US gun control lingers over divided politics: CNN

NEW YORK - After every shooting, the political rituals are the same in the United States -- Republicans who have harnessed their party to activists who want to loosen gun laws offer prayers for the victims and talk vaguely about a mental health crisis, while Democrats demand more gun control and a ban on fast-firing assault weapons that can kill multiple people in seconds, reported CNN on Monday.

"But nothing ever changes," said the report. "Is there any way out of this endless cycle of death? Or is the political system simply too deadlocked -- even though majorities of Americans in most polls favor some kind of reform to gun laws."

The states with the highest rates of gun death are Mississippi, Louisiana, New Mexico, Alabama and Wyoming. With the exception of New Mexico, all of those states, including Texas, have enacted permitless carry, meaning gun owners are not required to get a license or undergo training in order to carry a concealed gun in public. There are 27 permitless carry states now.

"There is broad agreement that more needs to be done to prevent mass shootings," said the report. "The problem is that there's little agreement between the parties on how to do that. Democrats generally favor broad gun restrictions and bans. Republicans generally favor stricter enforcement of current gun laws and mental health intervention. There is likely some crossover on either point among voters but little among their elected representatives."

Meanwhile, "state-level policy is becoming increasingly polarized based on the prevailing politics in each state. Red states are focused on reducing attacks by making it easier for law-abiding citizens to obtain and carry guns. Blue states have turned increasingly to bans on 'assault weapons' and ammunition magazines that hold a certain amount of ammunition," it added.