Irony: Numerous national polls the past few years have shown Americans want stronger gun laws. But the NRA, which doesn’t represent the majority of the U.S. population, is very vocal and very well financed. It not only updates its people in Congress but keeps them well immersed in campaign donations. In the meantime, the NRA has changed the narrative from hunting to guns for personal safety.

A second part of the dilemma in last month’s Orlando shooting was that the Pulse was a gay nightclub. The Republicans fell all over themselves trying to construct a narrative about public safety and all people being safe that did not require them to actually say the word “gay” or imply Republican support for any gay rights agenda.

There are even some voices on the far right — not necessarily Republican — who say that gays got what they deserved on June 12. The deaths of five police officers trying to protect protesters and bystanders while being picked off by sniper gunfire Thursday night will almost certainly undermine some of this shameless condemnation — and make Republicans even more hard-pressed to resist reasonable gun restrictions.

So here we have both houses of Congress claiming to do the people’s work, as if they really know who the “people” are. Their agenda for too long has been to sell more guns. And get paid handsomely for it.

Hal Ritter is a retired educator and counselor.