Raise Your Hand If You Think Gun Nuts Aren't... Nuts

On Saturday we talked a little bit about the traits conservatives have had in common, historically, that have made them so consistently anti-American (from the conservatives who opposed the Declaration of Independence to the conservatives who joined the British military invaders to kill patriots, to the conservatives who fled America and moved to Britain after the Revolutionary War, to the conservatives who started the secessionist movement that led to the Civil War, right down to today's crop of treacherous conservatives who boast about seeing America fail). With the modern day Know Nothings-- i.e., the teabaggers-- screeching about repealing various parts of the Constitution they don't like-- I think there are now 3 amendments that are part of their crazed litany of psychosis-- the one Amendment all the nuts stand behind is their misinterpretation of the Second Amendment, which they insist is about their personal right to run around with weapons rather than an amendment clearly meant to address military service and civic obligation; they seem to willfully ignore the whole concept of a "well regulated militia" at the heart of the amendment.

It isn't likely that conservatives, particularly not conservatives from the dominant crackpot wing of conservatism, will be ready to peaceably accept the newest polling-- released by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence-- that shows Americans oppose a bunch of nuts running around in public with guns. More feel unsafe than feel safer-- and a third feel much less safe with that knowledge, according to a poll conducted by Lake Research Partners, the most reputable polling firm in America.

“Politicians who are doing the bidding of the gun lobby, and businesses who worry about offending gun rights extremists, should look at this data and be aware that there is potentially a large price to pay with voters and customers alike,” said Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Center. “Having more guns in public places not only puts more people at risk, it clearly makes people feel less safe.”

“We found strong negative reactions to more guns in public-- both carried openly and concealed-- among many key voting blocks, and stronger-than expected concerns about some of these policies among gun owners,” said Celinda Lake, President of Lake Research Partners. 

There is a sizable gender gap in the polling data, with 63 percent of women feeling less safe with allowing open carry. The gap, of 49 points between men and women, represents “one of the largest divides seen on current issues,” researchers report. Voters who were identified as people of color also “solidly and intensively” oppose allowing open carry.

The poll of 600 registered voters was conducted April 26-28, and carries a margin of error of plus or minus four percent. Among the findings:

·    Fifty-two percent oppose allow-ing people in general, not just those connected to law enforcement, to carry loaded guns openly in public;

·    Fifty percent of voters feel less safe knowing that people not connected to law enforcement can carry guns in public, while 38 percent feel more safe.

·    A majority-- 51 percent of those polled-- said they were less likely to vote for a candidate who makes it easier for people to carry loaded guns in public, compared to 27 percent who were more likely to support such a candidate. Fully 63 percent of women said they were less likely to vote for a candidate who makes it easier to carry guns in public.

·    Women across all groups oppose open carry broadly-- 76 percent of women of color, 68 percent of urban women and older women, 59 percent of suburban women 55 percent of younger women and a majority of rural women.
 
·    A similar majority-- 56 percent of those polled-- favor Starbucks and other retail establishments establishing strict “no guns” policies for their businesses - and far more gun owners support a “no guns” policy for Starbucks than believe Starbucks and other businesses should allow firearms on their premises.

·    When it comes to concealed weapons, 57 percent of respondents said they felt less safe knowing people can carry loaded, concealed guns in public.  Fully 39 percent of respondents said they felt much less safe knowing that people may be carrying concealed, loaded weapons.

They wouldn't allow crazed gun nuts to carry loaded weapons into bars, right? Churches? And definitely not in airports... right?

But, as you can see in the video below, even NRA members veer away from their leadership when it comes to commonsense approaches to gun safety. NRA members are just like most Americans-- but not like conservative gun nuts in leadership positions-- when it comes to keeping guns out of the hands of terrorists. Watch it all the way through, right up until they come across a Fox News zombie who has no problem with terrorists buying guns, as long as its OK with Fox and, more important, as long as he can make a little profit by selling them the weapons.