美国国家公共电台 NPR NPR Poll: After Parkland, Number of Americans Who Want Gun Restrictions Grows

 

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

After a White House meeting on guns left Republicans scratching their heads, the Senate is not going to take up gun legislation next week as it had hoped. But when it does, a new NPR/Ipsos poll might provide a road map for what Americans want. And many Americans seem to want Congress to act. NPR's Asma Khalid has been digging through the results of this poll and joins us. Hi, Asma.

ASMA KHALID, BYLINE¹: Hey, David.

GREENE: So what's the takeaway from this new poll?

KHALID: Well, David, in general, it's overall bad news for the NRA. Three-quarters of people polled say gun laws should be stricter than they are today. And that's a noticeable increase in a really short period of time since we last polled on this. We polled after the Las Vegas shooting. And at that time, 68 percent of people said gun laws should be stricter than they were. Our poll found overwhelming bipartisan support for a range of gun control policies, including raising the age to buy a gun, banning assault-style weapons and requiring background checks.

GREENE: OK. It sounds like increasing support, at least at the moment, for gun control. What about in terms of policy? I mean, are people open to everything? Are there some gun control ideas that people just, you know, would reject?

KHALID: Well, the one policy that it seemed that a majority of people would reject is the idea of arming teachers. Overall, almost 6 in 10 were opposed to the idea of training teachers to carry guns in schools. And there's really a clear partisan² divide here. A majority of Republicans support it. Democrats³ don't. In fact, there's a 50-point divide between Republicans and Democrats on this.

GREENE: Wow.

KHALID: And, David, I just got back from Ohio, where I heard this. I met a retired⁴ elementary school teacher and a Trump⁵ voter, Lisa Moore (ph), who did say, you know, she personally doesn't want to carry a gun, but she thinks there are teachers who would.

LISA MOORE: Have them come, sign up to see who wants to be concealed⁶ carry. They should have one for each grade level - you know what I'm saying? - on the floors, you know? And I think that'd be a good idea.

GREENE: And this is an idea that we've heard from President Trump talking about arming teachers, right?

KHALID: We have. Right. And, you know, at his televised White House meeting on Wednesday night with lawmakers, he also talked about possibly raising the age to buy an assault-style weapon and possibly expanding background checks. And, you know, it did seem to confuse things, I think, within his own party. But what I get from all of this is that, in some ways, the president is acutely aware of what his voters want. And I asked Chris Jackson about this. He's the director of the polling team at Ipsos. And he says that Trump actually seems in sync with his voters, with his Republican base voters.

CHRIS JACKSON: We see in this study a majority of Republicans saying that they are supportive of a variety of different gun control measures, many of which Trump mentioned. And that's in contrast to a lot of Republican elected officials who have taken a much more Second Amendment⁷, absolutist stand.

GREENE: So interesting, Asma, because you do see President Trump sort of tending to his base often on a lot of issues. So what does this poll mean politically overall, would you say?

KHALID: Well, David, we found that, right now, almost two-thirds - in fact, 63 percent - say guns will be a major factor in their vote this November. You know, gun control is one of those issues that's dominated traditionally by gun rights activists⁸. But we see an indication - because we can compare it from October - that a lot of the momentum⁹ we're seeing now is from Democrats and independents.

And, you know, of course, David, we always see sort of a bump after a mass shooting, and then support recedes¹⁰ a bit. And that's certainly what the NRA is banking¹¹ on. So we'll have to see if there's actually sustained intensity¹² in the months leading up to the midterms.

GREENE: All right. NPR's Asma Khalid. Asma, thanks. We appreciate it.

KHALID: You're welcome.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA'S "NECROLOGY")

1 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

2 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

5 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

6 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

7 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

10 recedes   

v.逐渐远离( recede的第三人称单数 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• For this reason the near point gradually recedes as one grows older. 由于这个原因，随着人渐渐变老，近点便逐渐后退。 来自辞典例句
• Silent, mournful, abandoned, broken, Czechoslovakia recedes into the darkness. 缄默的、悲哀的、被抛弃的、支离破碎的捷克斯洛伐克，已在黑暗之中。 来自辞典例句

11 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

12 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。