Voters catching on to gun control's absurdity

Two separate polls, both sponsored by Big Media agencies that are not historically friendly to guns and gun owners, were recently released, and the results are encouraging. Polls commissioned by ABC News and the Washington Post and by CBS News and the New York Times both found that a majority of Americans oppose the idea of banning so-called “assault weapons.”

Perhaps people are realizing that terrorists and homicidal lunatics are always going to find a way to execute their evil. Maybe they’re recalling the terrorists who used box cutters to turn planes into weapons on 9/11, the Muslim separatists in China who killed 29 people and injured 130 more last year using nothing more than kitchen knives, or the terrorist who acquired guns and explosives in heavily gun-restricted California, and even more restrictive France, which they used to launch attacks in San Bernardino and Paris. Maybe people are realizing that abrogating the rights of millions of people in the unlikely hope that it might prevent a handful of evil-doers from committing atrocities is not only irrational, but also unreasonable. Or perhaps people are finally looking at the real numbers and seeing that crime has been going down dramatically while the proliferation of firearms, particularly AR-type rifles, has been skyrocketing, and that rifles of any kind, while they have been used in several highly publicized tragedies, are actually comparatively rare in crimes, accounting for only about 3 percent of murders each year.

One thing that is starkly clear from these polls: Gun control has become a major dividing issue between Democrats and Republicans. Both polls show majority support among Democrats for stricter gun control laws and an “assault weapons” ban, and both show majority opposition to those ideas among Republicans. Democrats support an AW ban 61 to 36 percent opposed. Republicans are even more definitive, with 70 percent opposing and only 27 percent supporting a ban. Independents split 55 percent opposed to 43 percent in favor. On the broader question of making gun laws stricter, 76 percent of Democrats support the idea, while the same 76 percent of Republicans think gun laws should remain as they are or be made less strict.

In an interesting twist, the ABC/Post poll asked, which is a better response to terrorism: more gun control, or more armed citizens? More armed citizens came out ahead, 47 to 42. Democrats chose gun control over armed citizens by 67 to 25 percent, while Republicans went heavily in the opposite direction, 21 to 70 percent. Independents rounded out the polling with 34 percent choosing more gun control and 52 percent supporting armed citizens.

Most of the available demographic information breaks down as expected, with more support for gun control among women, minorities and urban dwellers, but there was one demographic that came in contrary to usual assumptions: young people 18 to 29 years old. This demographic is generally considered a stronghold for Democrats, but on these questions they parted company with the party. Only 39 percent support a new AW ban, while 59 percent oppose the idea, and 44 percent chose more gun control, while 50 percent felt that more armed citizens is a better response to terrorism.

All of these poll numbers should have Democrats worrying a bit, because the factor that polls like these fail to show is the level of commitment among the respondents and, by extension, the voting public. It is a well-established fact that while many voters might express support for gun control, for the vast majority of them it is not a key issue for them. It doesn’t sway their votes or drive them to the polls. On the other hand, a substantial percentage of voters who support gun rights are deeply dedicated to the issue. It determines their votes and gets them active and involved. It is one of the few issues for which voters will go against their unions and family traditions.

Support for gun control is trending down at the same time Democrats have chosen to make it a spotlight issue in the presidential and congressional campaigns. And while some polling shows broad support for some gun control measures, my history shows that support tends to be superficial and driven by ignorance and emotion. Once informed as to the flaws in these proposals, many people will quickly abandon them, and few are likely to be swayed to support or oppose a particular candidate based on their support for, or opposition to these measures.

As Bloomberg’s money is convincing Democratic candidates and campaign strategists that the power of GunVoters is just a myth, and that the fabled “third rail” of gun control has no juice, GunVoters are getting more energized and involved than they have been in decades. Support for gun control is at historic lows, as is gun crime, while gun sales are at historic highs. The public’s reaction to rampage murders and terrorist attacks is not to clamor for additional gun control, but to go out and buy more guns.

It’s looking like Democrats are going to regret jumping back on the gun control bandwagon, but only if GunVoters and rights advocates don’t take anything for granted. Only by redoubling our efforts to get like-minded people active and involved can we deliver another historic defeat to anti-rights forces. That requires increased outreach and education, especially among women, minorities and young people. Start with your own family, and work out from there. Don’t wait until the day after the election to discover that your wife, daughter, or neighbor feels like gun control makes sense. Educate them now. Go to our website, FirearmsCoalition.org, or to my Author Page here on WND.com, and share articles with your family, friends and on social media. GunVoter.org is another resource you can use to get involved and to educate others.

Usually, when someone says an election is the most important in our lifetime, they’re just talking hype. Not this time. The coming elections are possibly the most important we will ever face. Get educated, active and involved. The fate of your rights – and the Republic – depend on you.

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