There is no one solution to gun violence, rather a menu of on-going efforts that need to be deployed, and financed, over the long term. And, there are many people doing this work daily. Unfortunately, it’s not glamorous, and it’s not sound-bite friendly. Oh, and it takes commitment, not an expectation of instant gratification.

But, please don’t underestimate the potential good that more stringent enforcement of firearms trafficking laws could have on the ability of prohibited people to get guns. It’s a war of attrition that has never really been tried because it’s hard, tedious work to simultaneously disarm felons and teens, and make it harder for gun dealers and straw purchasers to arm them in the first place. Plus, cops, who are on the front lines, don’t have the time or motivation to focus on prevention–they can only react, arrest, then hope perpetrators get prosecuted.

Finally, I believe we are changing the frame on gun violence and that as time moves on, Americans will begin to embrace the idea that we can safeguard the rights of legal gun owners and make it harder for prohibited people to get guns. They are not mutually exclusive.