But has it gotten to the point where passing a law is also doing nothing?
Passing laws only do nothing because they're poorly written, and crooked gun owners (the crazy militia types) will find loop holes in them. It's not a matter of passing more legislation, it's a matter of passing tough legislation. You can't build a nuclear bomb in your basement, but that's considered an "arm." How come grenade launchers are acceptable? No one needs an assault rifle with that much magazine capacity. If the crazier of gun owners have to settle for just plain guns that have to be reloaded, they're going to have to settle.
In the case of the Colorado shooting, among other things, the murderer was allowed to buy a gun online. Why is that even an option? There's plenty of cases of identity fraud out there. All it takes is a matter of some dangerous crazy person stealing a credit card and posing as someone else to get their hands on assault rifles.
In the case of the school shooting, the mother was a "responsible" gun owner that had guns all over her house, especially multiple assault rifles out of fear of an apocalyptic financial disaster or some Glenn Beck bullcrap like that. She knew her son was insane, almost committed him, did nothing about the massive stockpile of army weaponry her son had access to.
Both cases are cases of stockpiling. One by a dangerously insane individual, one by a "sane" individual listening to dangerous Insane Troll Logic. Both bought guns for immoral/crazy reasons. We need legislation that protects sane, responsible gun owners who aren't guano crazy enough to stockpile. Hunters don't stockpile. Crazy people stockpile. How about legislation that prevents
that? THAT could work.
Most gun owners are in fact responsible people. They're not the ones doing these things. Disturbed people with no options in life are.
Responsible owners know that irresponsibility will lead to them losing guns. They also know that legal arms have to be registered. So if something happens, they're going to be tracked down easier. They're savvy enough. I'd tend to think a god portion of those are responsible enough to know that a hunting weapon is for hunting and a weapon of mass destruction is just that. They are the furthest thing from legislation's mind. But militant wackos, drug dealers getting illegal weaponry, and stockpiling psychopaths need to be dealt with. There's a way to deal with them and protect the honest people, the NRA doesn't care. They're a lobbyist group, and all lobbyists are scum. They care ONLY for gun makers who can make a fortune when they spread around the dangerous "gumment gunna take er gurrrns!" so crazy gun nuts can buy flesh melting napalm blasters out of fear that they can't own something they shouldn't. Why can't we change the culture and get a gun owners alliance that's focused on the
owners and not the makers? That just doesn't make sense.