A recent poll reveals the majority of U.S. people want to see gun regulations made harsher and believe that gun violence is rising across the country.
According to a survey conducted by the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 71% of Americans believe that gun laws should be more stringent, including a majority of Democrats, about half of Republicans, and most people who live in households with guns.
The study was conducted between July 28 and August 1 in response to a myriad of mass shootings that have raised awareness of the issue of gun violence, including those that occurred at a New York supermarket, a Texas school, and an Illinois Fourth of July parade, per an AP News report.
The poll indicated eight out of 10 Americans believe that gun violence is rising across the nation, with around two-thirds stating that it is rising in their state. Less than half, however, believe that gun violence is rising in their neighborhood.
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Politicians and many voters have long disagreed on the best ways to stop such violence, which makes it challenging to alter gun laws. A conservative majority on the Supreme Court decided in June to broaden gun rights by ruling that it is constitutionally protected to carry a gun in public for self-defense.
Later in the same month, a bipartisan bill on gun safety was signed by President Joe Biden. The package was passed in response to killings like the one in Uvalde, Texas, which killed 19 students and two teachers. It was a cautious compromise and landmark legislation passed by Congress in decades, showing how unsolvable the problem has become.
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The recent poll, per Fox 5, indicated bipartisan majorities of Americans support a nationwide background check policy for all gun sales, a law prohibiting mentally ill people from purchasing guns, allowing courts to temporarily ban individuals considered a danger to themselves or others from purchasing a gun, making 21 the minimum age to purchase a gun in every state, and a ban on those who have been convicted of domestic violence from purchasing a gun.
Poll Result Ends Arguments on Stricter Gun Laws
The National Rifle Association-led gun lobby claims that any further restrictions on who may possess a gun or what types of firearms may be sold will result in widespread bans on all weapons and ammunition. LA Times reported.
University of Chicago professor Jens Ludwig said the poll's findings suggest that fears made by opponents of gun regulations are "very off base."
According to Ludwig, who is also the director of the University of Chicago's Crime Lab, the study revealed that the majority of Americans' views are more complex and that support for specific reforms exists even among Republicans, who as elected officials traditionally reject gun regulation.
He said the survey result "should shut the door to some of the 'slippery slope' arguments."
A law enabling people to carry weapons in public without a permit is only supported by approximately 3 out of 10 Americans, according to the poll, with 78% of Democrats rejecting it. Republicans are divided 47% in favor and 39% against.
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