GRNC Alert 4-28-11: ELON U. SKEWS POLL ON CONCEALED HANDGUNS

Grass Roots North Carolina, P.O. Box 10665, Raleigh, NC 27605, 919-664-8565, www.GRNC.org

GRNC Alert 4-28-11:
ELON U. SKEWS POLL ON CONCEALED HANDGUNS

A poll released last week by Elon University* purports to show little public support for expanding North Carolina's existing concealed handgun law into parks and restaurants, as proposed under House Bill 111. However, the misleading and inaccurate phrasing of poll questions suggests that the researchers either haven't read HB 111, or are woefully ignorant of North Carolina gun laws.

INACCURATELY PHRASED QUESTIONS:

"[Do you agree/disagree with] permitting people to carry handguns in restaurants and bars."

Facts:
* No pending bill would allow "people"-meaning anyone-to carry handguns in restaurants and bars. Rather, HB-111 is strictly limited to allowing concealed handgun permit holders to do so.

* Individuals covered by HB 111 have been verified by their sheriff as law-abiding citizens who have proven they are trained in the law and proficient with their weapons.
* These people have passed criminal background checks and had their fingerprints cleared by the FBI.
* The sheriff has verified they are not alcoholics or substance abusers, and in the case of veterans, were honorably discharged.
* This class of people - who number approximately 2% of North Carolinians - have proven, over the past 16 years, to be responsible, prudent, safe, and overwhelming law-abiding.

* A similar question skewed results on "people" carrying concealed handguns in parks when, in reality, the parks provision too would apply only to concealed handgun permit-holders.

OMMITTED INFORMATION

* The question on restaurants omits at least two major qualifying conditions: That those carrying handguns are prohibited from consuming any alcohol, and that individual restaurants have the ability to ban the carry of handguns on their premises.

SAMPLING BIAS

* Although the Elon poll found that 42.4% of respondents owned firearms, earlier polling of North Carolina residents found a far higher gun ownership rate of 56%,** suggesting a sampling bias against lawful gun ownership.

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* John R. Lott, Jr. More Guns, Less Crime 3rd Edition. Chicago, The University of Chicago Press, 2010.
** Elon University poll available at: http://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/elonpoll/041811_PollMethodology.pdf


IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUIRED:

* Contact your House and Senate reps. Tell them to ignore such biased and incorrect polling data.
* Find your representative at this site: http://www.grnc.org/contact_reps.htm


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You may find your NC STATE representative by going here:
http://www.grnc.org/contact_reps.htm

You may write your FEDERAL congressman by going here:
http://www.house.gov/writerep/

You may write your FEDERAL senators by going here:
http://www.senate.gov/

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Hyatt Gun Shop, 3332 Wilkinson Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28208, 704-394-0387, www.hyattguns.com
C & E Gun Shows, 4225 Fortress Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24060; Phone 540-953-0016 or 888-715-0606; http://www.cegunshows.com/
Dixie Gun and Knife Shows, PO Box 21049, Raleigh, NC 27619, ph: 919-781-1287, www.dixiegunandknifeshow.com/
Ryan & Nina Leonard, Down South Ammo, Home of "SOUTHERN THUNDER" Exploding Targets, http://downsouthammo.com/
Duncan Gun & Pawn, 414 Second St., North Wilkesboro, NC 28659, 336-667-6303, www.duncangun.com
Shooter's Express, 2 Caldwell Dr., Belmont, NC 28012, 800-358-GUNS, www.shootersexpress.com
The Aisle Pawn Shop, 216 N. Main St., Mooresville, NC 28115, 704-663-5656
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Patrick J. Phelan, Lake Norman Firearms, Inc., 20823 N. Main Street, Cornelius, NC 28031, www.lknfirearms.com, 704-892-7839
Vanguard Security Consulting, LLC, 19135 W. Catawba Ave, Cornelius, NC 28031
DoubleD Media, 8300 Raintree Lane, Charlotte, NC 28277, ph: 704-650-5555, fx: 704-544-0326, donna@doubledme.com

I saw that in the local paper and thought it was a bit hoky. It did not make much sense how the answers came out.

Clearly the results in this poll cannot represent the opinions of NC voters or citizens about changes to the NC law because the questions asked have failed to represent the facts of what the proposed change is. If any reporting or legislators are influenced on Bill 111 it will be with false conclusions. The poll questions use some words related to the gun law but leave out many of the ideas that the actual law will enact. These questions fail to present the issues addressed in the Bill and therefore the results misrepresent the opinions of voters or others on this Bill.

We should all read file linked to the Elon poll to see how this is false. It is easy to see and we should all look it over.


http://www.elon.edu/docs/e-web/elonpoll/041811_PollMethodology.pdf

Reread This OP,GRNC Alert 4-28-11...Phony Data

The post quoted below may refer to the OP of this thread. If we lose this battle because folks were fooled by false polling data it may be hard to recover that damage.

Now is the time to attack false polling data. Read the link in this thread OP and find out what they are trying to do. Lets shine some light into their dark corners.

We are fighting the corrupt "dailymedia". We have to keep the pressure on.



"GRNC Alert 6-3-11: NC House Leadership Needs Show of Support
Grass Roots North Carolina, P.O. Box 10665, Raleigh, NC 27605, 919-664-8565, www.GRNC.org
GRNC Alert 6-3-11:
NC House Leadership Needs Show of Support
Rumor has it that Speaker Thom Tillis is under considerable pressure from centrist elements regarding gun bills, specifically that such bills aren't "polling well." Now is the time to deliver a message of support by letting Speaker Tillis and Republican House leadership know that you want 4 things more than anything else: (1) Castle Doctrine; (2) Concealed carry in municipal and state parks; (3) Concealed carry in restaurants; and (4) Guns in locked vehicles for concealed handgun permit-holders."