Pew Research: In Gun Control Debate, Several Options Draw Majority Support

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How the heck are the more people in favor of banning semi-autos than assault style weapons?

DISCLAIMER: I realize they are one in the same. Just surprised as semi's should "sound" more benign.

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How the heck are the more people in favor of banning semi-autos than assault style weapons?
There is no difference between the two, same exact mechanism. I haunt other gun forums, one of the most appalling is m4carbine.net, where I'd say that at least 70% of the membership is more then eager to appear reasonable, and enact sweeping federal intrusions.

Some of these "reasonable" members brazenly have all of their so-called "NRA-bonafides" listed in the sig lines, as though they are righteous defenders of the 2nd, which they are not. This is called "elitism!" We will lose all, if that mentality is not swiftly corrected.
 
How the heck are the more people in favor of banning semi-autos than assault style weapons?

Is there an official definition for "assault style weapons?" Perhaps different people are thinking of different firearms when they hear/read this term.

~edit to remove double quote~
 
All this poll shows is the appalling ignorance of most people about guns. Given that ignorance, the poll results can be skewed (toward the results that the pollster wants) simply by the wording of the questions.

The only "polls" that count right now are the feedback that the elected representatives are receiving from their constituents.
 
Amen to that. Call your congressman and 2 senators at least once a week and simply say: " No compromise on 2A!"
It's a numbers game at this point.
3 calls a week. next 7 weeks.
:)
 
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When ask, people have opinions about most anything, but they don't necessarily indicate what issues will be most important to them when (if) they vote.

On the other hand gun owners have a lot of reasons to care about this issue, and will be out for blood come the 2014 election. I predict a replay of 1994 after the 1st. AWB was passed.

I mean, 4 million, 300 thousand background checks on gunbuyers in 8 weeks???
 
this is at odds with the gallup data I last saw, which was showing a deviation of about 15-20% towards the PRO side on each question. Particularly, a majority do NOT support AWB, magazine restrictions, as opposed to a majority that DID in 1992-1994.

If these pew numbers are honest, they're heavily skewed by temporary emotion

an overall look, HEAVY on emotion w/sandy hook.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/159824/americans-dissatisfaction-gun-laws-spikes.aspx?ref=image
 
Something tells me your average American does not know what a semi-automatic is, and just assume it means full-auto.
 
Polls are easily manipulated. What questions you ask. How they are asked. To whom you ask. etc, etc, etc. - - - -As for what some guy "Nate Silver?" says - who the heck is that ? And who cares. What relevance is there to this issue and poll.

What really matters in all this isn't what the general uninformed public thinks, - but what citizens who are gunowners think. And what they are willing to do, or not do.
 
Something tells me your average American does not know what a semi-automatic is, and just assume it means full-auto.

And I wonder where they get that from? I watched the ABC evening news last night. They mentioned the "possible AWB ban." First video they showed was a guy with an AR-15 firing fast single shots. Then the next shot was of a guy emptying a magazine from an obviously full auto AK. Yeah, I can walk into a gun store right now and buy one of those!!

Gregg
 
These questions are phrased in a way that exploits a lack of knowledge on the part of the general public about what regulations are already in place. When they are asked if people should have to have background checks at gun shows, they don't already know that the law is the same at a gun show as it is everywhere else. They have been led to believe that there is some kind of exception at a gun show, that this is where people congregate to get around the law.

They don't already know that there are laws in place preventing the mentally ill from purchasing guns.

They don't know the difference between semi and auto.

They have no idea what an assault style weapon is or isn't.

They have no idea what a high or standard capacity magazine is or how either one would be used.
 
Even if we are in a minority on some issues, I think the pro-gun folks tend to care about this issue a lot more than the antis, and are more active in promoting their views. On these issues, we just need to keep doing the whole "irate and tireless minority" thing. Even a minority can get a politician kicked out of office if they raise enough hell. We need to make it dangerous for a politician to vote anti gun.
 
When ask, people have opinions about most anything, but they don't necessarily indicate what issues will be most important to them when (if) they vote.

On the other hand gun owners have a lot of reasons to care about this issue, and will be out for blood come the 2014 election. I predict a replay of 1994 after the 1st. AWB was passed.

I mean, 4 million, 300 thousand background checks on gunbuyers in 8 weeks???
I'm sorry, but I do not expect that to occur, I fully expect that the wrong people will once again be handed a super majority, with Pelosi becoming SOH a second time. This is almost a certainty. No matter what happens the next few days, Obama gets his super majority back in 14.
 
The irony of this can not be avoided -

College graduates are much more supportive than those with less education of banning high-capacity ammunition clips and assault-style weapons.

How can Pew use such mangled terms as "ammunition clip" for magazine and "assault-style weapons".

I'm concerned that the terms were intentionally negative. A rifle is a firearm, not a weapon by definition. Why use "semi-automatic weapon" instead of firearm or rifle unless you wanted a negative association with the word weapon?
 
I'm concerned that the terms were intentionally negative. A rifle is a firearm, not a weapon by definition. Why use "semi-automatic weapon" instead of firearm or rifle unless you wanted a negative association with the word weapon?

Exactly. Well put. As someone else mentioned I would guess this poll was a bit skewed by the questions, the terms, and probably the sampling. Based on the general tenor here and in many other sites I would bet things are much more closer to 50% both ways, as is the rest of the country on just about any other subject!
 
It is of note that all of the percentages on the Pew Reseach polls are still some of the LOWEST they have ever recorded.

According to Pew Research, more Americans supported an Assault Weapons ban 2010 than they do now. And even more Americans supported one in 2008.
 
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