64% Back Gun Control Over Right to Ownership, Poll Finds
SAN FRANCISCO — A majority of Californians believe the need for tighter gun control outweighs concerns about protecting the rights of individuals to own firearms, and that tougher legislation would reduce violent crime, a new poll says.
The Field poll released Thursday found that 64% of those surveyed believe that gun control laws are more important than those protecting gun ownership rights. Thirty percent said the right to own guns is more important.
Forty-nine percent of gun owners believe it is more important to protect the right to own firearms, compared with 42% who said gun control laws are more important.
Sixty-one percent of those polled said laws restricting the sale and possession of guns are effective in reducing violent crime.
By 46% to 27%, Californians believe Democrats reflect their own views on guns and gun control better than Republicans. They are also more inclined to support candidates who favor strong gun control laws than those opposing them, with 63% saying they would support candidates who are tough on guns and 27% backing those who oppose stricter legislation.
The telephone survey was conducted Aug. 16-22 with 514 California adults selected at random. The margin of error was 4.5 percentage points.
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