Effective gun control shouldn’t be this difficult

You don’t have to hate guns to like the idea of background checks on people looking to purchase firearms. With the recent mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, that is a sentiment worth remembering.

National polls routinely find more than 90% of Americans support background checks for gun purchases. Many of those 90% of Americans really love guns. They get it: A background check isn’t an assault on the Second Amendment.

If America hopes to take steps forward in the wake of gun tragedies — and many steps beyond background checks are needed — we shouldn’t force people to pick false sides. Gun lovers and gun haters don’t always have to stand on opposite sides of a line. Instead, let’s see if we can’t build a new coalition around people who love logic.