From: [w--as--l] at [acca.nmsu.edu] (Politically impolite!)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns
Subject: Re: NRA press release on Harris firearms poll
Date: 15 Jun 1993 22:21:28 GMT

For Immediate Release:
June 10, 1993

For More Information:
Frank Luntz or Jim Weber
(202)828-9720

                AMERICANS FEAR CRIME - NOT GUNS 
  Luntz-Weber Poll Reveals Top Priority -- Repairing Criminal 
                        Justice System 

   Washington,    D.C.--"Americans   feel    criminal   justice    
reform, tougher jail sentences, and  improved education will do  
the most  to  reduce  violent crime,  according  to  the latest  
scientific nationwide survey  of Americans,"  said Frank Luntz,  
President, Luntz-Weber  Research  &  Strategic  Services.  "Gun  
control was  considered the  least  effective method  to reduce  
violent crime when compared to alternatives like; reforming early 
release from prison, additional police patrols, tougher judges,  
and stiffer prison sentences,"  said Luntz. 

 "The  results  of  our  survey  show  Americans  fear  crime  in  
particular and not guns -- repairing the criminal justice system 
is top priority among those polled," said Luntz.

   The   nationwide   survey    was   conducted   by    Luntz-Weber   
Research & Strategic  Services, the political  pollsters for H.  
Ross Perot during the 1992 presidential campaign. The survey of  
1,000 adults represent a cross-section of Americans, of which 83 
percent are registered voters, was commissioned by the National  
Rifle Association (NRA).

  Luntz  insisted   on  an   open-ended  line   of  questions   to  
fully capture free verbatim responses and actual feelings on the 
subject. "Open-ended questions  yield richer data  in that they  
allow the respondent to openly express their own true opinions," 
said Luntz.

  For  example,   the  Luntz-Weber   poll  asked   "what  is   the  
real, root cause of violent crime in America today?" and required 
respondents to answer  from their  hearts and  minds and  not a  
narrow list of options," said Luntz.  "By a margin of more than  
4-to-1, Americans  say drugs,  not guns,  are  a root  cause of  
violent crime," he said.

   "While    we   are    not   saying    that   the    closed-ended    
questions are invalid, we believe that pollsters who only offer  
respondents a narrow field of  choices will draw equally narrow  
data with which to draw conclusions," said Luntz.

  The   Harris  poll   concludes  that   there  is   a  shift   in   
voter likelihood to oppose a political candidate with a differing 
position on gun control. "That conclusion  is based on a sample  
of U.S. adults not necessarily registered to vote and should be  
viewed in that light," said Luntz.

  The   Harris  poll   shows  significant   support  for   passage   
of the Brady Bill, but it  is inaccurately described as a 7-day  
waiting period. The current Brady Bill  (S. 414/H.R. 1025) is a  
5-day wait which sunsets to a point-of-sale computerized criminal 
background check. The bill also  contains provisions to upgrade  
and automate criminal history records.

  "When  given  a  choice   between  a  mandatory  check  at   the  
point-of-sale and an optional  check with a  waiting period, 93  
percent of Americans choose  the computerized mandatory check,"  
said Luntz.  "The  Harris poll  did  not offer  that  choice to  
Americans," he added. 

  "Additionally,  any  support   for  the  Brady  Bill   displayed  
in the  Harris  poll must  be  held suspect,  not  only because  
respondents were  offered  only  one  choice,  but  because the  
Luntz-Weber poll shows that 26.8 percent of Americans don't know 
anything about the Brady Bill, and 30 percent know nothing about 
it except that  it is  some type  of gun control  measure. When  
queried further, 57.3 percent of Americans think the Brady Bill  
mandates a  criminal background  check,  and it  doesn't," said  
Luntz.

  "The   Harris   poll   focused   almost   exclusively   on   gun   
control but ignored the more significant results showing that, on 
average, two-thirds of Americans perceive  the threat of drugs,  
use of alcohol, teenage pregnancy, Aids,  and car crashes to be  
more serious or as serious as the threat of guns," said Luntz.  

          The Luntz-Weber survey shows that:

88.8 percent believe a citizen has the right to own a gun.

78.0 percent oppose a gun ban.

83.0 percent believe citizens have right to self-defence.

   "It is clear from the Harris survey that the   
methodology distracts from  a probe of  meaningful solutions to  
violent crime and cannot in any way  be taken as a benchmark on  
the efficacy of  gun control as  a crime  reduction tool," said  
Luntz.

   "The Luntz-Weber survey confirms that there is    
widespread concern among Americans about criminal violence and an 
open-ended probe  reveals  that  Americans  believe  meaningful  
solutions to violent crime  begin with reform  of the revolving  
door criminal justice system," said Luntz.

                       ## LUNTZ-WEBER  ##
                
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