The public has taken a conservative turn when it comes to gun control, says a survey by Pew Research Center for the People and the Press reported by National Public Radio. "A year ago, we had a solid majority, 58 percent, saying it was more important to control gun ownership than to protect the right to own guns," says the center's Carroll Doherty. "And now opinion is almost evenly divided. It's a pretty striking shift in a very short period of time — only a year."
The upward spike in gun sales that began about the time President Obama was elected continues. In California, sales over a six-month period late last year and early this year are up 32 percent from the same period a year ago. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL), says it will be an "uphill battle" to pass his Gun Show Background Check Act of 2009 would require federal background checks for all sales at gun shows. In some states, it's possible for individuals to sell guns from their personal collection to others without having to run background checks on the purchaser.
