A majority of Americans support allowing teachers to carry firearms in schools, according to a new poll.
SO WHAT
Just because Democrats think gun control is the only solution to mass shootings doesn’t mean the rest of the country has to.
THE NUMBERS
The Economist/YouGov poll released this week found that 51% of Americans either somewhat or strongly favor “giving schoolteachers and school administrators the option of being armed at school.”
Only 37% are opposed, per the survey.
- 73% of Republicans support letting teachers carry guns, while 58% of Democrats do not.
- A plurality of Democrats, 48%, back “stationing armed guards at all schools.”
Trafalgar Group reported similar findings Tuesday: 57.5% of Americans say preventing properly trained teachers from carrying firearms on the job makes schools more dangerous.
THE NARRATIVE
A shooting last Tuesday at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, claimed the lives of 19 children and two adults, renewing calls from the left for stricter gun laws.
Some gun control advocates have mocked or otherwise dismissed conservative proposals to allow more “good guys with guns” in schools — suggesting gun control is the end all and be all.
- While polling shows most Americans favor stricter gun laws, the public seems to hold relatively nuanced views about the causes of school shootings.
- A Rasmussen Reports poll released last week found that a plurality, 40%, believe mental health is most to blame for mass shootings, compared to 30% who blame access to firearms.