An Op-ed is not the position of the paper, it is the position of the writer.
Only an editorial from the editorial board of the paper is the view of the paper.
Now, the writer is a left-winger from ProPublica, so it is something of a surprise to read. Hopefully, it can be the start of a debate on the left to focus on the people problem, rather than the tools they use to commit crimes.
Ahem, I think you mean "Conversation on the left".
The Left doesn't debate, they're unarmed. Unintended pun.