MORE GUNS

Maybe just one of these a month?

No one denies that Virginians love their guns, but in the wake of the Newtown massacre they also seem inclined to support some modest gun control proposals.

A new Quinnipiac University poll finds that while an overwhelming majority of Virginians—66 percent—want armed guards in every school, the same number is opposed to allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons, as proposed by a Virginia delegate late last year.

In other interesting findings, 92 percent of those polled support background checks for people who buy guns at gun shows, while 49 percent say that gun laws should get more strict. (Forty-two percent say otherwise). Fifty-eight percent support a ban on assault weapons, 59 percent want high-capacity magazines banned and 62 percent think that allowing people to carry assault rifles makes the country more dangerous.

Interestingly, 60 percent said that gun purchases should be limited to one per month, a statewide policy that was overturned last year by the Virginia General Assembly and signed by Gov. Bob McDonnell. (In the wake of Newtown, gun purchases in Virginia spiked.)

In terms of how to best address the problem of gun violence, Virginians said they were mixed on the best approach: 29 percent want more spending on mental health, 27 percent want more cops at schools, 24 percent want to ban assault weapons, and 16 percent want less violence in TV, music and video games.

Of course, the poll’s results still somewhat broke down along expected lines. White Republican men living in rural areas were most likely to support gun rights, while gun control tracked higher among women, African Americans, Democrats, and those in urban areas.