SB COALITION AGAINST GUN VIOLENCE

2011-08-31T15:40:00.000-07:00

Milpas Group Says Violence, Crime Go Unchecked

The Milpas Community Association (MCA) led a protest march to City Hall Saturday morning to voice its members' belief that marijuana dispensaries, gangs and homeless people were diminishing public safety.
The march began at 11 am in the parking lot of the Amtrak station, moved up State Street to City Hall and culminated in a small rally that called on City Council members to make policy changes and increase police presence.
Christina Pizzaro said into the microphone that people being murdered and sent back to their native countries in boxes was “unacceptable,” a reference to the beating of 37-year-old George Ied on October 12th. Ied was assaulted as he walked home from work on the Lower Eastside, allegedly by gang-members, and has since died from his injuries.
“Everything, block by block, needs to be locked down for safety,” she said.
The group held a large banner that said, ”trouble in paradise,” and shouted, “We want more police,” as they made their way up State Street.
More comments focused on the increase in gang related violence, but anger toward the homeless was apparent.
“Not all of the homeless are bad people,” a participating anonymous woman said. “The bad ones should be put in prison, and the good ones should be put in camps.”
Another woman shouted, “No more street people,” as she made her way past a group of homeless on State Street.
However, Vice President of the MCA, Sebastian Aldana, said they are not against the homeless, and that they aren’t “singling anyone out.”
“All we want is public safety,” he said.
Jarret Gorini, a member of MCA's Board of Trustees, said they're concerned with the impact the homeless have on the community, especially on Milpas because of Casa Esparanza, but they don’t need to close it.
“There are many ways to deal with the impact without closing Casa Esparanza,” he said.
He didn’t say how.
The speakers made only a few comments on the homelessness, referencing primarily gang related incidents, but they made it clear that aggressive panhandling, and other encounters with the homeless, including public defecation, loitering, and intoxication, did make them feel unsafe.
Sharon Byrne, MCA member, said they would soon be handing over to city officials a 200-page report detailing criminal activity in the Milpas area. It’s an attempt to persuade The City Council to make changes in the policies they say promote crime, like marijuana dispensaries, liquor stores, and Casa Esparanza.
“The city’s policy on gang violence is a failure,” said Tony Vassello, downtown neighborhood advocate.
Calls for more police officers were repeated. Sergeant Mike McGrew of the Santa Barbara Police Department, who is also President of the Santa Barbara Police Officers Association, addressed the crowd.
“We’re doing our best to keep things safe,” he said, “but you’re right, there’s not enough of us.”
Some people who were not participating in the rally responded skeptically to the anger of the group.
A man who asked not to be named pointed out the police presence at the march, and questioned needing more. He said he felt safe outside in Santa Barbara.
Another person on State Street yelled at the passing protesters, “Yeah, keep the weed out of the stores and on the street.”
Two of the more conservative-leaning City Council Members were present, Dale Francisco and Frank Hotchkiss, though they did not speak.
The rally ended after about an hour and participants stayed for a moment chatting in De La Guerra Plaza.
“I’m excited about the future of Milpas,” Gorini said.

By Travis Dylan Pastori

Photo by Nick St. Oegger: A homeless woman on State Street reacts to the noisy MCA marchers on Saturday.

2011-08-31T15:33:00.000-07:00

Virginia Tech survivor Colin Goddard lobbies for gun control - USATODAY.com

2011-04-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

Coalition Against Gun Violence Keynote Speaker Colin Goddard Speaks! Join the Coalition Against Gun Violence on May 01, 2011 for our 16th Annual Luncheon!
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-04-12-virginia-tech-shooting-survivor-goddard.htm

9 shot at teen party in suburban Philly; 1 dead

2011-04-09T10:01:00.001-07:00

9 shot at teen party in suburban Philly; 1 dead

12 children die as gunman stalks former school

2011-04-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

Gun violence in schools-Brasil.

