Tagged: A Loaded Issue

In the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut school shooting there’s been an increase in calls for gun control on Capitol Hill.

As part of NHPR’s series, A Loaded Issue, we take a historical look at our attitudes toward firearms that have shaped our laws then and now.  A libertarian streak, along with a rural hunting culture in the Live Free or Die state, has meant few restrictions on firearms.  But new arrivals have brought changing attitudes towards guns.

GUESTS:

Andy Smith- Director of UNH Survey Center and Associate Professor of Political Science.

As the debate over gun policy occupies center stage in Washington, N.H. lawmakers are also considering several bills that relate to guns.

As part of NHPR's news series, A Loaded Issue, we’re asking Granite Staters to weigh in with their thoughts about gun ownership, laws governing guns, and the culture here.

Each day we'll ask a new discussion question and throughout the week we'll read your comments on the air.

Today's Question:  Do you support President Obama’s gun control proposals?  Should there be criminal background checks for all gun sales, a ban on assault weapons and a limit on high-capacity magazines?

Please include your first name and your hometown.

As we heard earlier in this series, many rural residents of New Hampshire have a strong connection to guns. But that wasn’t always the case.

Recently, NHPR examined the impact of the firearms industry on the state's economy.  Especially now, with gun sales at historic highs, this subset of New Hampshire's manufacturing industry is benefiting.  Looking at federal firearms manufacturing licenses, we've pinpointed where the state's firearms manufacturers are located.