美国国家公共电台 NPR--Poll: Most Americans say curbing gun violence is more important than gun rights

Poll: Most Americans say curbing² gun violence is more important than gun rights

Transcript³

The highest percentage of Americans in a decade say they think it's more important to curb¹ gun violence than protect gun rights, according to a new NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.

The finding comes a year after the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, the second-deadliest in American history. Multiple other mass shootings that have taken place in the time since that one.

But the survey of almost 1,300 adults also shows Americans' views on guns are mixed, with little consensus⁴ on what to do about gun violence.

Fewer Americans say they feel their community's schools are safe from gun violence. And while a significant majority feels the answer to mass shootings is stricter gun laws, the percentage believing the solution is more people needing to carry guns has jumped 10 points in the last four years.

6 in 10 say controlling gun violence is more important than protecting gun rights

That's the highest in 10 years and includes 4 in 10 gun owners.

In 2013, people were split on this. But Democrats⁵ and many independents have shifted since.

Two thirds of Republicans, however, side with protecting gun rights.

57% say schools in their community are safe

But since 2019, that's down 8 points.

Those saying their local schools are not safe has jumped 10 points.

This is driven by Democrats, who are split on whether schools are safe.

Republicans (69%) and independents (58%) largely still feel their community schools are safe.

There are wide divisions on semi-automatic, assault style weapons, like the AR-15

For Democrats, banning these kinds of weapons was their top choice for what could reduce gun violence — 44% of Democrats said so.

But only 13% of Republicans did. That discrepancy⁶ was the widest of all the options tested in this survey, which included mental health screenings for all gun buyers, background checks at gun shows and private sales, red-flag laws and allowing teachers to carry guns in classrooms.

Overall, 27% said banning assault style guns would have the biggest impact, followed by mental health screenings, purchases at gun shows and private sales and red-flag laws.

For Republicans, though it was mental health screenings they believe would have the most impact, followed by arming teachers in schools.

Notably⁷, the older people are, the more likely they were to say this type of ban would help — 37% of those 60 or older listed this first, followed by 45 to 59 (29%), 30 to 44 (23%), and 18 to 29 (15%).

A significant portion (1 in 5) of the population, though, doesn't think anything will work.

More than 6 in 10 say their first reaction when they hear about mass shootings is that there need to be stricter gun laws

But those saying people need to carry guns has also gone up by 10 points since 2019, from 25% to 35%.

A majority supports stand-your-ground laws

A significant majority (58%) said they support these kinds of laws that allow people who are in a public place and believe that their life or safety is in danger to kill or injure the person who they think is threatening them.

This includes 81% of Republicans and 57% of independents; 60% of Democrats disapprove⁸.

Non-whites and those in states with more lax gun laws more likely to experience gun violence

Overall, 41% say they or someone they know has experienced gun violence, for example, by being threatened with a gun or as the victim of a shooting.

The groups that were the most likely to say so were those 30- to 44-years old (53%), parents with children under 18 (52%), gun owners (49%), people who live in big cities (48%), GenZ/Millennials (47%) and non-whites (47%).

Non-whites were 10 points more likely than whites to experience gun violence or know someone who has.

People in states with more lax gun laws were also 8 points more likely to say they or someone they know has experienced gun violence, 45% to 37%.

1 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

2 curbing   

n.边石，边石的材料v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Progress has been made in curbing inflation. 在控制通货膨胀方面已取得了进展。
• A range of policies have been introduced aimed at curbing inflation. 为了抑制通货膨胀实施了一系列的政策。

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 discrepancy   

n.不同；不符；差异；矛盾

参考例句：

• The discrepancy in their ages seemed not to matter.他们之间年龄的差异似乎没有多大关系。
• There was a discrepancy in the two reports of the accident.关于那次事故的两则报道有不一致之处。

7 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

8 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。