Growing Public Support for Gun Rights in America

More Are Now Saying That Guns Do More to Protect, Than Put People at Risk

In a recent poll by Pew Research Center,

There is more support for gun rights than gun control. Currently, 52% say it is more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns, while 46% say it is more important to control gun ownership.
Support for gun rights has edged up from earlier this year, and marks a substantial shift in attitudes since shortly after the Newtown school shootings, which occurred two years ago this Sunday.

Researchers note, “Support for gun rights has edged up from earlier this year, and marks a substantial shift in attitudes since shortly after the Newtown (Sandy Hook) school shootings, which occurred two years ago this Sunday.”

In January 2013, support for gun rights stood at 45 percent while 51 percent supported more gun control.

The latest national survey by the Pew Research Center, conducted Dec. 3-7 among 1,507 adults, also finds a shift in attitudes about whether gun ownership in this country does more to protect people or put people’s safety at risk. Nearly six-in-ten Americans (57%) say gun ownership does more to protect people from becoming victims of crime, while 38% say it does more to endanger personal safety. In the days after Newtown, 48% said guns do more to protect people and 37% said they placed people at risk.

Among its other findings:

57 percent of Americans say gun ownership does more to protect people from becoming victims of crime, while 38 percent say it does more to endanger personal safety.
54 percent of blacks say gun ownership does more to protect people than endanger personal safety, nearly double the percentage saying this in December 2012 (29 percent).
62 of whites view guns as doing more to protect people, up from 54 percent in December 2012.
80 percent of Republicans say guns do more to protect people.
60 percent of Democrats say guns do more to put people at risk.

Source: http://www.people-press.org/2014/12/10/growing-public-support-for-gun-rights/