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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsDomestic PolicyStarted 14yrs agoActive 2yrs ago

Should there be more restrictions on the current process of purchasing a gun?

The 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings caused several states and cities to pass strict gun control measures. In response, state lawmakers in gun friendly states in the South and West passed bills that would strengthen Stand Your Ground laws and allow weapons in most public places. In 2014, 21 states passed laws that expanded the rights of gun owners allowing them to possess firearms in churches, bars, schools and college campuses. The federal government has not passed any gun control measures since the 1994 Brady Bill and 42 states now allow the possession of assault rifles. In the U.S. two-thirds of all gun deaths are suicides and in 2010 there were 19,000 firearm suicides and 11,000 firearm homicides.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 10.9m America voters.

63%
Yes
37%
No
52%
Yes
28%
No
9%
Yes, require strict background checks, psychological testing, and training
5%
No, only for criminals and the mentally ill
2%
Yes, but only by closing the gun show loophole
1%
No, but increase penalties for gun-related crimes
0%
Yes, and ban all guns from public use
1%
No, only for assault weapons
1%
No, and the government should pass a national “stand your ground” law

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 10.9m America voters.

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Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 10.9m America voters.

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from America voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @5KGHPZJfrom Michigan  answered…6yrs6Y

Chicago has very strict gun laws and yet the highest gun related crimes...criminals do not care about laws...you cannot pass a law that will stop a criminal from obtaining a weapon if he really wants one

 @4WV9Q2Cfrom Oregon  answered…6yrs6Y

Guns don't kill people it's the crazy unstable people, the uneducated people.

 @4SH7565from Utah  answered…6yrs6Y

I believe there are over 2000 gun laws already on the books. Maybe we could enforce those before passing new ones. Come on, people! Guns don't kill people, people kill people.

 @53KWBGYfrom Ohio  answered…6yrs6Y

Stay out of this. Guns are only a method to kill. People are messed up. Start at home with good role models.

 @54W37HGfrom Texas  answered…6yrs6Y

Repeal all firearms restrictions back to 1791.

 @4Q7RG6Lfrom Texas  answered…6yrs6Y

Do whatever Australia did after their first and only mass shooting.

 @5H37QM5from Colorado  answered…6yrs6Y

You know what we should totally do? Let's say you take the class, clear a background check, then go to a gun dealer. The gun dealer can check your background check again, then help you choose the right gun for you. Here's the clincher: You have guns that will only work for you. Like using your fingerprint. (This is my husband's idea and I LOVE it! They have safes that work this way, why not find a way to apply it to firearms?!). Anyways, if someone steals your gun, they cannot use it because their fingerprints are different. Then it's just a glorified paper weight.

 @583P2FKfrom North Carolina  answered…6yrs6Y

Democrats should not be allowed to own firearms

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

Elizabeth Warren Walks Back Murder Comments

Congressional Democrats broadly denounced the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson Friday morning, after Republicans started accusing Sen. Elizabeth Warren of excusing violence.“No one's condoning this,” said Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.). “Violence never is the right answer for anything. And it was a horrible murder, a tragic loss for his family.” Warren this week condemned the shooting, but added that people “can be pushed only so far.”"We'll say it over and over," Warren said on MSNBC’S “The ReidOut.” " Violence is never the answer. This guy [Luigi Mangione] gets a trial who's allegedly killed the CEO of UnitedHealth, but you can only push people so far, and then they start to take matters into their own hands."In a statement to POLITICO, Warren said, “Violence is never the answer. Period. I should have been much clearer that there is never a justification for murder.” Top Republicans denounced Warren's comments and the walked-back rhetoric, with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) calling it “inappropriate and dangerous.”Some House Democrats asked about the incident on Thursday pivoted the conversation to discuss policy options on health care or gun safety.“I don't really know that this is really a space that Congress normally weighs in on,” said Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas). “But at the end of the day, I think it’s an opportunity, because now people are talking about health care and to talk about the fact that this industry has honestly not been as helpful as it could be.”“Violence is never the answer,” said Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.). “We know that there are people suffering, there’s great challenges in healthcare. There's great challenges, and people have, in fact, been wronged, but a process of governance is the way to address that, not violence.”And Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) who denounced the murder, said the killer should be prosecuted and that “I do know that allegedly a ghost gun was used, and we should also ban ghost guns. There's no reason for them beyond the streets.”

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About This Data

Based on 10.9m responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should there be more restrictions on the current process of purchasing a gun?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 25, 2026, from https://www.isidewith.com/polls/3507538

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