When people learn these facts, they want changes in handgun laws in order to reduce access to handguns. These are the basic findings of telephone surveys of registered voters throughout the state from Los Angeles and Orange County to Sacramento and San Diego, conducted by EDK Associates, a New York City based research firm. The poll was sponsored by the Violence Prevention Initiative of the California Wellness Foundation. Currently, there is little public awareness about both handgun-related crimes and violence statistics, and about existing handgun policies and laws. When given a quick quiz to test their knowledge of two basic facts, most Californians in these communities failed to score a passing grade.
Handguns are the leading killers of kids in California.
Most believe it is illegal to sell guns out of homes while some admit to not knowing whether it is legal or not. Overall, more than half of residents from these communities failed to get either of these answers right and few answered both correctly. At least one in two people in a wide range of demographic groups from each of these communities said that factual information about handgun violence and the impact of handgun regulation serves to frame policy options in ways that make them want to get involved. This information is salient to almost every group. Voters from these diverse communities are motivated to contact an elected official because of the danger posed to kids, the cost factor, and the impact of gun dealers on communities and neighborhoods.