Date: Mon, 16 Oct 1995 12:11:04 -0700 (PDT) From: "National Inst. on Firearms & Society" <[n--s] at [nifs.org]> Subject: GUN CONTROL SURVEY BY NIFS NOTE: If your maillist is not included, please inform us at: [a--m--n] at [nifs.org] +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON FIREARMS & SOCIETY OPINION SURVEY Copyright (c) 1995 The National Institute on Firearms & Society SEPTEMBER 28, 1995 GUN CONTROL AND THE SECOND AMENDMENT DEBATE PRESS CLUB OF SAN FRANCISCO Fielding Greaves, Lt. Col., USA (Ret.) John R. Heisse II, Esq., Legal Community Against Violence Dirk Olin, Editor, California Lawyer Magazine (Moderator) ====================================================== The National Institute on Firearms & Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation based in the San Francisco Bay Area, exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The mission of the NIFS is to provide policymakers and the public with objective, independent information on firearms and their relation to society, focusing on practical research into the issues of contemporary criminal gun violence. The Institute is neither pro-gun nor anti-gun, and is not affiliated with any lobbyist or special interest group. The Institute fulfills its mission by sponsoring research projects, academic conferences, scholarly publications and educational programs. This report summarizes the results of an unscientific, casual survey of the opinions of those persons who attended the above-described debate and completed the survey. Neither the survey nor the surveyed group was designed to produce information that could be applied to any other group. Any pattern that emerges applies only to this group. The results of the survey are presented in two reports. The report below includes a complete copy of the survey itself, and a summary of the answers provided by the respondents, with calculated percentages (rounded off). The second report is a table of raw data showing each respondent's replies to each survey question. It is in the form of a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet attached to this document. It is also available directly from the Institute. To obtain a free copy, send a self- addressed stamped envelope to: NIFS, 2504 Santa Clara Ave., Ste. 4, Alameda, CA 94501-3070. The comments to all of the questions, including unsolicited comments, are included below. The group was divided along roughly equal lines, with 20% in the middle (Q1). 11% wanted to repeal the Second Amendment, and 16% wanted to amend it or interpret it according to their view. 78% think at least some gun control laws are legal and constitutional. 44% think the gun control debate has stalled, and 64% think gun safety should be taught in public school. A much more complete picture emerges, however, when the raw data is reviewed. Within the context of each individual survey, the juxtaposition of a respondent's answers provides some interesting and unexpected contrasts. As interesting as the results of the survey may be, however, the reader should remember that the results tell nothing about anyone except the survey respondents themselves -- no general conclusions about society at large can be drawn. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GUN CONTROL AND THE SECOND AMENDMENT SURVEY Please answer the following questions AFTER the program: Q1. Do you consider yourself pro-gun, anti-gun or in the middle? 25 Pro (41%) 24 Anti (39%) 12 Middle (20%) Q2. How did you hear about this debate? SEE APPENDIX A (51 Responses) Q3. How effective are gun control laws in preventing violent crime? 8 Very (13%) 17 Somewhat (28%) 9 A Little (15%) 27 Not at all (44%) Q4. Do you think present gun control laws are legal and constitutional? 32 Yes (52%) 12 No (20%) 16 Some Are (26%) 1 No Response ( 2%) Q5. Do you think the Second Amendment should be repealed? 7 Yes (11%) 51 No (84%) 3 No Response ( 5%) Q6. Do you think the Second Amendment should be changed? 16 Yes (26%) 43 No (70%) 2 No Response ( 3%) Q7. If Yes to #5, what change do you recommend? SEE APPENDIX B Q8. Did anything you heard tonight change your mind about gun control as a solution to violent gun crime? 11 Yes (18%) 49 No (80%) 1 No Response ( 2%) Q9. If #8 is Yes, did what you heard make you think gun control was more effective or less effective than you thought before? 5 More ( 8%) 6 Less (10%) 50 No Response (82%) Q10. Did anything you heard tonight change your mind about gun owners' rights under the Second Amendment to the Constitution? 6 Yes (10%) 54 No (88%) 1 No response ( 2%) Q11. If #10 is Yes, do you now think gun owners have more rights or fewer rights? 5 More ( 8%) 3 Fewer Rights ( 5%) 53 No Response (87%) Q12. Do you think the gun control debate in society has stalled? 27 Yes (44%) 29 No (47%) 5 No Response ( 9%) Q13. Do you think gun safety should be taught in public schools? 