Congress’ refusal to take action on gun control is "truly unimaginable," according to a Monday editorial by The Washington Post editorial board.
"There will surely be a next time unless national lawmakers come to grips with the problem and take meaningful steps to stem the obscene and unfettered access to weapons of war,” the board wrote.
"So far, Congress has refused. That dereliction is what is truly unimaginable," the board wrote.
The gunman in the Texas church killings Sunday had a military-style semiautomatic weapon although he had been booted from the Air Force and had been jailed for assaulting his wife, the Post board noted.
While President Donald Trump noted that the problem was mental illness and the Post board said there was "no doubt" about that, the board rejected the notion that gun control is not an issue in the case.
"Imagine what would have happened if he had been deranged — and armed with only a knife? What if, at least, he had to stop and reload?" the board asked.
Lawmakers must take action as other countries have, with "sensible and effective" gun control, the board wrote.
"After every high-profile mass shooting... Congress is beseeched to serve the American public rather than the National Rifle Association. Lawmakers are asked not to prohibit guns, but to enact common-sense safeguard: muscular background checks, keeping guns away from domestic abusers, banning weapons designed for battlefields," the board wrote.
More than half of Americans favor regulations on certain guns and accessories, according to a Zogby Analytics poll posted Tuesday.
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