"It's hopeless."

That's what I wish the president had said yesterday in response to the latest mass shooting.

The chart above is only one of 17 from an interesting piece in Vox today. (I blew it up on purpose; the United States is way, way off in the upper right-hand corner.)

In case you were wondering, yes, more guns mean more gun homicides. Does that really need to be said?

Ever since Adam Lanza walked into an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012 and killed 20 children, six adults, and himself, there have been at least 986 mass shootings, with shooters killing at least 1,234 people and wounding 3,565 more.

If we can't enact sensible gun safety laws after twenty little kids are murdered, then we never will. It can't be done. It's hopeless. Expect more gun violence.

Why do we tolerate this? Is it because of our . . . freedoms? Really? Why does everyone in American throw their hands up in the air and say there's nothing we can do to protect our own people? Why are we impotent to do what every other developed country has done? Can't we figure this out? (We finally figured out universal health care, and they said that couldn't be done either.) Aren't we at least as smart as the rest of the world? (Don't answer that.)

Here's the rest of my imaginary speech from President Obama:

"There's nothing that I or anyone else can do to stop gun violence in America. You're not safe and you never will be. The government you have elected to protect you can't protect you. And you're just going to have to get used to it. (Unless you already have.) America is a very violent place and that's not going to change. Ever. And what's more, we choose to live like this. We choose it every day. It's hopeless."