A new poll finds that more people than ever support concealed carry gun laws in their states.
When asked, “In the United States, are guns used in self-defense more often than they are used in the commission of a crime?” North American respondents agreed answering 88% yes, to 12% no.
Respondents, at a rate of 91%, felt that gun-free zones were more likely to attract criminals than they are to deter them. Gun-free zone was defined as an area where “civilians are banned from having guns.”
Suicide, especially among males, in the United States is usually committed with a firearm. However only 28% the survey respondents answered “yes” when asked, “Would you say that, in the United States, having a gun in the home causes an increase in the risk of suicide?”
Firearm murders have been steadily declining in the United States and concealed carry has been making rapid gains. The National Rifle Association estimates that each year up to 2.5 million crimes are prevented or deterred by an armed citizen.
Survey respondents overwhelmingly felt, 91% to 9%, that “concealed handgun permit holders are much more law-abiding that the typical American.”
Additionally, 81% of respondents felt that “allowing people to carry a permitted concealed handgun” would decrease the murder rate.
A Gallup survey conducted in 2014 indicates that Americans are increasingly recognizing that a gun in the home makes the home safer.