The 2016 University of South Florida Sunshine State Survey finds that Floridians favor allowing teachers and staff to carry guns on Florida public school campuses.
According to Sunshine State News, 56 percent of respondents support trained teachers and staff carrying guns to defend themselves and their students, while 46 percent oppose allowing teachers to be armed for self-defense.
Those who most strongly support arming teachers include “males, working-age residents, whites, those living in affluent households, college graduates, and residents of the Orlando and North Florida areas.” Those in opposition were mainly “females, older Floridians, African Americans, lower-income households, those with less formal education and residents of the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area.”
The USF Sunshine State Survey also found that many females, older Floridians, and African Americans, the same demographics that oppose arming teachers for self-defense, support a ban on “‘assault weapons.”
Breitbart News reported that many schools and school districts around the country responded to the Sandy Hook Elementary School attack by arming teachers and staff. Such an approach has expanded in states where it might not be expected–California, for instance–and is also a growing trend in states like Texas. A sign outside a school building in Claude, Texas, warns would-be attackers that the staff is armed and “may use whatever force necessary to protect … students.”
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
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