America’s burden

Mass shootings have become all too common in this nation, but the death toll, human stories and details can still shock. That’s certainly the case for a nightclub massacre in Thousand Oaks where a gunman killed 12 people and died himself.

The shooter, identified as a former Marine, used a handgun equipped with an extended magazine to kill patrons on a dance floor and a sheriff ’s sergeant who responded to trouble and bravely stepped in to stop the bloodshed.

The early explanation — as if that helps grieving families and a stunned nation — is that the killer, an Afghanistan war veteran, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Seven months ago, police were called to his nearby apartment after reports he was acting strangely. A followup mental health check was inconclusive. He wasn’t barred from owning a gun, but clearly he wasn’t fit to be near one.

Now comes the hard part. A wave of so-sorry messages are pouring out from elected officials from President Trump on down. All offer sympathy for victims and salute the courage of the Ventura County lawman who gave his life to save others. What comes next, though, will be a truer test of thought and will.

Washington continues to shield its eyes from the glaring problem of free and easy gun ownership paired with a horrific rate of gun deaths. Dangerously unbalanced people shouldn’t be allowed to possess firearms that can kill so many so easily. Offering a solution will be difficult given the superheated atmosphere created by gun rights advocates, but there must be the willingness and courage to face up to the continuing bloodshed. A Florida school, Pittsburgh synagogue and now a Southern California nightspot provide a sickening map of a national problem.