12 children die as gunman stalks former school

Teen shot at Ind. middle school in stable condition - USATODAY.com

2011-03-25T19:30:00.001-07:00

Teen shot at Ind. middle school in stable condition
http://usat.me?45332448

To view the story, click the link or paste it into your browser.

Police Say Woman Shot City Worker With BB Gun

2011-03-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

BB guns. How dangerous are they?

Police Say Woman Shot City Worker With BB Gun

Gun that killed agent in Mexico traced to man in Texas

2011-03-01T08:45:00.000-08:00

US Guns smuggled into Mexico:

Gun that killed agent in Mexico traced to man in Texas

John Riis-Christensen: Uproar Over Guns

2011-03-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

The illegal gun smuggling into Mexico.

John Riis-Christensen: Uproar Over Guns

NYTimes: The Rich, the Famous, the Armed

2011-02-25T08:22:00.001-08:00

From The New York Times:

The Rich, the Famous, the Armed

Among the more than 23,000 people licensed to have a handgun in the city are many boldface names.

http://nyti.ms/dQiubQ

Get The New York Times on your iPhone for free by visiting http://itunes.com/apps/nytimes

AP MOBILE: UT chancellor concerned over proposed handgun law

2011-02-25T07:45:00.000-08:00

A story from AP Mobile:

UT chancellor concerned over proposed handgun law

Download the free AP Mobile app for your iPhone from the App Store today!

Santa Barbara Gun Control Forum Targets Constitution, Case Law

2011-02-18T18:43:00.000-08:00

Source: Noozhawk.com

Panelists draw on the shootings in Tucson in discussing weapons regulations

Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Brian Hill discusses interpretation of the U.S. Constitution during a forum on gun control Thursday evening in the Faulkner Gallery of the Santa Barbara Central Library. (Lara Cooper / Noozhawk photo)

By Lara Cooper, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @laraanncooper | Published on 02.17.2011

About 50 people gathered Thursday night in the Faulkner Gallery of the Santa Barbara Central Library to hear three panelists talk about the perennially controversial issue of gun control. The event, organized by the Coalition Against Gun Violence, was an interesting philosophical debate about the Second Amendment and what it means to the United States today.

Organized long before the shootings in Tucson, Ariz. on Jan. 8 that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords critically injured, the event centered on the two recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings that would restrain the government’s ability to limit gun rights.

The topic took on a personal element after the shooting of Giffords in a Tucson parking lot, which prompted many to scrutinize guns laws in the nation and who should be granted access to weapons.

Thursday’s event was moderated by former Santa Barbara mayor and SBCC board trustee Marty Blum. She introduced the speakers by talking about New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s campaign among U.S. mayors to tighten handgun regulations. Since Tucson, 1,364 Americans been murdered, according to the group’s Web site.

Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Brian Hill, who also teaches constitutional law at the Santa Barbara & Ventura Colleges of Law, began the discussion, leading a scholarly discourse about interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.

Former law professor Richard Solomon leads a discussion on the case law involving gun rights. (Lara Cooper / Noozhawk photo)

“It’s clear that the language of guns and arms is in the Constitution,” he said, adding that the conversation then turns to how broad one’s interpretation becomes. Hill encouraged readers of the Constitution who take a broad view, and accept the right to have an abortion or the right of homosexual couples to marry, to also take a broad view of the rest of the Constitution.

But he noted that most people don’t read the Constitution that way, and conservatives and liberals are prone to read the document in the way that backs up their own philosophies.

Former law professor Richard Solomon followed, discussing some of the case law involved in discussions on gun rights, such as District of Columbia v. Heller. Solomon also said judges should respect the framers of the Constitution and not interpret it for their own political views.

“We ought to pay attention to what they meant, and we ought to respect it,” he said. Of the current Supreme Court lawsuits, he said, “the court left us rudderless to decide hundreds of lawsuits.”

The last panelist, UCSB sociology professor Beth Schneider, noted that there had been no serious discussion of gun control in the mainstream media since Tucson.

