fully assemble..." Those were
some of the words Rep. Gabri-
elle Giffords read on the floor of
the House as her part of reading
the Constitution last week. She read the
1st Amendment of the Bill of Rights, and now
some are questioning our
democratic right to
peacefully assemble due
to a heinous act of gun
violence.
Ms. Giffords was doing
what we want our representatives
to do — meeting
with her constituents
— when a man with a gun
opened fire, destroying
lives and families.
How did we arrive at
this moment? We are
being told, as usual, that
the shooter was a loner
with a troubled past and
perhaps deranged.
However,
his statements
about not trusting the
government are a common
theme.
Jared Lee Loughner, the shooter, purchased
a Glock 19 semi-automatic pistol in
November. This particular firearm was
equipped with a large-capacity ammunition
magazine capable of holding 31 rounds,
which enabled the shooter to kill six people
and injure 14 others in a matter of moments.
Large-capacity ammunition magazines —
those capable of holding more than 10
rounds of ammunition — were banned as
part of the 1994 federal assault weapons ban,
but were legalized when Congress allowed
the law to expire in 2004. Large-capacity
magazines are now only banned in California
and a handful of other states, not including
Arizona.
Further confirmation indicates this event
was planned. Mr. Loughner knowingly went
to the site where a political event had been
his primary target, Ms. Giffords, and
shot her in the head.
Law enforcement said Mr. Loughner
observed his right to remain
silent after being advised of his
rights. At Mr. Loughner's arraignment
on Jan. 10, the media reported
he answered all the judge's questions
and appeared competent Yet,
does knowingly shooting another
human being automatically imply a
deranged moment?
Psychiatrist Mark Kalish suggested
the shooting was "probably
premeditated and an act of delusion."
Mr. Loughner not only shot
Ms. Giffords, but continued shooting
randomly into the crowd.
According to many news announcers,
this horrific event was sadly
predictable. The level of vitriolic
political rhetoric and violent imagery
has been building over years,
but most intensely since the election
of 2008. Fanning the flames of
fear with questionable half-truths
has created a crucible for acts of
domestic terrorism.
How can we call ourselves a civilized
society when political differences
are embellished with anger
and violence? Some radio and television
pundits receive high ratings
with their vitriolic spewing of spiteful
rants.
Could this tragedy occur in Santa
Barbara? We only have to look back
to Jan. 30,2006, when a similar mass
shooting occurred at the U.S. Post
Office on Storke Road in Goleta.
A local woman and former postal
employee, Jennifer Sanmarco, 44,
opened fire, killing six and then
turning the gun on herself. Ms. Sanmarco
shot several of her former coworkers
at point-blank range with a
9mm Smith & Wesson handgun purchased
in a pawn shop in New Mexico,
where she had previously lived.
With easy access to firearms and
the unknown emotional instability
of many, no community is immune
and this type of tragedy can happen
at any time or place in America.
Sadly, 68 mass shootings occurred
in our country in 2010 — more than
one a week.
Where is liberty headed if we cannot
freely assemble, speak our
minds and engage in dispute or
intelligent dialogue with an attempt
to comprehend another's viewpoint?
As former President Bill Clinton
said on the 15th anniversary of the
Oklahoma City bombing: "We are
more connected than ever before,
more able to spread our ideas and
beliefs, our anger and fears. As we
exercise the right to advocate our
views, and as we animate our supporters,
we must all assume responsibility
for our words and actions
before they enter a vast echo chamber
and reach those both serious
and delirious, connected and
unhinged."
The unspoken villain is the gun,
that pseudo-symbol of power. Some
in America opine that an armed
society is a safe society. Statistics
tell a far different story with some
30,000 gun deaths annually in America.
we cannot peacefully assemble
with firearms on our hips. Instead
of hostile divisiveness, we must
embrace the concept of democracy
— to peacefully dialogue with
respect and work with our fellow
Americans, even when we disagree,
toward consensus with a spirit of goodwill.
-Toni Wellen
Toni
Wellen
The author is the
chair of the
Santa Barbara
Coalition
Against Gun
Violence. She
lives in
Carpinteria.
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