Most Utahns worry about a terrorist attack in our state, a new UtahPolicy poll by Dan Jones & Associates finds.
But most Utahns are not changing anything about their daily lives, even though they do worry about such an attack.
Utah has not suffered a foreign-inspired terrorist attack (to differentiate from gun/bomb violence by U.S. citizens that could be seen by some as a form of domestic terrorism – like the Singer/Swapp attacks of years ago).
Still, in light of violence like the San Bernardino attacks by self-proclaimed jihadists, such attacks here is clearly on many Utahns’ minds. Jones finds:
— 50 percent of Utahns say they are “very worried” or “somewhat worried” that terrorist attacks could come to the Beehive State.
— 48 percent said they are not worried about it, and 1 percent didn’t know. (As in all Jones’ polls, some results do not add up to 100 percent because of mathematical rounding.)
Asked if they are changing their habits to protect themselves and their families from a possible terrorist attack, 61 percent said they are not.
Thirty-eight percent said they are.
Such actions could be avoiding crowded places or events, political rallies and such.
For example, if you attended an anti-Muslim rally your chances of being attacked would likely increase.
Men are slightly less worried about such an attack in Utah (47 percent) than women (53 percent).
But both sexes, by the same percentage, are not doing anything to protect themselves or their families from such possible attacks.
Tea Party members are really concerned, finds Jones.
Seventy-seven percent of the anti-government group say they are worried about a terrorist attack in Utah.
And 77 percent of Tea Partiers said they are changing their daily habits to protect themselves and their families from such attacks.
Republicans are more worried (57 percent) than are Democrats (43 percent).
Political independents are the least worried about terrorist attacks here, only 41 percent said they are concerned, 57 percent said they are not.
As might be expected, those who said they are “very conservative” politically are worried, 64 percent.
Most moderates and liberals aren’t worried about terrorist attacks here.
Faithful members of the LDS Church are encouraged by their leaders to prepare for hard times, like having some food storage in case of emergencies.
But “very active” Mormons apparently don’t put terrorist attacks in that category.
Jones finds that only 52 percent of Mormons – about the same percentage of the citizenry as a whole – are worried about a terrorist attack.
Only 40 percent of Mormons said they are changing their habits to protect their families, 59 percent said they are not.
Still, having around 40 percent of the Utah population doing something in their daily lives to protect themselves from a possible terrorist attack shows many Utahns are still concerned about the possibility – at least to the extent they are doing something different than they would have a decade ago.
Jones polled 622 Utah adults from Dec. 8-14; margin of error plus or minus 3.93 percent.
