Will Misenheimer

Deby Jizi
UWRT 1102-028
29 February 2016

Double Entry Journal

Citation:
Sage Publications. From the Polls: Gun Control. Sage Journals. January 2003. Web. 29
February 2016.

Source: Quote (Page# or Paragraph #)

Responses

1--Given that more than 40 percent of

Americans own or have access to firearms,
one might suspect that we have a strong
affection for guns and gun ownership rights.

I can certainly believe this statistic. The

county that I am from, Randolph County, is
ranked 11th in the nation in average firearms
per family. This country certainly has a proven
love for firearms.

1--For instance, a Harris Poll taken in 1998,

a year before the Columbine incident, shows
that nearly 70 percent of Americans favor
stricter gun control.

I can believe that this is a true statistic. Even

years later in 2016, many people want to see
that a stricter gun control policy is
implemented.

1--The same poll finds that even most gun

owners (57 percent) support stricter gun
controlversus 32 percent who would like
to see less strict gun control.

These numbers tell a lot. This means that 57

percent of American gun owners would like to
see stricter gun control, while 32 percent
disagree. This must speak to the process of
obtaining firearms in the 1990s if 57 percent
of American gun owners would like to see
more gun control.

1--A more recent ABCNews.com poll (May

2002), however, finds just 57 percent of all
Americans favor stricter gun control laws.
And according to a January 2003 Gallup
survey, when respondents are given the
option of allowing the gun laws to remain as
they are, the percentage that supports
stricter gun laws goes down to 51 percent.

This is a very interesting statistic. Essentially,

what I take from this is that about half of the
American population is somewhat content
with the gun laws of the early 2000s.

1--Support for stricter laws covering the

It makes me wonder why people became

sale of firearms has gone down by more

than 10 percentage points since the early
1990s, with a similar increase in support for
keeping laws, as they are now.

more content with the laws regarding the sale

of firearms. Perhaps new laws were created
that made people more content?

1--Ironically, these trends occurred after the

notorious shooting incidents of the late
1990s.

This leads me to believe that people became

more cautious after the shootings of the
1990s and perhaps believed that they would
be safer if they obtained weapons
themselves.

1--According to an ABC News/Washington

Post poll conducted in late August and early
September of 1999, 90 percent of
Americans support a law requiring
background checks on people buying guns
at gun shows.

I definitely agree with this. As a matter of fact,

when I bought my rifle, I was put through the
background check. I believe that a
background check is a necessity when selling
a firearm to someone.

1--79 percent support a law requiring

trigger locks on all stored guns.

I can understand the main idea of this belief. I

think that the main idea is to make sure that
the only person that can fire the gun is the
one with the key and most likely, the gun
owner.

1--77 percent support a law requiring a

nationwide ban on the sale of assault
weapons.

I also understand what the main idea of this

belief is. This is basically saying that there is
no need for anyone to own an assault rifle
and that it may pose a severe threat due to its
military-grade specifications.

1--75 percent even support a law requiring

all handgun owners to register their firearms
with the government, a policy detested by
gun control opponents.

I believe that the main idea behind this notion

is to track all firearms and if an ordeal is to
occur, the firearm and its owner will be
feasibly deduced. I can imagine why those
who were against gun control would oppose
it. They probably felt as if freedoms had been
taken and their privacy had been violated.

1--However, the same poll found that most

Americans, 65 percent, oppose a
nationwide ban on the sale of handguns,
except to law enforcement officers.

This tells me that the majority of the American

population in 1999 respects and appreciates
the right to protect oneself by means of arms.

1--According to the 2002 ABCNews.com

poll, more than 70 percent of Americans
interpret this amendment to mean that
individuals are guaranteed the right to own
guns in addition to states being permitted to
have militias.

This is a direct statement that the American

population appreciates and upholds the
values of the 2nd Amendment. This is a
statement that the people recognize that they
are guaranteed the right to bear arms, but do
they like the right?

1--Thus, it seems that the violent images on

I could not agree more. The majority of the

the television news each evening conjure up

two competing concerns for Americans: the
desire to regulate guns, and the desire to
protect themselvesrights that they believe
are guaranteed in the Constitution.

debates that take place over gun control are

divided by 2 sides: those who want to ensure
that they can protect themselves and those
who would like to regulate guns.

Summary
The main idea of this thought is that in 1998, most Americans believe that stricter gun
control is necessary and support it. It is also saying that most Americans believe that the
citizens right to own guns is covered in the 2nd Amendment. My question is how many of them
agree with it? This article also says that the gun control debate has divided the population into 2
sides: those who believe that firearms should be regulated and those who wish to protect
themselves.