Consensus
By: Brady Campaign to Reduce Gun Violence and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner
The overheated rhetoric in Washington belies a broad consensus among voters and gun owners that it is possible to reduce gun violence in this country while protecting the Second Amendment. Voters and gun owners come together to support basic, common sense steps, such as strengthening background checks, expanding and promoting safety courses and training to improve responsible gun ownership, or increasing penalties for those who illegally traffic in guns, that can make a difference. Few voters we talked to believe additional gun laws will stop all gun violence in the country, but voters support taking steps that can address some of the violence. At the same time, few voters we talked to, including gun owners, believe any effort to strengthen gun laws is inherently a violation of the Second Amendment.