File it under depressingly predictable: Wednesday and Thursday, Senate Republicans and Democrats were running into political friction as they tried to turn the modest set of “breakthrough” gun safety proposals into actual legislation. Though we are decidedly underwhelmed by the ideas — including incentives to states to enact “red flag” laws; extra scrutiny of young gun buyers; and more spending on mental health care and school safety — it would be an epic failure if, in the wake of two galvanizing mass shootings by 18-year-olds and amid record gun violence, nothing gets…
Sad, but predictable
Gun makers might respond to such pressure with a giant scoff and a series of lawsuits. But with 45,000 gun deaths annually, there are worse things than trying and failing to change the equation.
