By Philip L. Watson
Every year Gallup surveys the American public for their opinion on things like gun issues.
In 2011 Americans voiced an all-time high approval rating in support of the Second Amendment. The amount of Americans that favor a ban on handguns sits at a paltry 26 percent. A majority of Americans are also against banning so called ‘assault weapons,’ a bogeyman frequently trotted out by anti-gunners attempting frighten Main Street America.
The strong majority (60 percent) do not support new gun laws; however, they do support active enforcement of the laws we already have on the books. The amount of women that favor stricter restrictions on guns or firearm purchases now rests at exactly 50 percent or less, depending on which specific question is asked.
The only conclusion that can be reached from these statistics is obvious: if you’re a politician in a close race, gun control is a loser.
In addition to a host of other issues that may come up, groups on both sides of the gun debate have pushed for the issue to be brought up at the presidential debates. The moderator in the first Presidential debate declined to ask questions about gun control or the Second Amendment after being lobbied to do so by anti-gun groups. Gun Owners of America recently sent out an action alert lobbying for the Fast and Furious gun running scandal to be brought up at the VP debate. This column also outlined the possibility of the now infamous arms trafficking scandal being raised at the debates.
The average of polls on RealClearPolitics lists eleven Senate seats as toss ups. With the Vice President casting the tie breaking votes in the US Senate, the possibility of a 50-50 tie in the 100 member elected body could make deciding votes cast by the VP a reality.
Joe Biden, the man who currently stands one heartbeat away from the Presidency holds an “F” rating from the NRA. Biden, a former US Senator, has a history as a reliable vote for anti-Second Amendment groups like the Brady Campaign and Mayors Against Illegal Guns. The Brady Campaign listed Biden in 2008 with a 95 percent “A” grade.
Americans still enjoy living in a free society, and the Second Amendment is a civil right many Americans take just as seriously as the First Amendment or any other Constitutional right. As the statistics show, politicians such as Vice President Biden with a solid record against the Second Amendment and the right of self-defense are not among the mainstream in America.
