The Washington Post (10/26, Craighill, Clement) reports in “The Fix” that “a new Washington Post-ABC News poll finds wide agreement that gun violence is a problem but bitter and stark division on whether new gun laws should trump the constitutional right to gun ownership.” The poll also “finds far more point to problems treating people with mental health issues.” In fact, “more people say mass shootings reflect problems identifying and treating people with mental health problems rather than inadequate gun control laws (63 percent to 23 percent).”
The Hill (10/27, Sullivan) points out, “The public’s partisan split over gun control and mental health is reflected in Congress as a push for mental health legislation grows.” While “Republicans tend to say mental health reform can help solve mass shootings…Democrats say gun control is needed but that shouldn’t stop a mental health bill that could do some good in its own right.” Also covering the story are the ABC News (10/26, Tyson) website, the Huffington Post (10/27, Frej), and Newsweek (10/27, Richinick).
Related Links:
— “What Americans blame most for mass shootings (Hint: it’s not gun laws),” Peyton M. Craighill and Scott Clement, Washington Post, October 26, 2015.