"...We have had — and continue to have — our partisan thirst to understand the motive, but just as important, to see if we can hang the murders like an albatross around the neck of political opponents.
And we have had the ridiculous debate about when the right time is to talk about the American gun fetish and how to help prevent future attacks.
I call this part ridiculous because there is not another word for it. What does it mean to say “Don’t politicize the shooting”? Politics is why there has been no substantial federal movement on gun control in recent decades. Politics is why the National Rifle Association greases palms and raps knuckles. Politics is why we are here. Everything in America is political.
Also, anytime an American uses a gun to kill another American, that is precisely the right time to talk about how to prevent that from happening again.
Indeed, as The New York Times pointed out this week, in the 477 days from June 1, 2016, to Oct. 1, 2017, there were 521 mass shootings. Finding a long enough lull to discuss this issue is almost impossible. There will always soon be another shooting.
Whether we talk about it now or later, there is little to no hope for federal action on gun control. The modern gun debate, as it has been argued for decades, is dead..."
Blood Pact With the N.R.A. - The New York Times
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