Moms Demand Action, Everytown Statement in Response to Pew Research Center Survey on Americans’ Attitudes Toward Guns

Polling Confirms Majority of Americans Support Common-Sense Gun Safety Measures

WASHINGTON – Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a part of Everytown for Gun Safety, released the following statement from founder Shannon Watts in response to the Pew Research Center’s wide-ranging survey on Americans’ attitudes toward, and experiences with guns, published yesterday.

Key poll findings include:

• 84 percent of Americans favor making private gun sales and sales at gun shows subject to background checks;
  
• 81 percent of Americans oppose allowing people to carry concealed guns without a permit;
  
• Just 19 percent of gun owners reported being members of the NRA; and
  
• 44 percent of Americans reported personally knowing someone who had been shot.

STATEMENT FROM SHANNON WATTS, FOUNDER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:

“Across party lines, in homes with and without guns, Americans support policies that keep guns out of the hands of criminals and that require safety standards for who can carry guns in public. These poll results should concern the NRA leadership, which continues to oppose popular gun safety policies like background check laws and pushes to dismantle permitting standards for who can carry a hidden, loaded gun in public. Overall, these results are another encouraging sign for the overwhelming majority of us who know we can do more to reduce the unacceptable rates of gun violence we have in this country.”

The Pew report examines:

• The demographics of gun ownership
  
• Guns and daily life
  
• Views of gun safety
  
• Views of guns and gun violence
  
• Attitudes toward gun policy

Full poll results are available here.