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AssaultWeapons.jpg
A large majority of Washington voters support an assault weapons ban, according to a new poll. Gun rights advocates say a poll of attitudes is of little value. (AP file photo)

Survey: Washington residents support assault weapons ban

January 22, 2013 @ 4:43 pm (Updated: 5:43 am - 1/23/13 )

Most Washington residents support stronger background checks for gun purchasers and banning assault weapons, according to a new statewide poll.

Washington Ceasefire, a grass-roots organization working to end gun violence, commissioned the poll which was conducted by a consulting group that represents both Republicans and Democrats.

Overall, the poll found 76 percent of state residents support tighter gun laws.

About 87 percent of Washington residents want better background checks of gun buyers. That means requiring background checks for all firearm purchases, even from private dealers at gun shows.

When it comes to assault weapons, 66 percent support a ban on semi-automatic weapons.

Washington Ceasefire's Ralph Fascitelli says the poll suggests voters are "far ahead of state elected officials who have passed only one gun reform so far in this century, and seems to be struggling to reach a consensus in the current session, even in the wake of Sandy Hook and other recent mass shooting incidents such as Cafe Racer."

Gun rights activists say there is little value in a poll of attitudes.

"Remember, these are the guys who had the poll back in 1997 that said they were going to win Initiative 676, and they lost nearly 3 to 1," says Dave Workman, communications director for the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms and a former member of the NRA Board of Directors.

Initiative 676, would have required that trigger locks to be sold with handguns, along with requiring handgun owners to take an eight-hour safety training course.

"The firearms community isn't opposed to background checks," Workman tells me, "but they must be immediate, and they can't involve the creation of a de facto gun owner registry."

The poll consisted of 600 phone interviews, and has an error margin of plus or minus 4.1 percent.

It also found "widespread confusion" about what gun laws we have in place at present.

For example, over 40 percent of voters and gun owners alike believe Washington already bans assault weapons and high-capacity magazine clips. More than 70 percent believe every gun purchase requires a background check.

By LINDA THOMAS

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Comments (130)


  • Add A Comment

  • AmericanMale wrote...
    One Question
    January 22, 2013 8:21 pm
    What is the purpose of the second ammendment to our Bill of Rights? Is it about hunting? What is it about, and its purpose? I would love to have Linda respond. Thank you.
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  • AR15 4 life wrote...
    Joke of a Poll
    January 22, 2013 8:24 pm
    Please, you must have only polled the I-5 corridor. How about polling East of the Cascade Mountains, try Yakima, Spokane, Ellensburg, Moses Lake to name a few. Get a clue and figure out what exactely is an Assault Weapon? Its a fully automatic weapon - which was made illegal back in the 1930's. I am a proud US Veteran who fought this country. If someone wants my Weapons "Molon Lobe"
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  • Chrisfrommv wrote...
    mis-info
    January 22, 2013 8:40 pm
    This actually makes me laugh, in my experience as a gun owner of many longrifles with some of these features I have found the opposite to be true and most people have no problem with them. Many of the people who I talk to who are not in support of having them admit they know very little about the guns being talked about. With the ones who are willing to listen it usually doesn't take long to correct the mis-information and many even turn out to support the ownership, though many of those may not be convinced about the standard capacity. (some have even ask me to take them out and teach them how to handle and fire them). As for the WAC gunshows, they have no loop-hole talked about in the media. Also like to add I live in king and work in snohomish, so if this is the general attitude i get in these two counties I can't imagine the survey could possibly reflect this state as a whole.
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  • Gatter wrote...
    Gun Law
    January 22, 2013 8:42 pm
    Read our state constitution and don't follow the lies of Fed of the Left http://www.leg.wa.gov/LAWSANDAGENCYRULES/Pages/constitution.aspx SECTION 24 RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS. The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired, but nothing in this section shall be construed as authorizing individuals or corporations to organize, maintain or employ an armed body of men. And it also says the Constitution Is Law above all other laws so if a gun ban pass it is Unconstitutional.
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  • hera4069 wrote...
    "assault" weapons..
    January 22, 2013 8:50 pm
    I wonder how many people are catching the fact of how the media and the government are spinning the term "assault weapons" and morphing it into what they want. The very definition of "assault weapons" includes ALL guns. With this in mind, the government is using mind control (Attorney General Holder stated in a speech in 1996 that they would have to resort to this concerning guns) as propaganda to get the primary goal which is to take all the weapons. Of course they will make it out that the guns they are after is only one or two of the aesthetically different guns...but in the end it will be all of them. I mean really, after the "NDAA," "Patriot Act," "Obamacare," and "Fast and Furious" do you really think that they are expecting any less?
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  • hombreenojado wrote...
    Color me dubious...
    January 22, 2013 8:55 pm
    I'm not buying it. WCF rates extremely low on the credibility scale. And even if it were true... it matters little how many people "want gun control". This issue is about CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS not about whether or not a limited segment of the population can be whipped into enough of a frenzy to sign away their rights to self preservation.
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  • El Duderino wrote...
    Good thing it's not up to a popular vote...
    January 22, 2013 9:19 pm
    Constitutional rights are not up for a vote by initiative or by our elected officials. If rights could be changed by popular vote, 50.1% could take away whatever they wanted from the other 49.9%. The founders of our Republic were very careful not to create a democracy where this could happen.
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  • SpartacusB wrote...
    Question is moot - Constitutional rights not subject to majority rule
    January 22, 2013 9:37 pm
    Please review: WA State Constitution, Section 24 US Constitution, Amendment 2 US Constitution, Amendment 9 The question is moot - the majority cannot vote away our Constitution rights. Furthermore, like speech, religion and press, our founders clearly recognized these rights and our right to keep and bear arms as extant prior to our Constitution as evidenced by both the construction of "the right" language in our Constitution and statements in the Declaration of Independence which preceded it. Even subsequent amendments to a constitution cannot take away that which is 'endowed by our Creator' as an 'unalienable right'. The question is moot. The only thing that is not moot is the question of whether our leaders will attempt to usurp our rights, and what we the people are willing to do about it. I suggest that they tread lightly, and that they don't tread on me. -Clark County, WA
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  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    Just like "Gay" marriage they are going to try this and try this until it is done.
    January 22, 2013 9:50 pm
    The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over.” ― Joseph Goebbels
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  • Ron_Spins wrote...
    Here is the template
    January 22, 2013 9:51 pm
    “If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth. ” ― Joseph Goebbels
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