| It is estimated that 5,000 gun shows take place in | | | | Republicans had a gun in their home while only about |
| the United States each year. Gun politics take a very | | | | a third of Democrats owned a gun. According to a |
| high profile position in the US politics. There are huge | | | | 2004 Harris Interactive survey Democrats hold a |
| debates that wage heated opinions on gun violence | | | | 71% to 11% majority of favoring "stricter" rather |
| and gun politics in the US every year. There have | | | | than "less strict" on gun control issues. |
| been several incidents of gun violence in "gun free" | | | | The debate is fueled most likely because of gun |
| school zones, such as the Virginia Tech Massacre of | | | | violence. There are about 10,000 murders that are |
| 2007 that have caused the heated debates to | | | | committed every year in the United States that |
| continue. | | | | involve a firearm. However, there is an estimated 2.5 |
| Support for gun control in the US has been dropping. | | | | million crimes that are thwarted due to the civilians' |
| Currently it is known that the public strongly opposes | | | | use of firearms every year as well. It is known that |
| any attempt that our government has to ban gun | | | | the United States has higher rates of firearm |
| ownership. The public opinion is divided on any | | | | ownership than other developed nations; the United |
| attempts on the limitation of ownership as well. | | | | States also has a higher rate of homicide. Of the |
| A 2008 Gallup poll revealed that only 28% of the | | | | 233,251 people who were victims of homicide in the |
| population supported a total ban on handguns, this | | | | United States between 1988-1997 68% were killed |
| was the lowest level since the poll was taken in 1959; | | | | with guns. It is unknown if the perpetrators of such |
| the support at that time was 60% of the population | | | | crimes would have resorted to another weapon to |
| was in support of a total ban. This same 2008 poll | | | | commit the homicide if a gun would not have been |
| indicated that 48% of most Americans preferred | | | | available. |
| stricter gun laws. | | | | Some may perceive the requirement to register a |
| There is a sharp divide among those are for | | | | firearm to be an encroachment upon individual privacy |
| gun-rights and those for gun-control. It is known that | | | | and property rights. It is also viewed that the |
| Republicans are far less likely to support gun control | | | | requirement to register a firearm could be used by |
| than are Democrats. It is also known that Republicans | | | | the government to target gun owners for |
| are more likely to own a gun than are Democrats. In | | | | harassment and eventual confiscation of the firearm. |
| a survey it was found that more than half of | | | | |