Stricter gun laws are a topic many people are talking about.
A number of local college presidents have signed a letter asking for more gun control, including Jane McAuliffe of Bryn Mawr College, Kathleen Ownes of Gwynedd-Mercy College, Joanne V. Creighton of Haverford College, Daniel H. Weiss of Lafayette College, Peyton Helm of Muhlenburg College, Rebecca Chopp of Swarthmore College, Bobby Fong of Ursinus College and Rev. Peter M. Donohue of Villanova University.
Pennsylvania voters think the federal government should have stricter gun laws, according to the latest poll from Quinnipiac University. The poll found 60 percent of those polled are in favor of stricter laws, while 5 percent thought the laws should be less strict and 32 percent thought the laws should be kept the same.
Of those polled, 95 percent favored background checks for all gun buyers.
"Pennsylvanians join voters in Virginia and New Jersey, states where Quinnipiac University has found overwhelming support for background checks for every gun purchase," said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute in a press release.
When it comes to assault weapons, 60 percent favored a national ban with 37 percent opposing it. The split was about the same for a national ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 bullets with 59 percent in favor of the ban and 39 percent opposing it.
"Keystone State voters, especially voters in urban areas, seem to have had enough of gun violence’” Malloy said. “By large margins, voters don't think assault weapons belong in the hands of any gun owner. Restrict the firepower of assault weapons or ban them entirely, Pennsylvanians say.”
The Quinnipiac University poll surveyed 1,221 registered voters between January 22 and 27. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.8 percent.
So what do you think about gun laws? Should background checks be mandatory? Should assault weapons be banned? How about high-capacity magazines? Share your thoughts in the comments area below.