ONE SMALL STEP

President condemns racist hate, proposes ‘red flag’ law

As mourners gathered in El Paso, President Trump pushed for state “red flag” laws that allow off icials to monitor and disarm the mentally deranged.

The bulletproof vest worn by Ohio gunman Connor Betts is legal to own in all 50 states — unless you’re a convicted criminal.

And anyone who wants to buy body armor can do so online or by phone anywhere except Connecticut, which requires that purchases be made in person.

Federal law has banned felons convicted of violent crimes from buying, owning or possessing body armor since 2002, and violating that law carries a sentence of up to three years in prison.

In addition, anyone who wears body armor during a crime involving violence or drug trafficking faces an enhanced sentence under federal guidelines.

A majority of states also make it illegal to wear a bulletproof vest while committing a crime. In New York, it’s a felony punishable by up to four years in prison to wear body armor while committing a violent crime and carrying a firearm.

A bill introduced in March by Assemblyman Doug Smith (R-LI) would strengthen that law by expanding the underlying offenses to any misdemeanor or felony. It also would mandate that the sentence for violating the law run consecutively to any related convictions.

The BulletSafe body armor company of Troy, Mich., sells vests, starting at $299 each, that it says will protect wearers from a .44 Magnum slug.

“We ship to New York all the time,” company founder Tom Nardone told The Post.