retrocop - // What are they 'on' in the states? //
What they are on is a regrettable mindset backed up by a seriously rich organisation, and a political system that makes even mentioning change something that Presidents do in their last term of office, when they have noting to lose, like an election.
The 'frontier' mentality that framed the Second Amendment, and gave citizens the right to bear arms against a potentially overbearking government remains, generations past the time when legislation makes such behaviour utterly impossible.
Put simply, a lot of Americans like guns, and enjoy the rather warped notion that they are entitled to protect their 'homesteads' with lethal force.
Add to that the Gun Lobby which has seriously deep pockets, and directly or indirectly funds a lot of right-wing government officials, and you have an impossible situation - no chance whatsoever of any meaningful legislation to control the number and use of guns ever being forthcoming in the foreseeable future.
Are guns bad - obviously.
Are Americans willing to give up their guns? - obviously not.
Is any political party ever likely to even think about altering legislation to make gun possession more difficult - Again, obviously not.
Until that situation changes meaningfully, these mass shootings will continue, and Presidents like Trump will mutter platitudes and do absolutely nothing, for reasons explained above.
How President Trump can stand up in public and say that 'hate does not belong in America' when he is advocating deporting American citizens in his own governmental system, makes me wonder how he doesn't simply implode with the unbearable weight of hypocrisy that bears down on him on an hourly basis.