When the 87% Don't Matter

For reasons that should puzzle no one, I’ve been worrying my head about gun control.

It seems most people favor it. The Brady Campaign—right, of course I’m choosing my preferred choir to sing to me—comes up with a figure of 87%. Well, that seemed abnormally high, so I decided to check it out.

Apparently, we can agree on some stuff. “71% of Americans believe that stopping gun violence is ‘a very important’ goal,” says the study, done by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and the Tarrance Group in 2008 for the group Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Right—did they ask about motherhood and apple pie?

Things get a little trickier the more specific you become. Almost 60% of Americans favor stricter laws. 87%—probably where the Brady bunch came up with the number—favor background checks on guns bought at gun shows. Oh, and 89% believe that we should prohibit gun ownership to people on the terrorist watch list (really would like to talk with that 11% who think that suspected terrorists should have guns…or maybe not…).

Here’s the conclusion of the report:

This survey shows that many Americans overwhelmingly favor common sense measures to cut down on the prevalence of illegal guns in the country. While most Americans support gun rights, people view their support as compatible with targeting illegal guns and fighting gun violence. 

Hey, great! We’re all pretty much on the same page. We can clear up a few loopholes—c’mon, guys, you gotta do a background check in a shop but not in a show???!—maybe have a little pitched battle about assault weapons, pass a nice little bill and still get home for lunch.

Wonderful!

What’s the problem?

Not the opinion of the American people. Two days ago I signed a generic petition appealing for gun control. I was somewhere in the 58,000 area. Goal was 100,000. And last time I checked, it was going strong with a new goal of 350,000.

So what’s missing?

Sorry—just couldn’t help it.

And neither can the congressmen, either—who are sucking, most of them, from a very full teat called the National Rifle Association. Which is spending five to ten times more money than the gun control groups.

So with so many Ben Franklins on or under the table, who is gonna vote for banning assault weapons? Remember, a politician’s first job is to get reelected.

So the click of a mouse on an Internet petition may not be enough. Readers of this blog, stay tuned. My next project?

whoownsyourcongressperson.com