Support for tougher gun control laws is soaring in the U.S., according to a new poll that found a majority of gun owners and half of Republicans favor new laws to address gun violence after a Florida school shooting left 17 dead and led to nationwide protests, reports the Associated Press.
The poll, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that nearly 7 in 10 adults now favor stricter gun control measures. That’s the strongest level of support since AP first asked the question five years ago. The new poll also found that nearly half of Americans do not expect elected officials to take action.
“It feels hopeless,” said Elizabeth Tageson-Bedwin, 30, of Durham, N.C., a Republican who teaches 7th grade English. “Considering recent events, gun control in this country needs to be stricter — and it can be without infringing on anyone’s rights.”
Overall, 69 percent of Americans think U.S. gun laws should be made stricter. That’s up from 61 percent who said the same in October 2016 and 55 percent when the AP first asked the question in October 2013. Sixty percent believe that making it harder to obtain a gun legally would result in fewer mass shootings; just 49 percent said the same in the 2016 poll.
The new poll finds support for specific gun control measures even among those who bristle at the term “gun control.” “That’s what Hitler did,” said Flora McIntyre, of Simi Valley, Ca., repeating a common, inaccurate, line of criticism. When asked about specific gun control prescriptions, the 82-year-old retired nurse, who said she owns a rifle and a .44 Magnum, favored stronger background checks and limits on the number of bullets allowed in a gun magazine. She opposes President Trump’s plan to give guns to trained teachers.