She said that more than 80 percent of Americans believe that guns should be subject to background checks, and that the National Rifle Association wants guns with no restrictions “flies in the face of public opinion.” She touched on the “nastiness” in the political environment surrounding the shooting.

“It matters that this was in Arizona at this time,” she said, adding that immigration activists have characterized the state’s climate as “hateful” and “toxic.”

Audience members were encouraged Thursday to sign petitions regulating guns, including a federal petition spearheaded by Rep. Lois Capps, D-Santa Barbara, to restrict the type of ammunition clips that were used against Giffords.

— Noozhawk staff writer Lara Cooper can be reached atlcooper@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or@NoozhawkNews.

Mom complained about Florida's gun laws before 'massacre' of 'mouthy' kids

2011-02-14T22:11:00.000-08:00

Mom complained about Florida's gun laws before 'massacre' of 'mouthy' kids

Two teenagers due to be buried Tuesday

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Samara Sodos / AP

Julie Powers Schenecker is led away from the Tampa Police Department, Friday, Jan. 28.

msnbc.com staff and news service reports

updated 2/8/2011 7:05:17 AM ET

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TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa mom accused of killing her "mouthy" children wrote a note before the shootings in which she complained about a three-day waiting period that Florida imposes on gun sales, police say.

Authorities say Julie Powers Schenecker bought a .38-caliber revolver the weekend before the shootings.

Tampa Police spokeswoman Laura McElroy told the St. Petersburg Times that Schenecker wrote in the note that the three-day gap between buying and taking a gun home would "delay the massacre."

The Times said that it was unclear where the gun had been bought, saying police had not said where and no gun store that the paper contacted had admitted they sold the weapon.

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Police have said Schenecker shot her children, 16-year-old Calyx and 13-year-old Beau, for being "mouthy."

She is charged with first-degree murder but her arraignment has not yet been scheduled.

Her husband, Army Col. Parker Schenecker, is in Fort Worth, Texas, for Tuesday's funeral for the children.

Story: Police: Army officer's wife kills her 2 'mouthy' teens

The family issued a statement Sunday which described Calyx as "a model student, a published artist, a truly devoted friend and a tenacious athlete," the Times reported.

It also said Beau's "amazing intuition, empathy for others and sense of humor made him stand head and shoulders above the rest."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

2011-02-10T14:21:00.001-08:00

Suspect in Goleta Air-Gun Shootings Pleads Not Guilty

Charles Peart Quinn appears in court to face 15 felony and misdemeanor charges

By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @magnoli | Published on 02.09.2011

The man accused of shooting four people, including two sheriff’s deputies, with a high-velocity air gun in Goleta on Jan. 15 appeared in Santa Barbara County Superior Court on Wednesday for his arraignment on 15 felony and misdemeanor counts.

Charles Peart Quinn

Charles Peart Quinn, 42, wore an orange Santa Barbara County Jail jumpsuit and was represented by public defender Jeff Chambliss.

Quinn, a transient, pleaded not guilty to charges related to allegedly shooting two young men who refused to give him money and two sheriff’s deputies. The three responding deputies on the scene returned fire with their .40-caliber semi-automatic pistols and hit Quinn multiple times in a vacant lot near the Camino Real Marketplace, according to authorities.

He was transferred to the jail early last week after receiving treatment at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office initially filed charges of armed robbery, assault with a deadly weapon, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer, resisting an officer and drawing an imitation firearm.

Eight counts were added in the amended complaint, including two more counts of robbery, three counts of assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of resisting an executive officer and a new misdemeanor charge of failure to register as a sex offender.

The three deputies have returned to work after being placed on administrative leave while an internal investigation was conducted, according to department spokesman Drew Sugars. He said the investigation is not yet fully complete, but that nothing suggests the deputies didn’t follow procedure and their training.

Sugars said the deputy shot in the arm is recovering well, and that the deputy shot in the cheek needs dental work because the shot shattered his tooth.

A preliminary hearing setting for Quinn is scheduled for Thursday.

— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached atgmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or@NoozhawkNews.

