Let me begin by making one thing clear: The extreme gun control measures pushed by Democrats and leftist activists are not worth considering, let alone supporting. The Second Amendment protects citizens’ right to own and bear arms. Thus indiscriminately banning certain types of guns, such as semi-automatic “assault weapons,” is a violation of that constitutional right, just as stringent, invasive background checks are a violation of due process.

With that said, as the death tolls rise, so too does our inability to think clearly about reasonable gun control alternatives. Each gun-related tragedy brings the same debate, and conservatives are prepped and ready to respond to the Democrats’ instinctual power grab. We’re armed with statistics and clichéd talking points, ready to shut down the totalitarians who would confiscate every single gun given the chance. But in doing so, conservatives often stifle a much-needed debate.