Actually, politicians routinely played that confusion in the leadup to the original AWB. Whenever they talked about "assault weapons," the news would cut to footage of a machine gun being fired.
From the horse's mouth:
90% of Americans Support UBCs
- Thread starter Bartholomew Roberts
- Start date
From the horse's mouth:
22-rimfire
New member
The poll responses if reported accurately do not reflect "America", but politicians can quote and reference this poll all day long to justify their attempt to restrict 2A rights.
What I always wondered is if UBCs likely had no to little effect on crime, why would anyone support them? ... because it sounds good.... you must be checked out to buy or own a firearm. ..same as you need to take a test to get a drivers license.... We don't want any more crazies walking around toting their guns.... "Crazies".... the bill didn't even address that issue? Makes no sense. It only makes sense from the perspective that the government wants to control its citizens.
The problem that I see it that there is so much distrust in government these days whether it be about guns, 2A rights, voting preferences, poverty, etc. The distrust is refected in polls... a good example... how many thing Congress is doing a good job? (Something like 15% as I recall). How many suppport you Congressmen and Senators from your state... much much higher...
The second accused Boston bomber was caught and Fox was already asking how the FBI gave their approval the two suspects (one deceased, and one in the hospital). It is so easy to slip by the system unless they have their attention focused on YOU for whatever reason.
One of the problems with poll data is, that while the mathmatics says that a poll of 1,000+/- may be a statistical representative sample of the 300+ million of us, the details of who (and where) those thousand or so people are is vital to the accuracy of the sample.
And that also leaves out one other slightly important factor, the honesty of the people responding. For the polls showing how gun ownership has declined (number of households with a gun,etc...), I doubt every one. Nobody with two brain cells to rub together is going to tell an anynonomous voice on the phone that they own guns. That alone is going to seriously skew any poll on the subject.
If I were to poll a thousand people on the streets of New York City about any gun related issue, I'm sure I'd get quite a different result than if I polled a random thousand from Montana or Texas. Just as if I polled a thousand from the NRA's membership list, vs. a like number of people who donated money to Coalition to end gun violence (or whatever they are calling it this week).
The devil is in the details, and the only poll that really matters is held every 2 or 4 years in November.
And that also leaves out one other slightly important factor, the honesty of the people responding. For the polls showing how gun ownership has declined (number of households with a gun,etc...), I doubt every one. Nobody with two brain cells to rub together is going to tell an anynonomous voice on the phone that they own guns. That alone is going to seriously skew any poll on the subject.
If I were to poll a thousand people on the streets of New York City about any gun related issue, I'm sure I'd get quite a different result than if I polled a random thousand from Montana or Texas. Just as if I polled a thousand from the NRA's membership list, vs. a like number of people who donated money to Coalition to end gun violence (or whatever they are calling it this week).
The devil is in the details, and the only poll that really matters is held every 2 or 4 years in November.
fragtagninja
New member
To see just how easy it is to scare people with facts, stats, and percentages just look at this website.
http://www.dhmo.org/
I would first like to inform you that all of the information on this site about Dihydrogen Monoxide is true. I would also like to inform you that Dihydrogen Monoxide is better known by its chemical formula H2O commonly called water or agua in Spanish.
People actually signed a petition to ban water under the name DHMO as a result of the facts used on this site.
For instance DHMO can be lethal if inhaled even in small amounts. Which most of us know as drowning. The purpose of this tom foolery was simply to demonstrate how easily we are manipulated by rhetoric and how easy it is to make facts tell the story you want them to.
Impressed? I'm not. 
http://www.dhmo.org/
I would first like to inform you that all of the information on this site about Dihydrogen Monoxide is true. I would also like to inform you that Dihydrogen Monoxide is better known by its chemical formula H2O commonly called water or agua in Spanish.
People actually signed a petition to ban water under the name DHMO as a result of the facts used on this site.
For instance DHMO can be lethal if inhaled even in small amounts. Which most of us know as drowning. The purpose of this tom foolery was simply to demonstrate how easily we are manipulated by rhetoric and how easy it is to make facts tell the story you want them to.
Impressed? I'm not. I'd say that 90% of Americans just don't understand what's at stake here. Nor do thay think about the unintended consequences of enacting such legislation.
As a side note; this morning there was a shooting in New Orleans (no big news there). The tragic part of this is that 3 of the 5 victims were children under the age of 3. There is no doubt that this was a drug related shooting and none of the parties involved could legally own a gun. ie; the laws were already in place to prevent this shooting. It's just that the law was not enforced. Why would you think that an other law would help?
As a side note; this morning there was a shooting in New Orleans (no big news there). The tragic part of this is that 3 of the 5 victims were children under the age of 3. There is no doubt that this was a drug related shooting and none of the parties involved could legally own a gun. ie; the laws were already in place to prevent this shooting. It's just that the law was not enforced. Why would you think that an other law would help?
That's true. Won't someone think of the children?
The thing about the 90% figure is that it claims 90% of Americans can agree on anything. That's like herding 300 million cats. Had I heard poll numbers claiming 60% support, I might have bought it.
90%? That should set off alarm bells for any educated person about the veracity of the survey itself.
22-rimfire
New member
The only +90% poll number that I believed was the vote for a certain presidential candidate in the last election by a certain minority.
I have read that it is next to impossible to get 90%+ agreeing on anything or any poll question.
I have read that it is next to impossible to get 90%+ agreeing on anything or any poll question.
When a poll is given it's often the wording that makes the difference.
You could ask: Do you beleive that guns should be kept out of the hands of criminals?
Almost everyone would say yes.
You might also phrase it as: Would you be willing to give up your rights as a citezen to prevent gun violence?
I'm guessing you'd get far fewer takers.
We don't know how the question was asked.
You could ask: Do you beleive that guns should be kept out of the hands of criminals?
Almost everyone would say yes.
You might also phrase it as: Would you be willing to give up your rights as a citezen to prevent gun violence?
I'm guessing you'd get far fewer takers.
We don't know how the question was asked.
Alabama Shooter
New member
Why? 90%+ supported both invasions in Iraq for example. Ask people about that today and you are likely to get a big mixed bag of answers. People in this country can develop an overwhelming consensus view in some cases.
Regardless would you settle for 82% of voters in a nationwide poll conducted by Fox News Corp? This is a drop off from their independent polling where it was 91% since the debate began in congress but still a super-majority.
More telling of the respondents:
The real kicker from the poll?
Including 50% in non gun owning homes.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/int...oll-during-manhunt-6-percent-voters-want-gun/