Alleged Gunman Robs Bank of America on Calle Real in Goleta

2011-01-31T12:59:00.000-08:00

Sheriff's deputies seek the public's help in identifying the suspect

A surveillance photo shows the suspect in a robbery Friday evening at the Bank of America branch at 5892 Calle Real in Goleta. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department photo)

By Michelle Nelson, Noozhawk Managing Editor | Published on 01.28.2011

Santa Barbara County sheriff’s detectives are searching for a suspect in a robbery Friday evening at the Bank of America branch at 5892 Calle Real in Goleta.

Department spokesman Drew Sugars said a man walked into the rear entrance of the bank shortly before 6 p.m. and handed a teller a note demanding money. The man allegedly brandished a handgun.

The teller handed over an undisclosed amount of cash before the suspect walked back out the rear entrance. Sugars said it was not known which direction the suspect headed. No one was injured.

Detectives have released a surveillance image of the suspect, described as older than age 65, 5 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 1 inch tall with a thin build. He wore a navy blue jacket, a dark shirt, dark pants, a navy blue baseball cap and glasses.

Anyone with information about the suspect is asked to call the Sheriff’s Anonymous Tip Line at 805.681.4171.

— Noozhawk managing editor Michelle Nelson can be reached atmnelson@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or@NoozhawkNews.

Senseless gun violence erupts again, this time in Arizona

2011-01-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

'The right of the people to peace-

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

advertised, apparently focused on

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.

o call ourselves a civilized society,

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.

Democrats face tough fight on gun control after Tucson shootings

2011-01-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

Source: CNN

By Tom Cohen, CNN

January 16, 2011 2:56 p.m. EST

The shootings in Arizona killed six people and wounded 13.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Stiff resistance to gun control remains despite the 6 killed and 13 wounded
Democratic Sen. Schumer: "There haven't been the votes in Congress"
Republicans cite failure to detect mental illness, not lax gun laws

Washington (CNN) -- Bring back the ban on assault weapons, or tighten enforcement of existing gun control laws and regulations?

Those were two options for strengthening gun control offered Sunday by Democrats in the wake of the Tucson, Arizona, shootings last week that killed six people and wounded 13, including Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

The limited range of ideas showed the power of the pro-gun lobby in Washington, with Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York acknowledging that passing any gun control legislation was "hard."

"Let's be honest here -- there haven't been the votes in the Congress for gun control," Schumer told the NBC program "Meet the Press."

While outgoing Democratic Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania called for restoring the assault weapons ban that expired in 2004, Schumer instead proposed "looking for things where we can maybe find some common ground and get something done."

Debate over Arizona's gun control laws

Gun control advocates renew efforts

RELATED TOPICS

Gun Control

Republicans stuck to their traditional pro-gun stance, arguing that the Tucson incident involved a mentally unstable assailant rather than a symptom of lax gun control laws.

"If you have somebody that is a criminal, that wants to get around the law, they're going to get around the law," Republican Sen. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma said on the NBC program. "The problem with gun laws is they limit the ability to defend yourself, one. But number two, is that people who are going to commit a crime or going to do something crazy aren't going to pay attention to the laws in the first place."

Possible steps outlined by Schumer and other Democrats included limiting to 10 the number of rounds for ammunition clips in semi-automatic weapons like the one used in the Tucson shootings, which had clips holding more than 30 rounds.

The 10-round limit was part of the assault weapons ban, which was passed in 1994 under Democratic President Bill Clinton and allowed to expire 10 years later under Republican President George W. Bush.

Schumer also called for stronger steps to prevent mentally ill people from purchasing guns, and ensuring that the military notifies the FBI when it rejects candidates based on excessive drug use.

He said Tucson shooting suspect Jared Loughner was rejected for military service because of excessive drug use.

"By law that's on the books, he should not have been allowed to buy a gun, but the law doesn't require the military to notify the FBI about that," Schumer said. "In this case, they didn't."

Schumer defended both the constitutional right to bear arms, as well as the power of Congress to put some limits on weapon ownership and use.

