Gun Control Poll from PollingPoint.com

Gun Control Results

The shootings at Virginia Tech in the spring of 2007 left the nation reeling. PollingPoint asked for your views on this tragic event and what it implies for gun control in America. Most of you believe that tougher gun laws could not have prevented the shootings at Virginia Tech.

In a recent PollingPoint survey, 72% of you told us that tougher gun laws could not have prevented the Virginia Tech tragedy, compared to 21% of you who believe that tougher gun laws could have helped. 7% of you are not sure whether tougher gun laws could have prevented the shootings. The gender divide is apparent in your views on gun control and the Virginia Tech tragedy. While only 15% of men believe that tougher gun control could have prevented the shooting, more than double the amount - 34% - of women think that tougher gun control could have helped.

Do you think tougher gun control laws could have prevented the shootings at Virginia Tech?
http://www.pollingpoint.com/result/7

We asked you what you thought is more important – protecting the right of Americans to own guns or controlling gun ownership. Most of you (68%) think that protecting the right to own guns is more important, while 29% believe that controlling gun ownership is more important. Race appears to be a strong factor in how you view this question. More whites (68%) believe that protecting gun ownership is more important than controlling it (28%), while blacks are likely to say that controlling gun ownership is more important (57% versus 38%).

What do you think is more important - protecting the right of Americans to own guns or controlling gun ownership?
http://www.pollingpoint.com/result/7

One question raised by the Virginia Tech tragedy is the relationship of violent movies and video games to crime. We asked you whether you think such movies and video games inspire mentally unstable people to commit acts of violence like the Virginia Tech shooting. Nearly half of you report that violence in video games and movies does encourage some people to violence (49%), while about a third (35%) believes that violence in such media has no effect.

Do you think violent movies and video games inspire mentally unstable people to commit acts of violence like the shootings at Virginia Tech?
http://www.pollingpoint.com/result/7

We also asked you about your views toward political candidates who support gun control. Across the board, most of you say that you would not support a presidential candidate who favors stricter gun laws (61%). Interestingly, we also see a huge gender difference: men overwhelmingly say that they are less likely to support political candidates who favor gun control (73% less likely, 17% more likely), while women are about evenly split in their views on this issue (36% less likely, 39% more likely).

Would you be more or less likely to support a candidate for president who favors stricter gun control laws?
http://www.pollingpoint.com/result/7