OTHERS SAY: A predictable retreat

In the aftermath of mass shootings in Dayton, Ohio, and El Paso, Texas, President Donald Trump acknowledged the country's "great appetite" for more effective gun control, and said he supported "very meaningful" background checks on gun purchases.

The president was right about the appetite. Nine in 10 Americans support comprehensive background checks for firearm purchases. On the other hand: "Tell your U.S. Senators and Representatives to oppose gun control," stated a recent missive from the National Rifle Association to its members. Accordingly, Trump is beating a familiar retreat, saying that "people don't realize we have very strong background checks right now." The president made sure to check another gun-lobby box, as well, blaming mass gun deaths on a "mental health problem."

Existing background checks are strong? Investigators found more than 1 million guns for sale without a background check on a single website, Armslist.com. One in nine people seeking to purchase a firearm on the site was a prohibited person. Private sellers operating on the Internet, or out of gun shows, homes, parking lots or anywhere criminals congregate, are not required to do background checks and block sales to prohibited individuals. As for that "mental health problem," the U.S. is unique among wealthy nations only in the shoddiness of its gun laws and the commensurate abundance of its gun violence - not in the mental health of its citizenry.

Few were surprised when the president capitulated, again, to the gun lobby. Yet resigning oneself to this fecklessness would be wrong - because in a way Trump's shameful two-step is a sign of progress. Even this president, tied to the NRA by dollars and votes more tightly than any predecessor, feels political pressure to do the right thing.

Commentary on 08/25/2019

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