One nation under gun sense: Two studies show room for common ground

""But the truth is, the American public has evolved far faster than the political class when it comes to gun laws. Go to any focus group in states with the highest gun ownership rates in this country, and you’ll hear avid hunters, Second Amendment-supporting voters, proclaim that protecting their right to bear arms is a huge priority for them — while at the same time, they are exasperated with the politicians who can’t seem to make any progress on doing more to prevent gun violence.
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Take, for instance, a Quinnipiac University poll released last week that found 94% of Americans support requiring background checks on all gun buyers. Among people who live in homes with guns, the figure is 92%.
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The response to Pew’s opening question about whether “it is more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns, or to control gun ownership” shows a positive trend over past surveys toward gun sense. This year, the results revealed a 52-46 margin, closer than in the past.
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Now is the time to listen to the voters and not the political rhetoric that too often clouds progress. The latest results from Pew and from Quinnipiac tell the truth about America’s feeling and attitudes towards guns — and shows the possibilities for the best of both worlds: respect for the Second Amendment along with common-sense gun safety standards.""

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/nation-gun-sense-article-1.3291899

The Pew poll cited in the last paragraph is also cited to show that when asked about various gun law proposals a large majority of respondents support almost all 'gun control' measures. I've thought this to be true for quite sometime.

Another article I won't bother to cite here points out that 'gun rights' supporters are more likely to vote on that single issue than voters at large.

I've used ' ' marks above to emphasize 'gun control' as a euphemism for any legislation that applies to who has access to guns--it isn't about controlling guns, it's about determining who should have that access. I also used ' ' to isolate 'gun rights' advocates because this group of people isn't the mainstream of gun owners. They are the people commonly referred to as gun nuts, 2nd Amendment absolutist, gun humpers and a number of other derogatory terms.

They are the minority, the very small minority, of people who will believe anything the gun lobby tells them. Things like Democrats are going to take your guns away, suppressors (silencers) protect your hearing, the 2nd Amendment guarantees the right to own and carry any kind of weapon anywhere any time for any purpose and that everyone who doesn't agree with these principals is GOING TO TAKE YOUR GUNS AWAY.

So to that small group of people I say it is your right to believe those things as silly as they are. Just own it. Go out and have t shirt made with "I am a (pick your favorite nomenclature)!" Don't believe or even pretend to believe that you and your viewpoint are in any way mainstream.