The gun debate is heating up, again, in the wake of the slayings of 17 people one week ago at a school in Parkland, Florida.
In advance of tonight’s CNN town hall with students from Stoneman Douglas High School (as well as parents, politicians and the NRA), I thought it was worth sharing a few numbers that jumped out at me regarding how people feel about guns.
1. 80% of Republicans believe the NRA “supports policies that are good for the US,” according to a Quinnipiac University National Poll, published earlier this week.
2. 77% of people surveyed by The Washington Post and ABC News this month said they believe Congress isn’t doing enough to address mass casualty shootings.
3. 33% of people surveyed by Quinnipiac University approve of President Donald Trump’s response to the Florida school shooting.
4. According to the Washington Post-ABC News Poll, 57% of those surveyed believe mass shootings are more reflective of “problems identifying and treating people with mental health problems” than “inadequate gun control laws.”
5. A Quinnipiac University poll from December found that 68% of those surveyed at the time support a ban on modifications — like bump fire stocks — that turn semiautomatic weapons into full automatic weapons.
6. 42% of those surveyed by the Post and ABC News believe the Parkland shooting could have been prevented if teachers were allowed to carry guns.
7. 67% of those surveyed by Quinnipiac University this week said they support a nationwide assault weapons ban.
8. 97% of those surveyed in the Quinnipiac University believe background checks should be required to purchase a gun.
The Point: There are, without question, some elements of the gun debate — background checks, congressional inaction — in which there are clear majorities on one side. That might be a good place to find some common ground — tonight and going forward.
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