Six in ten Americans, including four in ten gun owners, say it’s more important to control gun violence than to protect gun rights – the highest percentage in a decade, according to a new poll.
The national NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll out Wednesday comes one year after the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. In 2013, Americans were evenly split on the issue, the group found.
The poll of nearly 1,300 adults found Democrats overwhelmingly agree controlling gun violence is more important than protecting gun rights (88%), and about 55% of independents say the same. While 67% of Republicans think it is more important to protect gun rights, 32% say controlling gun violence should be the priority, the poll found.
The poll, conducted May 15 through May 18, also found a growing proportion of Americans (40%) say their local schools are not safe from gun violence, up from 30% in February of 2019.
About 41% say they or someone they know has experienced gun violence, the poll found.
A little more than a quarter of Americans say banning the sale of semi-automatic “assault weapons” would be the most impactful measure to reduce gun violence. Another 17% said mental health screenings for all gun buyers would make the most difference. Others opted for background checks for gun purchases at gun shows and other private sales (13%), red flag laws (12%) and allowing teachers to carry guns in classrooms (10%).
The poll found a “notable” 20% of Americans do not think any of these options would have an impact on gun violence in the U.S.
Americans’ views of “stand your ground laws” remain similar to a decade ago, the poll found. Nearly six in ten approve of the laws, generally, with stark divides along political lines. About 81% of Republicans and 57% of independents approve of these laws while 60% of Democrats disapprove, the poll found.
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