Do NRA Members Support More Gun Restrictions Than Members of Congress Do?
Greg Sargent reported yesterday that only ten members of Congress have signed their names to a statement the Brady Campaign to End Gun Violence distributed several weeks ago (i.e., before the Aurora gun massacre). The statement doesn’t ask senators or representatives to pledge their support for banning assault weapons or for regulating the purchase of high-capacity magazines. It simply addresses categories of individuals who should not have access to guns:
I believe these people should not be able to buy, own, or carry a gun anywhere in our nation:
· Convicted felons
· Convicted domestic abusers
· Terrorists
· People found to be dangerously mentally ill
At the same time, a poll of NRA members and other gun owners that was conducted in May by Republican pollster Frank Luntz reveals broad support for some of the very same restrictions. For example, 82% of gun owners support criminal background checks for gun purchasers (74% of NRA members voiced support for background checks). Sixty-eight percent of NRA members believe that individuals who have been arrested for domestic violence should not be eligible for gun permits. And 75% of NRA members believe that concealed weapon permits should not be available to people who have committed violent misdemeanors.