They do happen from time to time but the fact of the matter is that as long as the Republican party is wholly owned by the gun lobby and the NRA there will be no significant change. Huge majorities in this country support sensible gun legislation (and I do mean sensible... I'm talking on the level of "should verifiably mentally ill persons own guns" or "should your inclusion on a terrorism watch list preclude you from buying a gun"), and there is absolutely no prospect of getting anything done, even on a very basic level, prior to Republican majorities being voted out of Congress this fall.
In retrospect the Sandy Hook shooting was the tipping point, if the murder of 20 five and six year old children couldn't move/shame the right into accepting gun control, people pretty much have accepted that nothing will until they're no longer in control. It's an absolute scandal and terribly disheartening but unfortunately it's the truth.
