Gun-Control Support Drops Amid Growing Crime and Firearm Purchases

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Source: The Wall Street Journal.

U.S.

Gun-Control Support Drops Amid Growing Crime and Firearm Purchases

A new survey by Gallup found that 52% of U.S. adults want stricter gun laws and 19% support a ban on handguns

By Zusha Elinson
https://twitter.com/ZushaElinson
[e-mail]
Nov. 17, 2021 4:00 am ET

Americans’ support for stricter gun-control measures has fallen to its lowest level since 2014, according to a poll released Wednesday by Gallup.

The results of the October survey come as the number of violent crimes, including murder, has risen and after Americans purchased a record number of guns in 2020.

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Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/gun-control-support-drops-amid-growing-crime-and-firearm-purchases-11637139601

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Cameron McWhirter Retweeted

https://twitter.com/cammcwhirter

With violent crime rising and more firearms purchased during the pandemic than ever before, Americans' support for gun control is falling. https://wsj.com/articles/gun-control-support-drops-amid-growing-crime-and-firearm-purchases-11637139601?mod=djem10point

Link to tweet

[Traildogbob]

1. People

Are not willing to sit and wait for trump armies to storm their neighborhoods. I have a little surprise for any red hats coming up my hill. I served all over the world to protect the whole damn country. Better believe I will protect my little piece of dirt from American terrorists.

[Kaleva]

6. Causalities are expected and accepted in the regular military. Not so much when family is involved

I'm not going to risk any member of my family or myself for a piece of dirt.

As I've told my wife many times, it doesn't matter where we live. Home is where she is. if it comes down to living in a tent deep in the nearby national forest, that'll be home if she's with me.

[Traildogbob]

14. What's your longest tent tip?

Takes a lot more to survive than love, no matter how many songs say so. My wife died to cancer. My daughter is a successful ICU nurse. I live on my piece of dirt with my two labs. Most all my days are spent in surrounding forests and mountains. No trails needed. I can easily survive there. But if some asshole comes up here to take what I worked a lifetime for, I will fucking fight to keep it. Lost my fear in 8 years of service. Damn sure will not run and let these coward wannabe shit stains take a damn thing. I will not take a second to consider bringing blood to protect my daughter from terrorists sponsored by trump. Like throughout history, a small minority of us put our life on the line for this place, and it will always be that way. But somebody has to take a stand, my oath still stands.
If you think the enemy will let you walk away to the forest while they take all you have, you have not faced an enemy of war on a battlefield or in a jungle. I will go down fighting. Was trained to do just that. Pretty sure Uber Eats does not deliver to the Forest. Leaves are great for wiping, bugs and plants will keep you alive, if you know which to eat. Water must be boiled. I do. I can start fires with a bow system. I can trap. My best friend and I practice all those skills as we camp for week long periods. Been planning our whole career for this realizing that the world is being screwed up, and it will come to survival out there. He is as wildlife biologists, I am a forest ecologist. We know how to do it. But ain’t gonna run and leave what I build with bare hands and blood my whole post military adult life. Not for everybody, but I know a whole lot of vets that will do exactly the same.

[Kaleva]

15. You won't survive long if you decide to make a stand.

I doubt anyone will risk direct confrontation , as they want to live too, and you'll be taken out by ambush or sniper. Few can hole up 24/7 for long periods of time.

I don't understand the concept of going down fighting as that just lets the other side win.

There's no material things that I posses that's worth my wife's life, any family member's life or my life.

Frankly, I'm not worried about it anyways. If I was, I'd have gone to ground already and wouldn't be posting here as DU can be hacked and our identities and locations made known. Since I'm not concerned, I post what I think.

