Among the institutions looming large in the public debate over gun control legislation, colleges and universities have become highly contested ground as gun rights advocates have pressed for laws in a number of states to allow individuals to carry concealed firearms on campuses. In the buildup to this week’s gun control legislation showdown in the U.S. Senate, which failed to enact any new gun control measures, college students at American college and university campuses let it be known where they stood on the issue.
On Tuesday, students marked the sixth anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre with events at 10 campuses in eight states and in Washington that urged support for Senate legislation to expand modest gun control measures.
A “National Guns Survey” public opinion survey released this week found that the views of American adults younger than 30 largely mirror the views of Americans overall in supporting tougher legislation to reduce gun violence. The survey, commissioned by the Center for American Progress Action Fund, Campus Progress Action and Mayors Against Illegal Guns, also documented young voters’ views on gun culture, classrooms and college campuses. The survey was conducted by GBA Strategies and Chesapeake Beach Consulting.
Key results from the survey show that:
1) More than nine in 10 young Americans support criminal background checks. Young voters join the vast majority of Americans who support criminal background checks for anyone who wants to buy a firearm. Ninety-two percent of voters younger than 30 and 86 percent of voters 30 and older support this proposal.
