"Republicans leaders in Congress do nothing," the paper writes. "Or, really, so far they've done the same thing they have always done: offered thoughts and prayers."

The shooter in Texas was possessed by an evil longing to cause mass death, and his weapon of choice was a gun. It appears that his desire to kill even more was thwarted by a gun in the hands of Stephen Willeford and Johnnie Langendorff, both heroes who risked their lives to stop the bloodshed.

More gun control would very likely have done nothing to stop the killer but might have prevented law-abiding citizens from coming to their neighbors' aid. No one who pushes gun control can credibly promise otherwise.

One indisputable result will be the monopolization of weaponry in the hands of the police unions and public-sector security officials. But recent events such as the Las Vegas shooting should give no one confidence that this would be a step toward safety.