[Traildogbob]

19. Cool

Enjoy your camp trip with your lovely bride. I am certain literally millions of veterans are willing to take a stand. We did not go to war just to run, here on our own soil. We will not hand over the country to American Taliban. We are kind of brainwashed that way. For 30 years as a Master trainer in “Leave No Trace” as an elective course and Wilderness First Responder, I had many Outdoorsmen, break down during the required 8 day camping trip in wilderness with extreme minimal provisions. They REALLY hated having to collect and pack out their own feces, just to receive a certificate of accomplishment and a low level trainer designation. They all knew, after 8 days the grocery stores and restaurants and a hot shower would be waiting for em. I respect your stance. Certain many feel exactly as you do. Hopefully these lunatics can be put away. Probably not. Listening to these congress assholes right now defending Gosar during the hearing, I have very little hope this sickness will be defeated.
I actually believe the planet is gonna wipe us all out in retaliation for the destruction will create every day. Covid is just a warning. Imagine Ebola running rampant with the same response from GQP. FreeDumb. My body my bold. Respect, wish you and your family safe times ahead.

[Polybius]

2. Hopefully Beto realizes this in Texas

Running on banning assault weapons won't win there.

[Torchlight]

5. Running on heat and water being out during a freeze won't win here either.

Abbot has more policy gaffes in one pocket than O'Rourke has campaign gaffes his entire career.

[Tree Lady]

7. My kids in San Antonio love Beto

But when I talked to her about freeze where she had no way to even heat water for days she said it won't happen again, very rare event when I told her to get camp stove.

[Torchlight]

10. Extreme weather spikes around here, while rare, are not rare enough.

It was only this past Jul and Aug Gov. Abbott warned that the state may undergo systematic rolling blackouts. It didn't happen, but just that warning alone had a lot of people grumbling about the power grid again.

Infrastructure: something for O'Rourke to run on at the expense of Abbott.

[Tree Lady]

21. I already joked I was buying them camp stove

For Christmas. I am thinking I will do it, better safe than sorry.

[Polybius]

23. Disagree

In Texas, saying "Hell yah we're gonna take your AK-47 away" is a bigger blunder. Drops F-bombs like they're going out of style too.

[Torchlight]

25. I'd hazard more people complained about freezing in Feb.

than the total of complaints about potential gun laws. In Texas, we value warmth in sub-zero temperatures with running water and electricity as though they're also going out of style.

Infrastructure: something tangible and immediate for O'Rourke to run on at the expense of Abbott.

[Polybius]

27. Many voters will either have forgotten by then or won't blame Abbott for much of it

There's no forgetting this, which Republicans will put blast daily:

[Torchlight]

28. And the corollary is just as conclusive.

In Texas, we're still talking about the February freeze. We're still pointing fingers, and we've not forgotten that more than 200 people froze to death on Abbott's watch.

And that message, reinforced by Biden's passage of the BBB will be blasted daily.

Infrastructure: something tangible and immediate for O'Rourke to run on at the expense of Abbott.

[Polybius]

29. The Texas voter will be much more swayed by the gun-grabber ads

Don't underestimate the right-wing lean of the average Texas voter. It's not NY.

[Torchlight]

30. I don't under-estimate the consequences of 200+ people freezing to death on Abbott's watch

However, I think you are.

Even now, nine months later, local news coverage references Feb.'s freeze almost weekly. Ercot is now in common parlance. I tend to think you dismiss both the consequences and the collective sentiments of Texans in regards to the state, for all intents and purposes, shutting down due to Abbott's mismanagement.

I'd guess that if data were shown, many times more local news stories about the freeze exists than does stories regarding O'Rourke's past statement.

[Polybius]

31. Feel free to bookmark

I can almost guarantee Beto will never be elected statewide in Texas, especially in a Red Wave year like 2022. He couldn't even beat Ted Cruz in the Blue Wave year of 2018. Beto is way too far to the left to win statewide. Want to win in Texas? Gotta nominate Manchin 2.0.

[Torchlight]

32. I'm not moving the goalposts to election results. That's a wholly separate conversation.

I'm simply addressing the assertion that the freeze has been forgotten by Texans and lacks any measurable or meaningful consequences.

[Polybius]

34. We'll see

I predict an Abbott win because of Beto's stance on gun-control. Maybe I'll be completely wrong.

[Torchlight]

35. I have no predictions.

My reading of tea-leaves is gloriously inaccurate.

[Cattledog]

3. The main issue in Atlanta's Mayoral race is CRIME.

The 2 Dem candidates are calling for more cops, better policing etc.

