As causes, he mentioned:

“Racism, bigotry and white supremacy” adding, “These sinister ideologies must be defeated.  Hate has no place in America.”

The internet and social media, saying, “We must shine light on the dark recesses of the internet and stop mass murders before they start,” and he added “The perils of the internet and social media cannot be ignored and they will not be ignored.”

Mental illness, saying we must “reform mental health,” including “involuntary confinement” of those posing a serious risk to society.  He added that, “Mental illness and hatred pull the trigger, not the gun.” One might infer he meant to say that mental illness and hatred cause mass shootings, not guns.

For remedies to the nation’s epidemic of gun violence?  He avoided what’s become the much-maligned “thoughts and prayers” and suggested:

 “Red flag laws, also known as extreme risk protection orders”

Having “The Department of Justice… propose legislation insuring that those who commit hate crimes and mass murders face the death penalty and that this capital punishment be delivered quickly, decisively and without years of needless delay.

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Give him credit for finally recognizing white supremacy and web sites that promote it as problems. But the other causes he mentioned – video games and mental illness – come straight out of Trumpian illogic.

Try to watch a football game without a warplane flyover, a tribute to a local military “hero” or multiple military recruiting commercials pitching a fun, exciting career. 

Drive through any city and count the military recruiting billboards.

 Count the number of holidays either directly for the military or usurped by militarism.

Ask how many visits military recruiters have made to your local high schools and if students are compelled to take the military aptitude tests on bogus claims they’re required.

As a final challenge to reality, Trump, who the Wall Street Journal said “has described an invasion at the border in more than half a dozen tweets this year, and in a May statement issued by the White House said ‘hundreds of thousands of people coming through Mexico’ had invaded the U.S.,” made nice and sent “…the condolences of our nation to President Obredor of Mexico and all the citizens of Mexico for the loss of their citizens in the El Paso shooting.”  

I’ll dash off a letter urging he reorder U.S. budget priorities…as soon as I finish throwing up.