# What would it take for a support for Gun Control in the US **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 25, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-a-support-for-gun-control-in-the-us/629309 "2012-07-25T01:58:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-a-support-for-gun-control-in-the-us/629309/142 "2012-07-31T14:12:46Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > First, I think that as women get more involved in government, there will be more a voice of reason towards guns. > … > Also I think time will show that the generations after the baby boomers have less and less interest in archaic ideas like the right to bear arms and are more interested in critical thinking and analysis. “Voice of reason…more interested in critical thinking”? This comes across as more than a little patronizing. That aside, though, there is no sign of the trends you look for here. Quite the opposite. As I pointed out above, support for stricter gun control is actually falling, across all demographic groups. In 1991, 76% of American women were in favor of stronger gun laws in some shape or form; by 2011 that had fallen a staggering 26 points to 50%. Women who favored a handgun ban declined from 51% to 31%. For the 18- to 29-year-old set, the corollary declines are from 62% to 39%, and 39% to 32%. > [@Gallup](#): > > Americans have shifted to a more pro-gun view on gun laws, particularly in recent years, with record-low support for a ban on handguns, an assault rifle ban, and stricter gun laws in general. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-a-support-for-gun-control-in-the-us/629309/143 "2012-07-31T14:38:55Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > “Voice of reason…more interested in critical thinking”? This comes across as more than a little patronizing. > > That aside, though, there is no sign of the trends you look for here. Quite the opposite. > > As I pointed out above, support for stricter gun control is actually falling, across all demographic groups. In 1991, 76% of American women were in favor of stronger gun laws in some shape or form; by 2011 that had fallen a staggering 26 points to 50%. Women who favored a handgun ban declined from 51% to 31%. For the 18- to 29-year-old set, the corollary declines are from 62% to 39%, and 39% to 32%. I didn’t mean to be patronizing. The problem is that there is no analytical justification for civilians owning weapons, but a ton against it. If you want to live by the statistical sword, you should die by it too. America has a ton of guns, and a ton of murder compared to other developed countries. I saw those stats earlier and I admit that they don’t seem accurate to my experience which of course I was offering hope for the future, not necessarily saying these would be the defining causes of complete gun bans. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-a-support-for-gun-control-in-the-us/629309/144 "2012-07-31T15:51:05Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > …Basically, anti-gun people see the absurdity in the fact that this killer could amass weapontry like he did. There are literally **no good reasons** for Americans to have guns. Only according to people who think as you do. The majority of taxpaying voters in the U.S. believe in their unalienable right of self-defense, defense of their families, hunting, and shooting sports. Plus, they are willing to vote their convictions. Many of the elected representatives who voted for draconian gun controls laws didn’t get reelected. The DNC’s push for firearm bans and registration schemes cost them control of the U.S. House, govenorships, state legislations, and Presidential elections. And there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do about it. Voter majorities still matter. ---
**Author:** ![tomcar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tomcar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomcar)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-a-support-for-gun-control-in-the-us/629309/145 "2012-07-31T16:36:44Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Only according to people who think as you do. The majority of taxpaying voters in the U.S. believe in their unalienable right of self-defense, defense of their families, hunting, and shooting sports. Plus, they are willing to vote their convictions. > > Many of the elected representatives who voted for draconian gun controls laws didn’t get reelected. The DNC’s push for firearm bans and registration schemes cost them control of the U.S. House, govenorships, state legislations, and Presidential elections. And there doesn’t seem to be anything you can do about it. Voter majorities still matter. Do you mean electoral majority matters 🙂 Sorry, I couldn’t let that slip. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-a-support-for-gun-control-in-the-us/629309/146 "2012-07-31T17:26:48Z")
> [@tomcar](#): > > Do you mean electoral majority matters 🙂 Sorry, I couldn’t let that slip. Electoral majority also matters but only applies to the Presidential election. The rest are subject to simple majorities within each State. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Hartwick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@Dave\_Hartwick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Hartwick)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-a-support-for-gun-control-in-the-us/629309/147 "2012-08-01T05:59:18Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > That aside, though, there is no sign of the trends you look for here. Quite the opposite. Your analysis on the trend matches mine, but I’d also say that the numbers highlight that public opinion on a particular issue can change rapidly. Back in, oh, let’s say 1964, somebody might have looked at the trends and extrapolated that the 2nd Amendment would be repealed by the year 2000. Obviously wrong, but somebody today thinking that support for the 2nd Amendment will remain high indefinitely might be just as wrong. Wasn’t entirely sure what you wanted with the additional column-- total homicides? Those are in DrDeth’s cite, although I guess I could extrapolate from what I posted. I junked that spreadsheet, though. > [@tomcar](#): > > There are literally no good reasons for Americans to have guns. I think on reflection you’ll agree that there are, actually, good reasons for Americans and others to have guns. Sport shooting and hunting come to mind. Also, non-recreational reasons such as people who have to deal with violent criminals as part of their work. None of these require a right to bear arms, though. > [@SenorBeef](#): > > If your goal is to save lives, there are a thousand better trees to bark up than spree shooters - including just the regular background noise of gun violence, which is far more significant. There’s no justification at all on focusing on dramatic crimes over mundane ones, it’s purely an irrational emotional reaction. I’m going back to this just because Der Trihs agreed with it and quoting DT wouldn’t be clear. If SenorBeef’s money is kept near his mouth he might not be back to read this. The question isn’t “are mass shootings bad things” but “what would it take for support for gun control”, which I’m reading as “what would it take to repeal the 2nd Amendment”, as my reading of the 2nd Amendment is that it disallows any possibility of uniform gun laws such as those enjoyed by Australia. I disagree with the idea that it’s a bad time to talk about gun sanity in the wake of a mass shooting. Of course it’s a good time. It’s always a good time, if you can stand it. I’ll point out that Australia’s current relatively sensible laws came in the wake of a mass shooting. The same, I think, is true of the UK, and probably other places. It’s like how improved maritime standards came after the Titanic sunk. Sometimes it takes a really big mess-- or in America’s case, a series of embarrassingly nasty and stupid events that seem to repeat every year or so-- to get something changed. Are mass shootings in the US a blip in the total death toll? Yes. Are too many Americans dying in homicides by firearm? Well, I suppose opinions can vary, but in my opinion, oh yes. 5.5 times too many, at least. > [@DrDeth](#): > > Picking out the list of nations you do is another cherry pick as we have around 150 nations in the world. You picked 6. I picked all 150. You call it cherry picking, I call it comparing apples to apples. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-a-support-for-gun-control-in-the-us/629309/148 "2012-08-01T13:04:11Z")
> [@Dave\_Hartwick](#): > > I disagree with the idea that it’s a bad time to talk about gun sanity in the wake of a mass shooting.'ll point out that Australia’s current relatively sensible laws came in the wake of a mass shooting. ..Are too many Americans dying in homicides by firearm? Well, I suppose opinions can vary, but in my opinion, oh yes. 5.5 times too many, at least. > > . “Gun sanity” is just= only carrying a gun youre trained for. Australia has sensible laws.. for Australia- but which still have not reduced violent crime. USA has only 4.4 homicides per 100000, which is low\* for a American nation.\* We’re a American nation. The USA is not Australia or Denmark- but neither is it South Africa or Russia. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-a-support-for-gun-control-in-the-us/629309/149 "2012-08-01T15:46:08Z")
Lies Damn lies Statistics Their is a reason they are lumped together. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-would-it-take-for-a-support-for-gun-control-in-the-us/629309.md?page=7)