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Found this in another forum and thought it was interesting.
47% Oppose Open-Carry Gun Laws, 41% Favor
Found this in another forum and thought it was interesting.
47% Oppose Open-Carry Gun Laws, 41% Favor
Most Americans are not concerned about their safety around those who have legal permits to carry concealed weapons but have mixed feelings about laws that would allow gun owners to wear their weapons openly in public.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of Adults are at least somewhat concerned about their safety in the presence of those who have “concealed carry” gun permits. Fifty-eight percent (58%) don’t share that concern.
But 47% oppose so-called “open carry” laws that would allow citizens to openly wear their guns in public. Forty-one percent (41%) favor laws. Several states are currently wrestling with this issue.
In households with a gun owner, support for “open carry” laws rises to 57%. In households where no gun is present, 62% oppose them.
Similarly, 55% of those in non-gun-owning households are concerned about their safety around those who have legal permits to carry concealed weapons. Just 27% of those who have a gun owner in their household express similar concern.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
This survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on May 11-12, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Americans continue to overwhelmingly believe the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right of the average citizen to own a gun. Seventy-eight percent (78%) hold that view. These findings have changed little through several surveys.
Men believe in the constitutional right to own a gun more strongly than women. Whites believe in it more strongly than African-Americans.
Sizable majorities of Republicans, Democrats and adults not affiliated with either major party also think the Constitution guarantees the right of gun ownership.
However, Democrats are far more likely to be concerned about their safety around those with “concealed carry” permits than Republicans and unaffiliateds are.
Fifty-five percent (55%) of Republicans and a plurality (48%) of unaffiliated adults favor “open carry” laws, but 65% of Democrats oppose them.
Americans consistently have supported gun ownership over gun control. Sixty-nine percent (69%), for example, said in March that city governments do not have the right to prevent citizens from owning handguns. Forty-two percent (42%) said tougher anti-gun laws are needed, but 49% disagreed.
In recent years, support for stronger gun control has ranged narrowly from a low of 39% in October to a high of 45% in April 2007 following the killings at Virginia Tech.
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Americans say gun sales are up in the United States because of a fear of increased government restriction on gun ownership. Early in his presidency, 71% believed it was at least somewhat likely that President Obama would seek tougher gun control laws.
Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.
Link with questionnaire example link at the bottom: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/publ..._laws_41_favor
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of Adults are at least somewhat concerned about their safety in the presence of those who have “concealed carry” gun permits. Fifty-eight percent (58%) don’t share that concern.
But 47% oppose so-called “open carry” laws that would allow citizens to openly wear their guns in public. Forty-one percent (41%) favor laws. Several states are currently wrestling with this issue.
In households with a gun owner, support for “open carry” laws rises to 57%. In households where no gun is present, 62% oppose them.
Similarly, 55% of those in non-gun-owning households are concerned about their safety around those who have legal permits to carry concealed weapons. Just 27% of those who have a gun owner in their household express similar concern.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it's in the news, it's in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.
This survey of 1,000 Adults nationwide was conducted on May 11-12, 2010 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.
Americans continue to overwhelmingly believe the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right of the average citizen to own a gun. Seventy-eight percent (78%) hold that view. These findings have changed little through several surveys.
Men believe in the constitutional right to own a gun more strongly than women. Whites believe in it more strongly than African-Americans.
Sizable majorities of Republicans, Democrats and adults not affiliated with either major party also think the Constitution guarantees the right of gun ownership.
However, Democrats are far more likely to be concerned about their safety around those with “concealed carry” permits than Republicans and unaffiliateds are.
Fifty-five percent (55%) of Republicans and a plurality (48%) of unaffiliated adults favor “open carry” laws, but 65% of Democrats oppose them.
Americans consistently have supported gun ownership over gun control. Sixty-nine percent (69%), for example, said in March that city governments do not have the right to prevent citizens from owning handguns. Forty-two percent (42%) said tougher anti-gun laws are needed, but 49% disagreed.
In recent years, support for stronger gun control has ranged narrowly from a low of 39% in October to a high of 45% in April 2007 following the killings at Virginia Tech.
Fifty-seven percent (57%) of Americans say gun sales are up in the United States because of a fear of increased government restriction on gun ownership. Early in his presidency, 71% believed it was at least somewhat likely that President Obama would seek tougher gun control laws.
Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.
Link with questionnaire example link at the bottom: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/publ..._laws_41_favor