Gun control muddle

From Massachusetts to the White House, subpar gun control measures seem to be the theme of the week.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey weighed in yesterday with his proposed solution to the nation’s gun violence problem, and it amounts to, of all things, a wonky federal grant program.

Markey wants to offer states financial incentives to change their laws to look more like the laws in Massachusetts. For example, police chiefs here are empowered to approve or revoke gun licenses for local residents; Markey’s plan would make states that adopt similar measures over the next five years eligible for federal money.

Massachusetts does indeed boast many sensible gun policies. But a federal handout won’t be the thing that convinces, say, the state of Wyoming to emulate the laws of this very blue commonwealth. The same might even be said of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Meanwhile President Trump is out with his plan to address the school shooting problem, but it’s missing a central element that he embraced after the shooting in Parkland, Fla.: a federal increase in the minimum age to purchase a long gun, from 18 to 21.

Now, the president insists he is not afraid to stand up to the National Rifle Association — not like those weak-kneed members of Congress of his own party that he called out publicly a few weeks ago. No, it appears the president is afraid only of the NRA’s lawyers.

The NRA has sued the state of Florida, which on Friday officially increased its age limit to purchase assault-style weapons to 21. Some national retailers have also been sued for acting on their own to raise the age. In a tweet yesterday Trump said he is “watching court cases and rulings before acting” on age limits.

But the idea that the president of the United States would hold off on pursuing a policy he supports because of the critical case of “Some Guy” vs. Dick’s Sporting Goods is quite simply ludicrous.

The White House plan addresses bump stocks, calls for improvements in mental health care and encourages states to authorize gun violence restraining orders. All fine as far as they go.

But it also rushes to arm teachers while slow-walking a sensible restriction on gun sales. That is the NRA’s dream scenario, and no denial-by-tweet will change that.