Almost 90 Percent Of Americans Support Expansion Of Background Checks For Gun Control, Says WSJ/NBC Poll
A Wall Sreet Journal/NBC poll of 834 registered voters conducted between August 10 and 14 suggests that 89 percent of Americans are in favor of Congress expanding background checks to cover all firearm sales and transfers. In addition, Axios reported that 79 percent are in favor of “red flag” laws that aim to give law enforcement the power to remove guns from people that are believed to be a danger to themselves or others.
Despite widespread support for expanding gun control laws, Americans are still conflicted over the role the government plays in controlling firearms. While 50 percent are worried that government actions won’t be enough to effectively regulate firearm access, 45 percent are concerned the laws will be too restrictive. To further complicate matters, only 46 percent of the people surveyed had a gun in their household.
A recent Fox News poll also reveals that the majority of Americans support a ban on assault weapons — a ban that Bill Clinton put in place for 10 years back in 1994.
Gun control has become an important issue for Americans following the back-to-back shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. But per The Inquisitr, Republicans are standing their ground, and The Hill reported that a recently circulated memo written by Richard Hudson suggests the party is trying to focus on the violence committed by Democrats.
“In most cases, the media coverage has portrayed Democrats as caring and trying to do something and Republicans as uncaring and unwilling to do anything,” Hudson wrote in the memo. “The truth is all Americans are affected by these shootings, and we all want to do something.”
According to an NBC News/WSJ poll conducted after El Paso and Dayton:
• 89% of voters favor expanding background checks
• 76% back "red flag" laws
• 75% support voluntary gun buybacks https://t.co/ThA1IfVLxn— Axios (@axios) August 18, 2019
According to Deutsche Welle, gun control activists held rallies across the United States — including cities like San Francisco and Baltimore — on Sunday as a response to the recent mass shootings. The “Recess Rallies” included signs that said “Disarm hate” and “Change gun laws or change Congress.”
The name of the rallies stems from the fact that the United States Congress has yet to return from its summer recess. Democrats claim to be planning to head back to work early and longtime gun control opposer, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, says he will be reviewing gun bills his priority when the Senate is back in session.
As of now, the Democratic-run House of Representatives has approved a draft law to expand background checks on individuals seeking to purchase guns. Now, the bill must make its way through the Republican-led Senate, which could very well shoot down the proposal.
