WaPo columnist 'excited' that top Dems and 'many in the media' want gun control

Texas cop trains with AR-15 rifle.  (Mark Herman, Harris County Constable Precinct 4)

Washington Post columnist Perry Bacon Jr. published an article on Tuesday saying he’s "excited" that America looks more poised than ever to start restricting guns.

Bacon started his piece stating that the recent bipartisan gun violence deal "between 10 Republican and 10 Democratic senators is better than nothing" but it doesn’t "really address the central problem – the broad availability and circulation of guns in the United States."

Though the author claimed he’s not worried, because more Americans in general want guns restricted. 

"The recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde, Tex., have cemented two big, important shifts on gun policy that were already happening and won’t be slowed by the passage of a minor congressional bill," he wrote.

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"First," the columnist explained, "those involved in public policy who are not accountable to hardcore Republican voters have come to agree that guns are the problem." 

Washington Post columnist Perry Bacon Jr. claimed that America is more poised than ever to restrict guns like the AR-15. (AP)

"As a result, many in the media, top Democratic Party officials, think tanks and advocacy groups that don’t usually focus on guns are all pushing for policies such as banning the sale and ownership of military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines," Bacon explained.

The author also pointed to the fact that professionals who think that mental health and other circumstances heavily factor into gun violence, also think there are too many guns, is a tell-tale sign things will change. "Just as significantly, the reality-based policy community now agrees that while addressing, say, mental health, gangs and school security might help, what makes gun violence so prevalent in America is the unusually high number of guns in circulation."

The author also claimed that going after guns would address crime more broadly. "Centering guns as the problem unifies issues that are often discussed separately: mass shootings at schools and in other public spaces; shootings that happen among acquaintances or rival gangs; instances where people shoot spouses or partners; and suicides," he wrote. 

He argued there was one solution: "fewer guns."

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Bacon moved to the second shift which is "that the national Democratic Party is no longer afraid of gun control." He provided the example of strategists claiming that Al Gore lost the presidential race in 2000 because his support of gun control cost him the south. Though he claimed that Democrats have realized their "struggles in the South were part of a broader political realignment."

Thus, they don’t have to be as afraid of gun control. In addition, "the sheer number of catastrophic mass shootings over the past decade has basically forced Democrats to take on this issue," he added. 

Optimistically, Bacon admitted that though there aren’t enough Senate Democrats to push through serious gun control, he claimed that the fact that everyone, except "hardcore" Republicans, now wants to regulate guns is important for several reasons.

Washington Post columnist Perry Bacon Jr. claimed he was excited that more Americans are seeking gun restrictions in the wake of recent mass shootings.  (ERIC BARADAT/AFP via Getty Images)

"First," he began, "clearly identifying guns as the problem is a big step toward finding actual solutions. Now, wealthy individuals, organizations and the Democratic Party know they must develop a comprehensive agenda aimed at reducing the number of guns in the United States and only backing candidates who believe in that goal," he wrote.

Bacon added, "Second, blue cities and states where Republicans aren’t a roadblock should pass strong gun regulation." He wrote that "Cities and states as well as philanthropic organizations should also seek innovative ways to encourage people to voluntarily either get rid of guns or not buy them in the first place."

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The author’s last reason was that now everyone will start "demanding that GOP-appointed judges, including those on the Supreme Court, accept that some expansive gun-control measures are simply necessary for public safety." 

Bacon then claimed that if said judges don’t comply, "the only answer will be judicial reforms such as adding justices to shift the balance of the court toward common-sense gun policy."

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A banner hangs at a memorial outside Robb Elementary School, the site of the recent Texas school shooting. (AP/Eric Gay)

"So, no, I’m not celebrating this bipartisan guns deal too much. But I am excited to see lots of powerful Americans, including top Democrats, get more serious about reducing the number of guns in the United States," he concluded.