PRINCETON, NJ -- The gap between the proportion of Americans advocating stricter gun laws and those in favor of maintaining or weakening existing gun laws -- once nearly 60 points in favor of stronger gun control, and registering 14 points a year ago -- is just four points in Gallup's latest poll. According to the Oct. 4-7, 2007, survey, 51% of Americans believe the laws governing the sale of firearms should be more strict. When combined, the percentages saying the laws should either be kept as they are or made less strict is nearly as high (47%).By the way, even if there were overwhelming popular support for civilian disarmament, that would not make it right--you do not subject civil rights to a popular vote. Doing so is to subject society to the tyranny of the majority, whereby 51% of the population can vote to oppress the other 49%.
Still, the next time someone echoes one of the Brady Bunch's talking points, that "an overwhelming majority of Americans support more 'gun control,'" you can tell them where to stick it.
I sure hope that trend continues.
ReplyDelete51% - 49% on our side would definitely shut them up.
Well, probably not, I don't suppose anything would ever shut them up.
But it certainly won't hurt.