The rush to “do something” in the wake of the mass shootings in Buffalo, NY, and Uvalde, TX, has led to a bipartisan group of senators pursuing so-called “gun safety” legislation over the last several weeks. When the effort was announced, I penned a critique of the Republicans involved, noting that any compromise is simply giving Democrats the leverage to keep demanding more.

Now, we’ve got our first preview of what’s going to be in the bill in question. According to EWTN, it’s going to include a range of measures, from funding for “red flag” laws to increased background checks to funding for mental health and schools.

#BREAKING Sources tell me new #GunControl measures may be announced today (Sunday) feds provide money to states to implement red flag laws, deeper checks, allow juvenile records to be searched, start mental health pilot program, & funding for school security. @EWTNNewsNightly pic.twitter.com/2MPkNUKRIa

— Erik Rosales (@ErikRosalesNews) June 12, 2022

I want to be fair here because, in a vacuum, most of those measures are not objectionable. I believe there’s ample evidence that red flag laws are largely useless and exist to make people feel better, not actually prevent mass casualty events. We’d also need a lot more details on what “deeper checks” means.

Overall, though, if this bill truly doesn’t include any actual anti-gun policies (i.e. bans and confiscation), that makes it far more palatable, even if I think a few of the measures are ineffective. The red flag laws will apparently remain at the state level, and they can be challenged in court if necessary. I don’t really have a problem with deeper background checks either, as long as that doesn’t translate to “universal background checks” being used as a national gun registry. Gun dealers do actually need more information, including juvenile and mental health records, when selling guns.

Further, I doubt anyone is against funding for mental health and school security, since those have been the two chief alternatives to gun control offered by conservatives, with me among that number.

Given all that, why do I still say Republicans are being suckers here? To clarify, it’s not because of anything specifically in this bill, assuming the reporting on what’s in it is accurate. Rather, I think the GOP is walking into a trap because they have done nothing to assert that this bill is the end of the road.

Here’s the thing. There is going to be another mass shooting. No matter how many laws we pass, evil people will get their hands on the tools necessary to commit evil acts. When that mass shooting occurs, Democrats are going to scream about how the last “gun safety” bill wasn’t enough and how we must “do something.” That “do something” will include confiscation and outright bans on common weaponry. By compromising now without laying a marker down they are willing to stand by, they are simply handing Democrats the leverage to take the whole pie the next time around.

The left-wing push to ban semiautomatic weapons is not going to end here. Republicans that don’t recognize that are being suckers.