Given how divided we are as a nation, it shouldn’t shock us that we view the latest likely terrorist attack differently along party lines. Gallup noted that the overwhelming majority of Republicans view it as an Islamic terrorist attack, while Democrats see it as an act of gun violence:
Republicans and Democrats have starkly different interpretations of what the recent mass shooting at an Orlando nightclub represents. While 79% of Republicans view it primarily as an act of Islamic terrorism, the majority of Democrats, 60%, see it as an act of domestic gun violence. Given Republicans' more lopsided views, Americans as a whole tilt toward describing it as a terrorist act.[…]
While both President Barack Obama and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton described the incident as an act of terror, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump went further, tying the act to radical Islam.
Democrats' interpretation of the Orlando shooting may be influenced by Democratic leaders' calls for stricter gun laws in recent days. This was exemplified by a Democratic-led filibuster on the Senate floor Wednesday and Thursday, which ended after Republican leaders agreed to take up proposals on background checks and steps to prevent terrorists from obtaining guns.
Gallup also found that Americans support barring those on the no-fly list from buying firearms, despite the gross unconstitutional conditions relating to those secretive government lists that have virtually no due process of law within their structure. The no-fly list is one of many terror watch lists maintained by the FBI. They’re also inaccurate, as the government thought an eight-year-old cub scout was a terrorist. This should be viewed as a red flag for a very bad government policy, especially when you want to absorb it into a wider gun control push.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member