Whites and blacks differ sharply on gun control, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, conducted Monday through Wednesday in the aftermath of the deadly shooting spree in a Newtown, Conn., elementary school.

Asked which was more important, to protect the right to own guns or to control ownership, 51 percent of whites said “to protect the right to own guns.” Only 24 percent of blacks did. Sixty-eight percent of blacks said “to control ownership,” a choice selected by 42 percent of whites. Eight percent of each group said they did not know.

Asked whether gun ownership does more to protect people from crime or puts people’s safety at risk, 54 percent of whites said it protects people from crime, but only 29 percent of blacks did. Fifty-three percent of blacks said it puts people’s safety at risk. Only 33 percent of whites did.

Asked about the effect of allowing citizens to own assault weapons, both whites and blacks said it would make the country more dangerous. Eighty-three percent of blacks said so, as did 61 percent of whites. Only 26 percent of whites said it would make the country safer, along with just 10 percent of blacks.

Asked whether they had any guns, rifles or pistols in the home, 42 percent of whites said yes, but only 16 percent of blacks did. Eighty-three percent of blacks answered no, as did 52 percent of whites.

Overall, Pew reported, “The public’s attitudes toward gun control have shown only modest change in the wake of last week’s deadly shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. Currently, 49% say it is more important to control gun ownership, while 42% say it is more important to protect the right of Americans to own guns.

“This marks the first time since Barack Obama took office that more Americans prioritize gun control than the right to own guns. . . . ”

The survey was taken at a time of increasing criticism from African Americans that the steady killing of blacks in urban areas has received far less attention than the Newtown killings.

By Kristin Stoller/mije

Posted by The NON-Conformist