39 Yes (64%) 16 No (26%) 6 No Response (10%) About you: (NOTE: NAME NOT NECESSARY) Q: Your Age: SEE APPENDIX C Q: Your gender: 31 M (51%) 26 F (43%) 4 No Response ( 6%) Q: Highest level education: 3 HS ( 5%) 33 College (54%) 21 Grad degree (34%) 4 No Response ( 7%) Q: Ever own a gun? 33 Yes (54%) 23 No (38%) 5 No Response ( 8%) Q: Ever fire a gun? 48 Yes (79%) 9 No (15%) 4 No Response ( 7%) Q: Any gun training? 41 Yes (67%) 16 No (26%) 4 No Response ( 7%) Q: Military service? 13 Yes (21%) 41 No (67%) 7 No Response (12%) Q: Are you a member of any pro-gun or anti-gun organization? 42 Yes (69%) 14 No (23%) 5 No Response ( 8%) **************** * APPENDIX A * **************** Question 2 "How did you hear about this debate?" NOTE: Some respondents gave more than one source 12 HCI 9 Friend(s) 7 Internet 6 LCAV 4 NRA 4 Word of mouth 3 J Grant 2 Press Club 1 Paper 2 Firearms Dealer 1 Rod & Gun Club 1 GENO 1 NIFS 1 Fax 2 A group member 10 No Response ***************** * APPENDIX B * ***************** Question 7 "If Yes to #5 [sic], what change do you recommend?" SURVEY 2: "Keep the right of bearing arms with license by federal regulation." SURVEY 3: "Make it more specific; define "militia" define "arms"; define "the people", etc." SURVEY 9: "Consider semantics regarding original forefathers' concepts" SURVEY 11: "Make it more difficult to get a gun with tougher penalties for carrying a gun - especially teens." SURVEY 13: "If it were changed, make it state clearly that the right of the individual to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." SURVEY 14: "Maybe clarified and strengthened, in modern language." SURVEY 18: "Clarify it to assure individual rights to keep and bear arms." SURVEY 23: "More clearly delineate between state controlled (i.e., National Guard) and individual rights." SURVEY 32: "Clarify that right relates only to well organized militia." SURVEY 39: "I don't believe the second amendment as written contains the unbridled right for any citizen to own any type of firearm." SURVEY 41: "A new amendment to clarify the right to bear arms clause." SURVEY 52: "Made clear to protect the basic right to bear arms some restrictions however should be allowed." SURVEY 56: "Every part of the bill of rights should be strictly interpreted according to Original Intent." SURVEY 60: "Differentiate between personal defense and defense against tyranny." SURVEY 61: "Drop the clause concerning militias." **************** * APPENDIX C * **************** Respondents' Ages Mean: 44 Range: 22 - 79 Survey Number : Age 1 : 49 28 : 37 55 : 40 2 : NR 29 : 22 56 : 52 3 : 32 30 : 50 57 : 43 4 : 46 31 : 54 58 : 50 5 : 40 32 : 56 59 : 45 6 : NR 33 : 59 60 : 49 7 : 73 34 : 58 61 : 51 8 : 56 35 : 24 9 : 70 36 : 22 10 : 50 37 : 51 11 : 37 38 : 64 12 : NR 39 : 34 13 : 30 40 : 25 14 : 38 41 : 52 15 : NR 42 : 48 16 : 29 43 : NR 17 : 48 44 : 70 18 : 62 45 : 31 19 : 26 46 : 40 20 : 30 47 : 44 21 : 41 48 : 33 22 : 42 49 : 67 23 : 79 50 : 58 24 : 35 51 : 56 25 : 31 52 : 37 26 : 22 53 : 38 27 : 33 54 : 33 **************** * NOTES * **************** SURVEY 1 Q8: "Only a beginning" SURVEY 2 Q13: "Never!" SURVEY 5 Q13: "Teach conflict resolution" SURVEY 11 Q3: "Laws are not enforced totally - however, I would like to see laws even if they are only a drop in the bucket so to speak. We have to do something new before our country is totally barberic [sic]" Q5: "I don't mind if citizens want to possess a gun in their home. However, I am personally afraid to go in banks, ride public transit, and on occasion I am afraid to go to work. I teach in an urban high school as I know students can easily get guns. Legal ones or illegal ones." Q13: "We need to teach more how to control anger and resolve conflicts and let students know they will go to jail for a long time for using a gun in a crime." SURVEY 13 Q13: "!" SURVEY 20 Q13: "NRA No, HCI-yes" SURVEY 23 Q3: "In present form" Ql3: "XXXXXXXX" [sic] SURVEY 33 Q3: "At best, irrelevant, and at worst, counterproductive." Q6: "The right is not dependent on the amendment" Q12: "I perceive a loss of steam on the anti-rights movement." SURVEY 34 Q8: "We need more controls." SURVEY 36 Q3: "The laws could be effective if whole system (state v. State) were to change" Q4: "YES!" Q11: "Isn't quite easy [sic] for ANY gun owner to use their gun? Legally or illegally? Until another incidence [sic] occurs and more people die?" Q13: "No. There should be no attention stressed on the use of guns in a strictly academic and educational environment." SURVEY 39 Q1: "Anti!!!" Q3: "Tougher gun control would be more effective (i.e., such as gun control laws in other industrial countries)." Q5: "Not repealed - just interpreted correctly." Q8: "Listening to the NRA representative made me want to work harder in support of gun control." SURVEY 42 Q10: "More !!!!!" SURVEY 46 Q9: "I do not it is at all effective." SURVEY 48 Q3: "Because not strong enough." Q8: "It is one important solution but there other issues of social disorder which need to be addressed." Q9: "No change" Q13: "Without the firing, i.e., not gun training." SURVEY 53 Q5: "Just interpret it correctly." Q13: "Only to those who have guns" SURVEY 54 Q4: "Some are; limiting access by minors and felons." Q6: "No!!!!!!!"