Sambal

If you had  ‘political belief X’ before a tragedy;

and then a tragedy happens that reinforces your belief in X;

and then you re-iterate your belief in X;

then I really doubt you’re going to change anyone’s mind.

Now, anyone who used to believe X and now believes Y — say, a former gun-control advocate who now wants armed guards and teachers in schools, or a former gun-rights proponent who would like to see the US adopt a restrictive regime like Canada’s or Sweden’s — that might actually change some minds.

But even for that, today is not the day to talk about that.  Let the grieving families receive their dead.  Leave the politics out of it.