Anti Gun Control Debate

When Americans hear the phrase “gun control,” what do we think of? If you have an opinion on this topic then your answer will inevitably, and by default, support and reflect one of two distinct positions, being of either the “pro-gun” or “anti-gun” stance. For a variety of reasons this issue seems to heavily divide anyone with an opinion; and there is not much middle ground or consensus in between. A recent CNN research poll of 843 adults nationwide (November 2013) asked, “Do you favor or oppose stricter gun control laws?” Of those surveyed, 49% were in favor of stricter gun control laws while 50% were opposed, and a mere 1% responded as unsure. This same poll further divided these demographics by political orientation with 71% of Democrats

Perhaps when individuals have an invested interest in this topic, the underlying issue is in fact a part of a much broader attitude wherein people are identifying themselves not only with this stand-alone subject, but also with part of something much bigger and representative of the person and their beliefs as a whole. When ingrained with ones values and integrated within ones culture, we are left with but two opposing sides to this controversial issue. This concept becomes more apparent when we consider that, historically this dialogue has been heavily tied to politics. This would make sense, as there has always been a strong correlation between ones political affiliation (and by extension ones general perception of the world at large) and their attitudes toward gun control. The aforementioned CNN research poll seemingly supports this premise, while a 2006 Gallup poll actually confirms this; in stating “Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to report having a gun in their home. A majority of Republicans (55%) say they have a gun in their home, compared with 32% of Democrats.” A full 67% of Democrats stated that they did not have a gun in their home when compared to 44% of Republicans. In essence what this connotes is that if you happen to support a pro-gun rights ideology, then you likely register as a Republican (or Republican-leaning) and the likelihood of owning a firearm in the home also increases, but by an even larger margin. Alternatively, if you happen to support stricter gun control then you likely consider yourself a Democrat (or Democrat-leaning). You are then also nearly 25% less likely to have a gun in your home when compared to your Republican counterpart. While these studies are able to show that there is indeed a connection between ones stance on gun control and voting