Sticking to your guns

Forty-five percent of Americans live in a house with one gun or more in the household. This general opinion, along with the sheer political power of the National Rifle Association (NRA) are the largest factors that which contribute to the argument, refueled yet again by the Newtown Shooting, on whether or not America should change its gun policies.

According to this BusinessWeek article by Paul M. Barrett, “the NRA wins because it’s popular with a broad swath of Americans, especially Republicans. It [the NRA] knows how to muscle politicians with perfectly legal, out-in-the-open, grass-roots campaigns.”

It’s worked for this long, and seemingly, the power of the NRA is undiminished in their fight to maintain firearm availability for Americans.

For me, it poses the question: Is there some credibility in the statement, “the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun, is a good guy with a gun”?

Despite whether that’s true or not, here are the facts on the American opinion of guns (according to Gallup’s recent poll):

·         Fifty-four percent of Americans have a favorable opinion of the gun lobby.

·         More than 80 percent of Republicans have favorable views of the NRA.

·         The slight majority of independents share the positive opinion.

·         Less than 40 percent of Democrats have a favorable view.

·         Forty-nine percent of Americans polled are opposed to a ban on assault weapons.

Additionally, in 2004, 44 percent of polled Americans said they would support a renewed ban; 49 percent opposed one. Remarkably, Gallup’s December poll produced nearly identical results on similar questions, including those about assault weapons, making a renewed ban seem unnecessary.

You can find more stats, here.

                                                                     

Many believe that these figures explain why the Republican Party opposes tougher gun control, states Barrett and I’d have to agree. Even after the Newtown Shooting, it seems that the majority of the general public, though it is a slight majority, opposes more control over their firearms.

As a member of the 45 percent that live, or have lived in a house with one or more guns, I’m torn on this issue. While I do not what to see the re-occurrence of shootings like the one in Newtown, I still believe that my father should have a right to his guns, as well as myself if need be. Many argue that a serial killer will still kill, with or without guns, or they will obtain them illegally (another issue to consider)—and this, I believe, is undeniable.

Taking into account previous failed policies pertaining to gun-free school zones, increased security expenses, and the belief that media is steering our youth to recreational use of weapons and casual violence, where do you stand on America’s next step in this process?