A majority of voters said it’s more important to protect citizens from gun violence than it is to protect gun rights, according to a Fox News poll published Sunday.
The survey was released the day after more than 800,000 people marched in Washington to demand Congress enact gun control measures following the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida where 17 people were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
According to the Fox News poll, 53 percent of registered voters said it was more important to protect people from gun violence, while 40 percent said it’s more important to protect the right of citizens to own guns.
Ninety-one percent of registered voters said they favor requiring criminal background checks for all gun purchases, including private sales and at gun shows.
Requiring mental health checks was favored by 84 percent of voters, and 72 percent said they backed raising the minimum age to purchase all firearms to 21.
After the school shooting in Florida, President Trump suggested arming teachers in schools, but this safety measure was the least popular according to the poll.
Only 37 percent of the people surveyed said they support allowing teachers to carry guns in school. Fifty-seven percent said they disapprove of that idea.
Though voters appeared to support gun control measures, very few believed Congress would enact any. Only seven percent said it’s extremely likely Congress would pass gun legislation this year, while 43 percent said it wasn’t likely at all.
The nationwide survey questioned 1,041 registered voters from March 18 to March 21. It has a 3 percentage point margin of error.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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