Because intensity matters, and opponents of gun control have tended to be more passionate and stay much more engaged than supporters of restrictions. As Robert Spitzer, an academic expert on gun policy, explained after last summer's armed assault on Republican lawmakers outside Washington, "It's only when the mass shooting occurs that the public pays real attention. But the sentiment doesn't last long. Most people turn their attention to other things, as does the media, and soon it's back to business as usual."

Source: Los Angeles Times February 22, 2018 20:37 UTC