Rasmussen on gun violence: taking no action 'perfectly wrong

Pollster Scott Rasmussen says on his site that Congress should take action to prevent gun violence in light of the elementary school shootings in Newtown, Conn., last month. Though he stops short of saying what action should be taken specifically.

Rasmussen writes:

On the gun control front, the president called for stricter background checks of gun buyers, a position supported by 86 percent of Americans. But he did stop short of calling for laws that would require longer prison sentences if a crime is committed with a gun. Americans support that approach by a 2-to-1 margin.

Then, recognizing the limited impact of his action and the limits of public support, the president said that "to make a real and lasting difference, Congress, too, must act." ...

Still, as Congress looks to respond, the nation's legislators should be mindful of the public desire that something must be done. If they are not willing to go as far as the president wants on gun control, perhaps they should go further in some other areas. They might take stronger action on mental health issues or increase the penalties for crimes committed with a gun.

There are no perfect options, but doing nothing is perfectly wrong.