Both Republicans and Democrats are demonstrating a greater interest in stricter gun laws, according to an NPR poll conducted after the Parkland shooting. Compared to a poll NPR/Ipsos survey done last October after the Las Vegas massacre, the number of Americans supporting more restrictions on guns jumped from 68 to 75 percent, including 4 percent growth among Republicans and 7 percent growth among independents.
And overall, 72 percent of Americans now say they favor a ban on assault-style weapons.
But there's also a striking amount of bipartisan support for multiple measures that would limit access to guns and certain kinds of ammunition.
- requiring background checks for all gun buyers (94 percent),
- adding people with mental illnesses to the federal gun background check system (92 percent),
- raising the legal age to purchase guns from 18 to 21 (82 percent),
- banning bump stocks (81 percent),
- banning high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds (73 percent)
And guess what Donald Trump's "arm the teachers" initiative polls at? It's opposed by 59 percent of Americans.
The poll also found that while nearly every gun policy was supported by a majority of both Republicans and Democrats, the one exception was arming teachers. [...] Arming teachers was by far the most polarizing policy suggestion; the poll found a 50-point divide between Republicans and Democrats. [68 percent Republican/18 percent Democratic support]
Naturally, arming teachers is the only part of the package of gun measures proposed by Florida lawmakers that the NRA supports. It's exactly the type of proposal that’s a double win for the NRA—both promoting the sale/existence of more guns and dividing Americans against one another.
