Trump’s Hollow Gesture on Guns
Experts and advocates on both sides of the gun debate say the president’s proposal to ban bump stocks is more performative than meaningful.
On Tuesday, in the aftermath of the shooting of 17 people at Marjory Stoneman High School in Parkland, Florida, Trump sent a memo to Attorney General Jeff Sessions ordering a proposal to ban bump stocks and to improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. But experts and advocates say the move is more performative than meaningful—and the decision is being criticized by gun-control advocates and Second Amendment proponents alike.
“It’s a presidential distraction,” said William Vizzard, a professor of criminal justice at California State