"There is a right to bear arms. It's in the Constitution. And you can't ignore it, just like you can't ignore the others," Schumer said. "But like all the other rights, it's not absolute."

Citing the success of previous gun control efforts, Schumer said that "smart, rational gun control laws that protect the right to bear arms, but have reasonable limits are the way to go."

Coburn, however, said approaching the Tucson shootings as a gun control issue would miss the central problem -- the failure to properly intervene in a case of obvious mental instability.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a possible Republican presidential contender in 2012, made the same point on the CBS program "Face the Nation."

"It would seem to me that you'd address this with the most relevant problem first," Giuliani said. "The most relevant problem was the lack of an ability to deal with what was apparently paranoid schizophrenia that should have been treated."

He also said political civility must return so that a legitimate debate on gun control could ensue, free of the hyper-partisanship emblematic of Washington.

"I think we could take a look at gun laws and see what can be done that doesn't affect the constitutional rights that people have to have guns, the right they have to protect themselves," Giuliani said. "I mean, there are people that would argue that, if more people had guns, this may not have happened because somebody might have been able to take action immediately and stop him before he inflicted either damage or as much damage as he did."

On the same program, Rendell also said the issue required a thorough and reasoned debate free from excessive politicking.

"We need a rational discussion on guns where we put aside the pressure from interest groups and we take a look and say, does any citizen protecting themselves or their home or using a handgun to hunt, do they need a clip that has 33 bullets in it?" Rendell said, adding that in his mind, the answer was no.

"I think the nation's spirits would be lifted if the Congress acted quickly with the president and reinstated the assault weapons ban, which also had the ban on these large magazines, these clips that carried 30-plus bullets," Rendell added.

FOLLOW THIS TOPIC

Deputies injured after Shots Fired at Storke & Hollister

2011-01-16T13:12:00.000-08:00

Deputies injured after Shots Fired at Storke & Hollister
Story Created: Jan 15, 2011 at 1:23 PM PST
Story Updated: Jan 16, 2011 at 9:35 AM PST

The whole ordeal started around 1:00 p.m. Saturday when the transient reportedly approached three young men enjoying ice cream at the Camino Real Market Place. The young men tell KEY News that the transient shot two of them with the pellet gun after they refused to give him money. The suspect then took off. He ran into a nearby grass field where he was found by three deputies. Santa Barbara County Sheriff's PIO Drew Sugars says the deputies attempted to detain the suspect. That's when he fired off two more rounds from his pellet gun hitting two of the them. Sugars says that's when the deputies opened fire on the suspect.

The transient's identity is not known at this time but he was transported to Cottage Hospital for his injuries. Officials haven't released any new information on his condition.

KEY News Reporter Scott Hurst was one of the first reporters to arrive on scene and has more in this report.

WHAT RIGHT DO YOU HAVE TO CARRY A GUN?

2011-01-12T14:41:00.000-08:00

A Second Amendment Community Forum

February 17, 2011

Faulkner Gallery

Santa Barbara Downtown Public Library

6:30-9:00 pm

Free and open to the public

Organized by:

The Coalition Against Gun Violence

Obama calls on nation to work together in wake of Tucson shooting

2011-01-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

Source: LA Times 01/10/2011

Obama calls the shooting that targeted Rep. Gabrielle Giffords 'mindless violence' and praises the courage of those who stopped the gunman. Doctors in Arizona say Giffords' condition is promising: 'No change is good, and we have no change.'

By Michael Muskal, Los Angeles TimesJanuary 10, 2011, 12:36 p.m.

President Obama on Monday called on the nation to work together in the wake of the Arizona shooting rampage that left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords critically wounded and six dead after an act the president called "mindless violence."

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with French PresidentNicolas Sarkozy, Obama also praised the courage of the people who helped apprehend the suspect, Jared LeeLoughner, who is scheduled to make his first court appearance later this afternoon. Giffords remains in critical condition but doctors were guardedly upbeat on Monday in describing her condition after Saturday's shooting spree in Tucson.

