Another day, another mass shooting, this time on the far side of the world. Congressional Republicans will offer a deluxe, boxed set of thoughts and prayers, another 50 human lives will be added to the ledger of domestic terrorism, and the whole incident will be eclipsed the next time Taylor Swift sneezes.
Nothing would change if this latest massacre happened in New Hampshire. But the fact that it occurred in New Zealand is significant because gun laws there have changed - substantially - in a mere seven days.
Why are things so different in New Zealand? Because the National Rifle Association and firearms manufacturers don't have a stranglehold on national politics. With a population two-thirds the size of Washington state, New Zealand is small enough and nimble enough to rewrite its gun laws in relatively short order. If politicians and citizens demand change, they will get it.
Want an example? Consider Australia, which significantly tightened its gun laws after a mentally challenged young man went berserk with a Colt AR-15 rifle in April 1996 in Port Arthur, Tasmania. That gunman managed to kill 35 people and wound 23 others.
In the immediate aftermath, Australia launched a gun buy-back program that took 643,000 firearms out of circulation. Determined to prevent future mass shootings, Australian Prime Minister John Howard pushed for stricter gun laws with a particular focus on semi-automatic rifles and shotguns with high-capacity magazines.
It's worth noting the Port Arthur massacre came little more than a month after a different deranged gunman shot up a primary school in Dunblane, Scotland. He managed to kill 16 children and a teacher in what is still the deadliest mass shooting in British history. And what happened after that? New laws that banned private ownership of most handguns in Great Britain.
A mass shooting in Scotland, followed by stricter gun laws. A mass shooting in Australia, followed by stricter gun laws. A mass shooting in New Zealand, followed by stricter gun laws. Anybody see a pattern here?
Now consider America's reaction to horrific mass shootings.
Less than 18 months ago, yet-another deranged gunman in a high-rise Las Vegas hotel sprayed the crowd at an outdoor music festival with more than 1,100 rounds of ammunition. He managed to kill 58 people and injure hundreds more.
Like most mass shooters in America, the Las Vegas gunman was a law-abiding gun owner right up to the moment he wasn't. He was Joe Everyman until, as they say, "Something in him just snapped."
And what was the reaction from President Donald Trump and the GOP-controlled Congress? There were some thoughts, there were some prayers, and there was even some scrutiny on "bump stocks" - which are little more than a red herring in the debate over gun control.
Why this laissez-faire approach to the persistent threat of gun violence? Thanks to the NRA's inordinate financial and political clout, it is political suicide for Congressional Republicans - and most Southern Democrats - to push for any meaningful gun control.
But the NRA's strength doesn't come from Joe Everyman gun owners. The real strength, money and power comes from gun manufacturers - many of which are long-established corporations. For example, the Italian company Beretta has supplied arms for every major European war since 1650.
Take a look at the magazine rack next time you're in a big grocery store. Notice all the gun magazines and the sizable amount of rack space they occupy. In an era of dwindling publication revenues, those gun magazines are flourishing thanks to strong advertising revenues from gun manufacturers.
Money talks, which is why Congressional Republicans and other conservatives cower before the NRA. Once upon a time, it was the same story with Big Tobacco, but wherefore art thou now, Philip Morris?
America's gun laws are going to change, and when they do, they will change quickly - just like they did in Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
Remember the resistance to gay marriage in America? Remember how it was bottled up for a long time until, in almost the blink of an eye, the dam burst and gay marriage was legally recognized both federally and in most states?
Gun control in America will follow the same path.
William Brock has lived in Pullman for years.
