Mass Shootings Are Part Of A Free Society, Say Half Of Republicans

By Chris Walker, Truthout

A new poll has found that a remarkable percentage of Republican voters believe that nothing can be done to prevent mass shootings in the future.

A CBS News/YouGov poll conducted from June 1-3 asked respondents if mass shootings are “something we have to accept as part of a free society” or if they’re something “we can prevent and stop if we really tried.” Overall, most Americans rejected the first premise, with just 28 percent saying mass shootings are something we now have to live with, while 72 percent said that mass shootings are a phenomenon we can put an end to.

There were sharp partisan differences in the poll, however. Eighty-five percent of Democrats said mass shootings were something that could be prevented, while 73 percent of independents agreed. But Republicans were more likely to have a pessimistic viewpoint.