"Obviously all of us are still grieving and in shock from the tragedy that took place," Obama said.

"I think it is important for us to also focus, though, on extraordinary courage that was shown during the course of these events," the president said, citing the wounded woman who helped secure the ammunition, the college student who ran into the line of fire to rescue his boss and those who wrestled the gunman to the ground during the attack.

"That speaks to the best of America even in the face of such mindless violence," Obama said.

The incident has become a lightning rod for the ongoing debate on civility at a time of highly partisan and divisive politics. Obama and Republican leaders have stressed the need for comity.

"In the coming days we are going to have a lot of time to reflect," Obama said. "Right now the main thing we're doing is to offer our thoughts and prayers to those who have been impacted, making sure we're joining together and pulling together as a country."

Earlier Monday, Obama led the nation in mourning. Accompanied by staffers and first lady Michelle Obama, the president stood, head bowed, observing a national moment of silence on the South Lawn of the White House, a symbol of the outpouring of grief and shock as the political world reeled from an attack on one of its own.

Three chimes were sounded as a memorial. Then, his arm around the first lady's waist, the pair returned to the White House.

The House has delayed much of its usual business, including a proposed repeal of the healthcare overhaul, but will consider special resolutions this week honoring Giffords and other victims. The House also honored its own as staffers gathered in a memorial at the Capitol and House Office Building.

According to doctors in Tucson, Giffords is still in critical condition. The lack of any change is a good sign, hospital officials said on Monday. Giffords is one of two people who remain in the intensive-care unit at University Medical Center, doctors said at a televised news conference. Two patients from Saturday's shooting have been discharged, and five are listed in serious condition.

"At this phase in the game, no change is good, and we have no change," said Dr. Michael Lemole Jr., chief of the division of neurosurgery. "She is still following those basic commands, and on top of that, the CAT scans are showing that there is no progression of the swelling.

"We're not out of the woods yet," he said. "That swelling can sometimes take three days or five days to maximize. But every day that goes by and we don't see an increase, we slightly more optimistic."

Loughner, who has been in custody since the Saturday morning shooting outside a Tucson supermarket where Giffords was greeting constituents, is scheduled to appear in federal court Monday. Loughner, 22, faces five counts of murder and attempted murder of federal employees.

Investigators have said that Giffords, 40, was Loughner's principal target. She was wounded in the head and remained in critical condition after surgery designed to relieve the danger of damage from swelling of the brain.

Loughner is expected to be represented by attorney Judy Clark, who defended Timothy McVeigh in the Oklahoma bombing case and "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski. Both of those cases are similar to the Arizona case, where extreme violence took place against a background of some form of politics. But Clark also has defended non-political cases, including representing Susan Smith, a South Carolina woman who drowned her two sons in 1994.

Investigators have painted a picture of Loughner as an outcast who mistrusted government. Over the weekend, an FBI agent described a search of Loughner's Tucson home, where he found an envelope scrawled with the phrases "I planned ahead" and "My assassination," along with the name "Giffords." The envelope also had what appeared to be Loughner's signature on it.

Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said Loughner was being uncommunicative with investigators.

Over the weekend, officials said they were continuing to look for any connections between Loughner and hate groups as part of their background check on the suspect. But Dupnik told ABC's "Good Morning America" that it was doubtful that Loughner was part of any conspiracy.

"He's a typical troubled individual who's a loner," the sheriff said.

Giffords, a moderate Democrat, had faced threats before for her positions in favor of Obama's healthcare overhaul and for her support of immigration reform, a touchy issue in Arizona. But she continued to meet constituents in open settings like the one Saturday.

Authorities said that Loughner had legally purchased a semiautomatic pistol, which he allegedly fired at Giffords and the crowd.

Those killed included U.S. District Judge John M. Roll, 63, and 9-year-old Christina Green, born on Sept. 11, 2001. Green's parents have repeatedly called for end to the type of violence that killed their 9-year-old daughter.

