Second Amendment Foundation: Zogby Poll Shows Americans Favor Border Control Over Gun Control

U.S. Newswire
Sep. 12, 2005

BELLEVUE, Wash., Sept. 12 /U.S. Newswire/ -- By a three-to-one margin, American citizens think border control is far more important to national security and fighting crime than gun control, a nationwide Zogby survey has revealed.

The survey, commissioned by the Second Amendment Foundation (SAF), found that 70 percent of the respondents believe border control is more important, while only 23 percent favor more gun control. Seven percent of the respondents were undecided. The survey was conducted Sept. 6-7, by randomly contacting more than 1,150 households around the country. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.9 percent, Zogby said.

"An overwhelming majority of American citizens think it is far more important to stop the flood of illegal aliens into this country than it is to restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners," said SAF founder Alan M. Gottlieb. "Disarming American citizens is not now, and never has been the solution to violent crime, especially when it appears that a growing number of those violent crimes are being committed by people who are in this country illegally."

According to the Zogby survey, a majority of respondents in every sub-group -- including 60 percent or more in most groups -- says border control is more effective than gun control. Those most likely to agree include three-fourths or more of residents of rural areas, people with annual household income of $15,000- $34,999, high school graduates, and those with some college education, and four-fifths or more of Republicans, 18-29 year- olds, and Born-again Christians, the survey revealed.

People with household income less than $15,000 (38 percent) are more likely to support gun control, the survey said. Approximately one-third of Democrats, Hispanics, single adults, and residents of large cities agree, as do 28 percent each of college graduates and residents of the West region.

"Even those in categories that lean more favorably toward gun control are in the minority, according to the results of this survey," Gottlieb noted. "The results are pretty clear. Americans believe their constitutional right to bear arms should be protected, and that illegal immigration must be controlled, not the other way around."

The Second Amendment Foundation -- http://www.saf.org -- is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 600,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.