Tom,
It isn't too late. He expressed the respect I anticipated, and he spoke at a time that is closer to when emotions on the fringes are starting to settle.
Today's local daily has a report that two of our Second Amendment DFLers who parrotted the DFL statement last weekend are now stating that they do not believe that a ban will or would have helped. They are both citing the Clinton ban of 1994, and how a decade of ban had no affect then or since.
Knee jerk reflex is still happening in some parts, but cooler heads are beginning to return. I don't know that the timing is perfect, but today is better than last Monday would have been.