Americans place more blame for mass shootings on parents and Hollywood than they do on guns, a surprising new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll reveals.
Asked how much responsibility several choices might bear for the shootings that have taken place in Tucson, Ariz.; Aurora, Colo.; and Newtown, Conn., guns came in fifth.
The top choice was “parents not paying enough attention to what is going on in their children’s lives” — 83 percent said that was “a great deal” or a “good amount” responsible. Only 4 percent said “none at all.”
Editor's Note:
Should Obama's Gun Ban Be Approved? Vote Now in Urgent Poll
The second choice, selected by 82 percent as “a great deal”
or “a good amount,” was “the lack of effective treatment for mental illness.”
Next came “the amount of media coverage of mass shootings,” at 67 percent.
Fourth was “movies, television programs, and video games that portray violence and violent behavior,” chosen by 62 percent.
Tied for fifth place at 59 percent each was “assault and military-style firearms being legal to purchase,” and “the availability of high capacity ammunition clips.”
Another 49 percent blamed “the lack of security measures at schools, malls, and other places where people gather.”
The poll also found that 56 percent believe the laws covering the sale of firearms should be stricter, compared with 42 percent who want them less strict or kept the same.
However, support for stricter controls is significantly less today than it was during the 1990s, when more than 60 percent supported stricter laws, topping out at 78 percent in 1990.
Editor's Note:
Should Obama's Gun Ban Be Approved? Vote Now in Urgent Poll
Another interesting finding of the NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll: Asked how they view the National Rifle Association, 24 percent said “very positive” and 17 percent said “somewhat positive,” while 20 percent were “neutral.” That’s up from 21 percent “very positive” in January 2011, and significantly higher than in June 1995, when just 12 percent said “very positive.”
Also, those who view the NRA as “very negative” is at 23 percent, down from 30 percent in July 1995.
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