Others killed were Giffords' aide Gabe Zimmerman, 30; Dorothy Morris, 76; Dorwan Stoddard, 76; and Phyllis Schneck, 79.

michael.muskal@latimes.com

ABC News Reports Shooting in Head of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ)

2011-01-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

Planes, Trains, and Semi-Autos

2011-01-07T10:05:00.000-08:00

Source: Santa Barbara INDEPENDENT

Paul Wellman

As of December 15, Amtrak passengers are allowed to take their unloaded, secured guns with them on train trips.

Planes, Trains, and Semi-Autos

Amtrak Allows Guns on Board

Friday, December 31, 2010

by TYLER HAYDEN (CONTACT)

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With the recent enactment of a federal policy that allows its passengers to ride the rails with their guns, Amtrak created nearly 150 “bullet trains” overnight. The change, which went into effect December 15, was mandated by legislation passed in December 2009 and lifts the weapons ban Amtrak put in place in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

If any of Amtrak’s 74,000 daily passengers wish to pack heat on their trip, however, they must follow a set of guidelines that closely mirrors the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) rules for flying with firearms: Guns, which must be unloaded, are only allowed in checked bags and have to be locked in a hard-shell case. Larger guns (shotguns, rifles) are stored in a secure cabinet within the baggage car, but smaller guns (handguns) can be packed within a regular checked suitcase. Passengers are required to give Amtrak at least 24-hour notice if they plan on checking firearms and/or ammo and must fill out a declaration form on the day of their trip. Guns still aren’t allowed anywhere on Amtrak buses. The policy is spelled out in its entirety on Amtrak’s Web site.

The legislation was authored by Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS) who lauded the policy’s implementation two weeks ago. “This provision protects Americans’ Second Amendment right and is a small but important step in eliminating bias against gun owners,” he said in a statement. Gun Owners of America, the lobbying group instrumental in getting the ban shot down, similarly saw the decision as a fair one: “Those who travel by train who wish to bring a firearm to their destination for self-protection will be able to do so,” said GOA lobbyist John Velleco. “It’s also good news for hunters and others who have a need to transport personal firearms while traveling.” The National Rifle Association also gave the new law its stamp of approval.

Amtrak, explained spokesperson Steve Kulm, spent the last year beefing up security measures to make sure its passengers and employees remain safe with weapons nearby as they travel over 21,000 miles of routes across 46 states. Around $2 million, he said, was spent on installing secure storage sites at stations that offer checked baggage service (like Santa Barbara’s downtown station, but not the Goleta stop), modifying 142 baggage cars “to improve and secure firearm transport,” and implementing a training program for Amtrak employees.

While Kulm said he and the Amtrak higher-ups are confident that all proper precautions have now been taken to ensure the safety of all on board, the government-owned corporation initially pushed up against the idea of rescinding the nearly decade-long ban when Senator Wicker submitted his revised legislation to the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD). Amtrak’s gun ban was enacted shortly after 9/11 and then ratcheted up to include the prohibition of all weapons after the rash of train bombings in Madrid, London, Mumbai, and Moscow in recent years.

In a letter sent to the subcommittee’s chairperson in September 2009, Amtrak’s Board of Directors chairperson, Thomas Carper, made it clear that major security system overhauls and upgrades were needed in order to make the transition a smooth one, and that comparisons to the airline industry and its handling of firearms were unfair. “Unlike the airline industry, Amtrak has no system in place for a uniform system of screening for weapons,” he wrote. “At airports, all checked baggage including firearms are separately screened by TSA in secure loading areas of an airport.” Carper also expressed worry that baggage cars were, at that point, accessible by passengers, and that Amtrak has no secure loading areas as baggage is often loaded on the same platform where passengers board.

Kulm said that while Amtrak has made it so passengers can’t get into baggage cars and implemented the use of locked transport carts in loading areas, there is currently no system in place to confirm the contents of a checked gun case. In fact, he admitted, cases aren’t opened by security personnel on a regular basis, only if one is part of a random screening.

