Poll: 84 Percent of Americans Believe Violence Committed With Guns a Criminal Issue,

Townhall.com ^ | October 9, 2014 | Katie Pavlich

[Kaslin]

For years gun control advocates have tried to turn incidents of 'gun violence' into a public health issue in order to justify wide reaching government regulations, but a new scientific poll from the National Shooting Sports Foundation shows the vast majority of Americans view violence committed with guns as a criminal issue, not one of public health. The poll also shows an overwhelming majority of Americans believe the Centers for Disease Control should be focused on combating illness and disease, not 'gun violence.'

An overwhelming 84 percent of survey respondents said gun violence is a criminal justice issue, rather than a public health issue, such as viruses. An even higher 88 percent of respondents said they do not think the CDC should spend resources on studying the use of guns in crime rather than on studying viruses and disease. Some 71 percent of respondents said that the federal government should not classify gun violence as a public health issue in the manner of viruses and diseases.

When asked whether the definition of gun violence should be expanded to include accidents and instances of self-defense, nearly three-quarters of respondents said gun violence is a crime committed using a firearm with the intent to injure another person.

"As the significant challenges posed by the Ebola epidemic demonstrate, the emphasis of the Centers for Disease Control should remain on the study, prevention and containment of viruses and infectious disease," NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel Lawrence G. Keane said in a statement. "For political reasons, many involved in gun control activism would like to re-define the criminal misuse of guns into a public health issue. We commissioned this survey to help determine where Americans stood on this issue. To put it plainly, they don't buy it. And given the 20-year reduction in violent crime that the FBI reports, even as the number of firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens has increased, they shouldn't buy it."

In 2013, President Obama ordered the CDC "to research the causes and prevention of gun violence." The results of that study were contrary and unhelpful to his policy positions on gun control.

[Kaslin]

the rest of the title is: Not Public Health Issue

[Uncle Miltie]

“statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners.”

http://healthbeatnews.com/doctors-vs-gunowners-the-statistics-of-death/

[Secret Agent Man]

at best they may try to peddle the stat that it is a public health issue for the 3% of people that commit 75% of the gun violence/murders each year in the usa.

if this 3% of the population - a very specific and clear demographic - could be neutralized - 75% of the current gun violence/murders would be gone.

[drypowder]

I guess that means the other 16% are illogical blithering idiots. The Pied Piper obozo seems of late to be blowing sour notes on his flute.

[rdcbn]

The other 16% are rioting in Ferguson

[ConservingFreedom]

I guess that means the other 16% are illogical blithering idiots.

Yup ... "help me, I've been infected with a severe case of firearms!"

[Blood of Tyrants]

Those same 16% think that the police can protect you from violent crime and that laws will prevent criminals from getting guns.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Pointing that out is racist. /sarc

[originalbuckeye]

Leftists wanted it to be classified a ‘public health issue’ so that doctors could ask if and how many guns were in your home. Pediatricians are tasked with asking children about guns in their homes. Now they can’t be required to ask. It was a way to locate/catalog the guns of private citizens. BTW, no one HAS to answer any invasive questions.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

This is one of the myriad of ways the progressives are attempting to make ideological disagreement a mental health issue. It mirrors that which was done in the Soviet Union.

[wrench]

This is what the CDC has been doing, rather than battling the disease infested illegals invading the US.

[Flintlock]

ANYTHING but ebola, or other ickey, germey things that could make ya sick.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Well it appears that the American public are smarter than we thought.

[papertyger]

And given the 20-year reduction in violent crime that the FBI reports, even as the number of firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens has increased, they shouldn't buy it."

The next great leap should be the deregulation of folding stocked pistols.