Blue Iowa Survey: 'Put a Teacher in Every Gun Store;' Iowa Democrats, GOP Differ Sharply on Guns, Guards in Schools After Newtown Shootings

Influential Iowa Democrats and Republicans differ strongly on some core steps being discussed in response to the Newtown shootings this month.

More than 80 percent of influential Democrats surveyed in the most recent Patch Blue Iowa survey strongly oppose armed guards in schools, and another 10 percent somewhat oppose armed guards.

The National Rifle Association called for armed guards in all schools during a press conference last week. The NRA statement response to the shootings in Newtown, CT, which left 20 first graders and six staff members dead, prompted passionate responses both in agreement and opposition.

The Democrats surveyed left harsh comments about the NRA statement: "Unrealistic. Unfundable," "Disappointing," "Out of Touch," "Opportunistic" and "Ridiculous," among others.

"Put a teacher in every gun store instead," one person wrote.

"Take away the power of the NRA," said another.

Influential Iowa Republicans surveyed separately in Patch's Red Iowa, overwhelmingly supported - 75 percent - placing armed guards in every school.

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Red Iowa Survey: 75% Support Armed Guards in Schools; 62% Oppose Ban on Rapid-Fire Guns

Those responding to the surveys are a mix of current and former office holders, party leaders, candidates and activists. Patch's Red Iowa survey of influential Republicans on this topic was posted on Thursday.

The same contingent surveyed in Blue Iowa support a ban on rapid-fire assault weapons - 81 percent strongly and 10 percent somewhat.

Republicans opposed a ban on rapid-fire guns, including 39 percent who strongly oppose and another 23 percent who somewhat oppose.

National polling seems to favor more gun control. The Pew Research Center found that more Americans now believe that controlling gun ownership is a bigger priority than protecting the right to own firearms and a CBS News poll found more people now believe stricter gun control is needed. The USA Today/Gallup Poll found most favor stricter gun laws, but most oppose banning assault weapons.

Fifty percent of the Democrats surveyed said they favor bans on weapons beyond assault rifles, while 96 percent of the Republicans survey oppose such measures.

The Democrats, though, say stronger laws are needed.

Many favored limiting high-capacity clips or banning them altogether, and others preferred stronger registration processes.

"Look to what Australia did after the Port Arthur massacre," one wrote of a 1996 killing spree that left 35 dead.

The government created the National Firearms Agreement that reduced the inventory of semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, created universal gun registration and introduced an improved licensing system. Within a decade, the rate of gun homicide and gun suicide had dropped significantly, an Australian gun control advocacy group reports.