This fact worries Toni Wellen and other members of the Santa Barbara-based group Coalition Against Gun Violence. Claiming that, in general, the “ease of access to firearms has proven over and over to be an issue of serious concern,” Wellen said it’s problematic that Amtrak doesn’t have a way to verify what kind of firearm a person says he or she has in a gun case. “The individual could be transporting a dozen assault weapons, one .50 caliber sniper rifle (both of which are illegal in California), or a hunting rifle,” she said. “This individual could be a terrorist, a felon who purchased the weapons illegally, a person with a mental health history, or just a guy going hunting.” There are just too many “what ifs” for her and the group to be comfortable with the policy, Wellen summed up.

Many gun-toting Santa Barbarans, it seems, are unaware of Amtrak’s new provision. Calls to a number of nearby gun stores as well as Winchester Gun Club yielded no one who had heard of the lifted ban. Initial reactions, though, were positive. Rick Dodge of Dodge City Shooters Supply said the new policy only makes sense, explaining that taking a rifle on the train on the way to a hunting ground or competition is no different than bringing a set of golf clubs on vacation. Rick Helfrich of Goleta Valley Gun and Supply was mainly indifferent, saying he thinks the news won’t create any real stir or affect passengers one way or another.

But once confronted with details of the new law, Amtrak commuters did express some strong sentiments. Santa Barbara resident Guy Mariano spoke to The Independent at the downtown station as he waited for his train to Oakland and said the lifted ban “could be very problematic.” Concerned less about possible terrorist threats, Mariano said he’s more worried about unhinged people getting their hands on a gun while in a train. “It happens,” he said. “People go nuts.”

Susannah Dahill, on her way to Salem, said she’s already had a hair-raising experience with an on-board weapon and doesn’t want another. She said she was recently travelling on an Amtrak train when a “kook who had a gun” tried to rob a meal car. Dahill said she didn’t learn what had happened until later in the day. The train had abruptly stopped between stations, she explained, and the gunman was whisked away in handcuffs.

Oakland resident Pete Latta, on his way back home, said he believes in the right to bear arms, but that “there’s already an excessive number of guns available out there.”

“Really,” he asked, “why would you need to take your gun on a train?”

Susannah Lopez contributed to this report.

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Independent Discussion Guidelines

Before anyone goes around calling this new policy "problematic," let's look at what it allows: Law-abiding citizens can now transport their weapons, safely stowed and locked, when traveling by train.

I haven't read the text of the policy yet, but I am going out on a limb to say that it doesn't allow felons, meal-car robbers, and "unhinged" people to pack heat in the seat next to you. In fact, nearly every fear and "problematic" scenario raised by those who were interviewed are issues that have nothing to do with this particular policy. The concerns raised in the article are general gun control and law enforcement issues. More and more in America the majority is being penalized by all-for-show efforts to stave off the "evil doers" -- how many bombs have been found in airports by making people take their shoes off the past few years?

Here are the questions I have regarding Amtrak's gun policy: 1) Was there a problem with gun violence on trains prior to 9/11 and, if so, how many fatalities occurred? 2) Was there a problem with gun violence subsequent to 9/11, and, if so, how many fatalities occurred? 3) Is there any security screening prior to boarding a train to dissuade an actual terrorist or loon from simply carrying a gun illegally onto a train? 4) What does a group of terrorists flying a plane into a building have to do with me transporting my legal firearm with me from point A to point B?

I propose that 2011 be the year when we collectively quit allowing fear to dismantle the constitution.

3domfighter (anonymous profile)
December 31, 2010 at 9 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I thoroughly enjoyed that

a_native_man (anonymous profile)
December 31, 2010 at 9:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)

"bullet trains" ... haha, good one Tyler!

I can't wait for Samuel L. Jackson's new movie, "Guns on a Train".

EastBeach (anonymous profile)
December 31, 2010 at 3:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"Guns are for criminals" Feinstein must be going crazy.

JohnLocke (anonymous profile)
January 1, 2011 at 9:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I grew up with guns. They adorned the wall of my father's and uncle's dens. I started hunting with my father when I was 10 years old. