Polls of the Week: April 13
L.A. race riots 20-year anniversary, plus more.
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Americans Speak Out - Los Angeles residents weigh in on race relations in their city, President Obama and Mitt Romney go head-to-head over women’s rights, the Trayvon Martin case divides the public over gun control laws, plus more. —Joyce Jones and Britt Middleton
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L.A. Riots: 20 Years Later - A new survey out April 11 by the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University reports that the majority of Los Angeles residents say racial tensions have improved (68 percent) since the 1992 race riots, which stemmed from the beating of Rodney King, a Black man, by four white police officers. Twenty-seven percent said racial and ethnic groups in the city weren’t getting along any better, and 5 percent said they weren’t sure.(Photo: David McNew/Getty Images)
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A Mixed Bag for Romney and Obama - According to an ABC News/Washington Post poll published April 10, Obama holds a double-digit lead over Romney on being better able to handle women’s issues (19 percent); more friendly and likable (38 percent); more inspiring (26 percent); and having a better understanding of average Americans’ economic problems (12 percent). Overall, however, the president leads his probable opponent by 51 to 44 percent. Additionally, Romney leads Obama by 47 to 43 percent in trust to handle the economy.(Photos: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images; Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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Race and the Trayvon Martin Case - Racially, the American public is divided over whether the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was justified. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on April 12 reported that 91 percent of African-Americans said Trayvon was unjustly killed, compared to just 35 percent of whites who thought the same.(Photo: David McNew/Getty Images)
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Gun Control and Deadly Force - In addition to sparking debate over racial tensions in the country, the Trayvon Martin shooting brought scrutiny from critics over gun control laws and use of deadly force as protection. In a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on April 13, 91 percent of people agreed on the need for background checks before a firearm can be sold and nearly 75 percent supported limiting the sale of automatic weapons; six percent said gun ownership should require none or very few restrictions. Nationally, 87 percent of those surveyed said they supported laws that allow Americans to use deadly force to protect themselves from danger in their home.(Photo: Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
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