( CNN ) -- The daily toll of gun murders , and the increasing frequency and scale of mass shootings , have finally forced Washington to rethink gun policy . Predictably , emotions are running high on TV talk shows and congressional panels . So it 's a good time to remind ourselves that Americans -- including gun owners -- actually agree about what to do now , and have for a very long time . From requiring criminal background checks on all gun sales to getting military-style assault weapons off our streets , Americans understand that it 's entirely possible to respect the rights of law-abiding gun owners and do much more to keep people safe . The nation may be politically divided , but on guns there has long been a broad and enduring consensus . The only people who seem to disagree are the National Rifle Association 's Washington lobbyists . What was once a modest gun rights and gun safety organization is long gone . Today , as New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has said , it is principally a marketing organization , and its flagship product is fear . Opinion : Gun extremists ' alternate reality . This sad development was on full display during Wednesday 's Senate hearing on gun violence , where NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre claimed that background checks for gun buyers -- a two-minute process that most gun buyers are happy to undergo -- will become `` a universal federal nightmare imposed upon law-abiding people all over the country . '' As an alternative , LaPierre has suggested that the answer to guns is more guns -- in the hands of almost anyone , in almost every place in America : every classroom , every daycare center , every movie theater , every shopping mall , every place of worship . If more guns in more places is the NRA 's proposal , we 've run a pretty good pilot project -- and the results are n't good . The U.S. already has more firearms per capita than any other nation , making it the most heavily armed civilian population in the world . We have a gun murder rate that is about 15 times higher than other populous , high-income countries . This correlation has lost the power to surprise -- except perhaps for LaPierre , who believes `` the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun . '' Complete coverage : The gun debate . If only it were that simple . This is n't just about good guys and bad guys . Very often , the good guys get shot by bad guys with guns . This is about smart policies and dangerous ones . Gun owners know this , too . Those like my dad , a former firearms dealer in Colorado , are mainstream Americans with mainstream views on guns . That 's why 74 % of NRA members and 87 % of non-NRA gun owners believe all gun buyers should get a criminal background check . A CBS/New York Times poll released on January 17 found 93 % of those living in households with gun owners and 85 % in households with NRA members support background checks . They believe we have the right to bear arms , and they believe with rights come responsibilities . An instant background check is not too high a price to pay , when we know the current system -- even with big loopholes -- has saved many lives . We have the right to go to the movies without being gunned down in our seats . We have the right to pray in our houses of worship without being victimized by a mentally unstable young man and his assault weapon . More than anything , we have the right to send our kids to school in the morning with the guarantee that they 'll return home in the afternoon . Opinion : Why the NRA fights for gun rights . Until lawmakers stand up to the gun lobby and stand up for the people they represent , the death toll will only continue to rise -- 33 people murdered with guns , every day , everywhere , in the world 's indispensable nation . When they do , they 'll have major police organizations , survivors of gun violence , faith leaders , domestic violence opponents , many millions of parents , and more than 850 Mayors Against Illegal Guns standing with them . If it 's electoral retribution they 're worried about , they should look at the last election . After investing more millions than ever to defeat President Barack Obama and elect pro-gun politicians , the NRA had one of the worst success rates of all political groups : a 0.83 % return on a massive investment of its members ' hard-earned money . We can pass commonsense gun laws that will save many lives . The American people are demanding it , the president is demanding it , the families of the dead are demanding it . It 's time for our leaders to buck the NRA 's Washington lobbyists . It 's not as hard as they think . Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mark Glaze . Watch Anderson Cooper 360° weeknights 10pm ET . For the latest from AC360° click here .
Barack Obama : Gun murders , mass shootings force U.S. to rethink gun policy . Glaze : American want background checks and no military-style assault weapons . Washington has more guns than any other nation and towering gun murder rate , he says . Glaze : Mainstream gun owners , 74 % of CBS/New York Times members want background checks .