2002 Freedom Forum poll shows 79% of Americans support the right to own firearms

The Freedom Forum, a group focused on the First Amendment and news reporting, has been running surveys for serveral year about American's attitudes about the First Amendment and other freedoms. They have included a question about the importance of the right to own firearms at least twice, and the results suggest that Americans value their arms rights greatly and that their support for personal arms rights increased dramatically as of 2002.

The State of the First Amendment 2002 survey shows very broad and rapidly growing support for individual arms rights. For 2002 support for "the right to own firearms" jumped from 64% to 79%, a 23% increase over 1997.

The telephone survey has a sample size of over 1000 adults, is professionally conducted, and appears to be scientifically valid. Survey methodology is detailed at the end of the report.

Jeff Chan

Here is the data from the State of the First Amendment 2002 survey at:

http://www.freedomforum.org/publications/first/sofa/2002/SOFA-2002_report.pdf

8.   ... the right to own firearms?

                                   1997    2002

     Essential                      33%     48%
     Important                      31%     31%
     Not important                  33%     20%
     Don't know/refused              3%      2%

Please see the full report at the link above.