this one. he shared it on twitter. crazy thought: lifetime gun ban for anyone who raises a hand against a woman or a child. wow! that s brilliant! so brilliant that it has been federal law for 21 years.. good job, david frum, though you are a little late to thee policymaking party. under existing statute, devin kelley was not allowed to buy the gun he used. kelley hadll been convicted of brutally abusing his stepson and wife.be he had been discharged from the air force. even before that, kelley had escaped from a mental hospital, all of that clearly disqualifying him for purchasing firearms. unfortunately, incompetent h government clerks did not supply that information to the correct government databases. the laws were on the books, the bureaucracy botched it. what are the lessons of all of this? that the nra has too much power?