Before we had the names of the victims, before we knew how many might not survive Friday’s horrendous shooting spree in Aurora, before we knew much of anything about the man in custody, many joined a feverish mad dash to make political or public-policy hay out of the tragedy.

Bill Sulzman of the Pikes Peak Justice and Peace Commission sent an email blast before 10 a.m., citing a story in Friday’s Gazette about the anticipated opening of the Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Range in October.

“This story in today’s Gazette,” Sulzman wrote, “is a good reminder of the worship of guns which is a backdrop to the mass killing in Denver.”

A good reminder? Are we supposed to feel lucky?

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was first off this dubious gate, challenging President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney to make gun rights a campaign issue.

Bloomberg said: “Soothing words are nice. But maybe it’s time the two people who want to be president of the United States stand up and tell us what they’re going to do about it, because this is obviously a problem across the country. And everybody always says, ‘Isn’t it tragic?’”

You’re a bit quick on the trigger, aren’t you, Mayor Bloomberg?

To their credit, Obama and Romney ignored Bloomberg’s advice.

“There are going to be other days for politics,” Obama said. “This, I think, is a day for prayer and reflection.”

The Romney campaign released a statement that the candidate and his wife were “deeply saddened by the news of the senseless violence. We are praying for the families and loved ones of the victims during this time of deep shock and immense grief.”

The Brady Campaign to Stop Gun Violence sent its email blast at 9:38 a.m., saying “This tragedy is another grim reminder that guns are the enablers of mass killers and that our nation pays an unacceptable price for our failure to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. We are outraged.”

Maybe some of us, even a jaded political columnist or two, think it’s ghoulish that there is such an automatic reflex to use a tragedy to advance an agenda. Long before the Waldo Canyon fire was contained, some were blaming Obama for what they deemed was an inadequate response to the wildfire.

In one national story a writer clucked his teeth, blaming Colorado Springs budget cuts and the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights for the disaster.

In America you have a right to rally for your cause and we expect you to do it. Just because you have the right doesn’t mean it’s the right time.

At times the urge to turn everything into instantaneous discourse on public policy is inappropriate.

—

Listen to Barry Noreen on KRDO NewsRadio 105.5 FM and 1240 AM at 6:35 a.m. on Fridays and follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be reached at 719-636-0363.