Whenever I see anything from CNN on gun control and Republicans, I generally assume it’s going to be a crap show. After all, CNN is face deep in the anti-gun narrative and hasn’t shown much willingness to get beyond “Republicans are evil.”

And nothing has really changed.

However, a recent piece actually does illustrate the truth about why the Uvalde shooting isn’t likely to change the reality on gun control in this country.

The fatal shooting of 19 children and two adults on Tuesday in Uvalde, Texas, has shocked the country, evoking memories of other tragic school shootings such as Columbine, Newtown and Parkland, and renewing calls for Congress to do something.

But the response to those calls from many Republican lawmakers is the same now as it pretty much always is: The country should not have stricter gun control.

Why do these Republicans refuse to act? Beyond the fact that many believe stricter gun control would not prevent such mass shootings, a look at the data reveals that there is simply no political pressure to do so.

While there are certainly some Americans who want stricter gun control, the public at large is far more split on the issue than a lot of commonly cited polling data would have you believe.

Now, it seems clear that the writer agrees with the anti-gun narrative. His word choice, while trying to appear neutral, seems to betray his real opinions.

Maybe I’m wrong, but it doesn’t really matter.

But what about the polling data he mentions? Well, that’s interesting.

Perhaps the best way to understand the public mindset on the gun control debate is to look at Gallup polling from earlier this year. The survey asked a simple question and a follow-up: Are you satisfied with the nation’s gun laws? And if you’re unsatisfied, do you want stricter or looser gun laws.

This year, only 36% of Americans said they were dissatisfied and wanted stricter gun control laws. Sixty-one percent were either satisfied (41%), dissatisfied but wanted less strict laws (13%) or dissatisfied and wanted no change (7%).

These numbers do shift somewhat from year to year, but the “dissatisfied and want stricter gun laws” opinion has never been a majority one this century.

In other words, despite the full-court press we get from politicians, activists, and the media, the majority of Americans just don’t want new gun control.

As such, there’s no reason for Republicans to capitulate to Democratic demands for new restrictions.

While it’s CNN, it’s not wrong.

That’s surprising, to say the least, but it’s also true.

Yet that’s not the entire truth. You see, at least some of those lawmakers understand that gun control will not stop mass shootings. It won’t have any impact at all. We know this and they know this.

If you know something won’t work, why would you ever pass laws restricting rights your constituents believe in, just to appease activists who are never going to vote for you anyway?

It just doesn’t make any sense.

Then again, since so many of these people think gun laws work, the idea of them expecting things that make no sense is really just par for the course.