POLICE: 3 – 1 Support Gun Rights Over Gun Control

A recent report issued by Pew Research reveals what GOC has known all along – by a hefty margin of 3 – 1, police officers support the protection of an individual’s right to own firearms rather than the restriction of gun ownership.

Two surveys conducted between the months of May and September 2016 (7,917 sworn officers and a national survey of over 4,500 adults) reveals that “Police officers are considerably more likely than the public to say it is more important to protect the rights of Americans to own guns than it is to control gun ownership (74% of officers vs. 53% of the public).”

This comes as no surprise to GOC; individual law enforcement officers understand the dangers which can befall a vulnerable public – and that the problem is not with good guys who own guns.  The public on the other hand has been hoodwinked by lies, distortions and fear-baiting.  Actually, most Americans believe it’s still important to protect a person’s 2^nd Amendment rights, but their support falls below that of law enforcement so we have some basic “public educating” to do.

Another interesting component of Pew’s research is that 67 percent of officers oppose a ban on “assault weapons” while just 32% of the public oppose it.   Again, this shows that the men and women devoted to protecting us have a firm grasp on who and what is the real danger.  This is yet another revelation that the public’s misconceptions about guns are deep, substantial, and frankly, dangerous.  Ted Nugent once said “Ignorance is indeed bliss, but it is also dangerous and embarrassing” which is predictably true; the public’s tolerance of bogus information has led to a mountain of bad gun laws (which is why GOC is always harping about being armed and informed…)

The research finds a consensus, however, in that most police and an even more significant share of the public believe a federal database to track gun sales (61% and 71%, respectively) would be positive.  This is concerning because a government-maintained record of gun sales serves no useful crime-solving purpose.   The vast percentage of firearms used crimes are either stolen or secured illegally/trafficked and would thus never appear on some gun store’s sales record.  It goes back to the oh-so-elementary philosophy that criminals just don’t seem all that interested in paying attention to the law.

That said, the Pew Research is noteworthy for the simple reason that law enforcement has consistently been used by anti-gun politicians and the media to generate public support for huge restrictions on the 2^nd Amendment.  During the Proposition 63 battle, however, we were proud to stand in opposition with the California State Sheriffs’ Association, California Police Chiefs, California Correctional Peace Officers Association, the Association of Deputy District Attorneys, the California Reserve Peace Officers Association, California Fish and Game Wardens’ Association, Law Enforcement Action Network, and the Western States Sheriffs’ Association.

At GOC, we have made it a priority to foster strong relationships with law enforcement – whether it’s the individual men and women on the street or the Sheriffs and Police Chiefs who have made it a point to support our Constitution.  They know firsthand – as do we, that going after one, larger subsection of society (law abiding) to cure the wrongs of another (law breakers) will never work.

To see the full and very comprehensive results of the Pew Research report, click here.