amendment as a major issue.

Now, let me read you a number of issues that create much discussion, but unlike foreign policy, national defense, and the economy, they sometimes do not get as much attention. Of these issues, which one or two, if any, are important enough to you to have an impact on how you vote in an election?

On Government Regulation

Subsequent questions make it clear that gun rights supporters are not only more likely to be voting on the issue but are growing in number. When asked which of two statements was more concerning, a majority said: “The government will go too far in restricting the rights of citizens to own guns.” Compared to the same question asked in 1995, Americans are far less concerned that the government will not do enough to regulate access to firearms.

Gun Rights Sentiment and Gun Ownership on the Rise

Driving this pro-Second Amendment sentiment is an increase in the number of respondents saying they have a gun in the household. As we have discussed here before, there is an understandable reluctance to report firearm ownership on public opinion surveys. While the 48 percent figure reported in this poll is likely lower than reality, it is worth noting the upward trend in households with firearms.

These three charts paint a clear picture. Americans care about their gun rights and are increasingly exercising those rights. With a majority of Americans concerned that the government will impose new gun control measures, elected officials can’t afford to ignore the results of this survey.

This article originally appeared at nssf.org and is reprinted here with permission. 

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15 COMMENTS

  1. This what *winning* the culture war on gun rights looks like.

    THANK YOU, Hollywood, for continuing to show guns being used to right a wrong, save the day, and win the love (or at least the lust) interest of your actors.

    Thank you for putting guns in the hands of people your audience so badly wants to identify with, Hollywood.

    We couldn’t have won this culture war without you, Hollywood!

    Keep up the good work!

    *snicker* 🙂

  2. I don’t see the positive in this at all. There is a significant segment of our population that is convinced the Constitution and Bill of Rights are outdated and need to go. Hillary is screeching to end the Electoral College and a whole shitload of folks voted for her. That’s really scary.

    • Last I looked, she lost.
      The only news out of her lately is, “whaaa! Y’all didn’t give me what I’m entitled to and I’m still not over it!”

    • With bluer-than-blue states contemplating allowing illegal aliens to vote, they are making themselves even bluer. That will ensure, even more so, that the Electoral College will never go away. As if it ever was.

      • “With bluer-than-blue states contemplating allowing illegal aliens to vote,…”

        CONTEMPLATING?

        If we get a solid conservative SCOTUS, voter ID laws must be found constitutional.

        As others in TTAG have noted, if it’s *required* to have an ID to buy a gun, board a commercial airliner, or buy alcohol if you appear young, voter ID should be treated the same…

  3. The country is become more factionalized on this issue (and everything else basically). But IN GENERAL over the last 20 years we’ve been winning.

    Which by the way is exactly the reason to keep reaching out to non-traditional gun owners, keep working to buy or work with media organizations, keep talking about self-defense and responsibility. And NOT to run Dana Loesch videos endlessly with older white people supporting Donald Trump. I mean, basically we should support Donald Trump, get the vote out, and we want him because he is more likely to appoint SCOTUS justices who will support the Second Amendment. But making antifa and all of that the center of outreach activities is counterproductive.

    • Two key names to help us win: Colion Noir and Maj Toure.
      Winning will be defined when even those who don’t own a gun still recognise those names.

  4. Looking at that top graph, the mainstream media would have us believe the exact opposite in terms of what’s important to Americans. It’s amazing, they are literally inverting everything the majority of us care about and trying to pass that off as legitimate.

  5. Sure would like some outfit to conduct a survey with a statistically significant number of respondents, and at least a few rationally constructed questions. This survey simply doesn’t do that job.

  6. These survey/polls mean absolutely nothing. 1200 people out of the roughly 200 million adults in this country is a joke. Everyone likes to use poll numbers to support their cause. The only poll numbers that have any true meaning are taken every 2 years. That being the ones cast in the ballot box. Don’t take me wrong I am a staunch 2A supporter. I’m also smart enough when some is trying to blow smoke up my ass.

    • Bingo! Gun owners were crying a river when a small insignificant poll found that 80% of Americans want background checks. BUT, when a small insignificant poll comes out saying gun control is disliked they all circle around town screaming victory from their cars.

      The war is not over, not by a long shot. The Communist party is making a comeback in America. More and more people want to socialize everything and with that will come more gun control. We need to hit them hard and fast every single day of our lives as our rights will never be safe.

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