[TeamProg]

4. 'Makes sense to me!' Stupid f**king Americans.. n/t

[Lonestarblue]

8. Gun control is a losing proposition. That war is over and lost.

The trade association for the firearms industry estimated that people in the US own 434 million guns—this in a population of a bit under 333 million. What Democrats need to do is ignore gun control as much as possible because it’s like trying to hold back a tsunami. Instead, focus on issues that matter to voters, like crime, healthcare, immigration, drug addiction/opioid deaths, good jobs that can be provided by alternative energy, education. And perhaps next year reproductive rights taken away by the Supreme Court.

Give voters something to vote for rather than someone like Trump to vote against.

[rockfordfile]

9. BS.

Right-wing terrorists with guns is a major problem. Majority of people still support more gun laws.

[madville]

11. That's expected with the current state of law enforcement

People feel they need some form of protection more than ever with police less energetic about doing their jobs than ever before. If someone is breaking into your house or trying to carjack/kidnap you at an intersection, the cops aren’t gonna be there to stop it.

I have multiple firearms, handguns, rifles, shotguns, some for hunting, some for self/home defense, some are just antiques that I inherited from family over time. I am also licensed and well trained in their use and justified use of force though, it was part of my career for 20+ years.

[maxsolomon]

13. Did you watch the video of the Denver fugitive pursuit yesterday?

Multiple carjackings, and a gun wouldn't have done shit unless the drivers had them in their hands when the dude opened their doors. None did. A locked car door was the most effective defense yesterday.

Everyone's going to defend themselves with a gun, in theory. More likely they wind up killing themselves or a family member, or maybe an unarmed black jogger over trespassing on a construction site.

Cops are never going to be there for a break in, or any number of other crimes. They go get the criminals afterwards.

[madville]

17. Locked door is fine, until they shatter the window

Don’t let others lack of situational awareness or preparedness be your benchmark for what’s possible in a self defense situation. I have loaded handguns within reach in each vehicle and I also carry one on me as well.

[maxsolomon]

20. jesus christ. do you live in Kabul?

How frequent are car jackings in your neighborhood?

[Elessar Zappa]

26. Why are you so scared?

I don’t understand your level of fear.

[madville]

33. Lol, that's like asking someone who got vaccinated

Why they fear the virus? It’s an effective form of protection that mitigates a real risk.

[maxsolomon]

12. Its a toothpaste out of the tube. Gun laws are only going towards permissiveness, not restriction.

The 2nd says what it says, and the popular opinion is that it is absolute: carry any gun, any where, any time, any reason. Brandishing and intimidation with a firearm doesn't exist. I need a gun to protect me from your gun and so on and so on. Eye for an eye.

I don't understand why the limits on full-automatic weapons are still tolerated by the Gunner Lobby. Let's go full Afghanistan/Yemen, get it over with.

[madville]

18. No one really cares about fully automatic weapons

Except for a fringe element of firearms enthusiasts and many of those just want it because it’s restricted. With the price of ammo and what legally registered fully automatic weapons sell for these days, they are only available to the rich now.

[lagomorph777]

16. ...sez Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal.

Gun nuts are a huge problem in this country; rising fear of them makes me (and millions of others) wisely want MORE gun control.

[NickB79]

22. Democrats and minorities are finally arming up to counter the Right

And now they're realizing that new gun control laws would restrict them as well.

https://www.npr.org/2021/04/26/989699122/1st-time-gun-buyers-help-push-record-u-s-gun-sales-amid-string-of-mass-shootings

Mark Oliva, public affairs director for the National Shooting Sports Foundation, said the largest demographic increase was among nonwhite Americans.

"Today's gun owner looks a lot less like me and looks a whole lot more like America," Oliva, who is white, said.

Most often, the first-timers are purchasing a semiautomatic handgun, outpacing the second-most-purchased firearm, shotguns, by 2 to 1, according to NSSF.

Solomon, owner of Redstone Firearms and who has been running California's only Black-owned gun shop since 2015 with her husband, said that in the past year she's noticed an increase in the number of Black women who have come into the store to buy a gun.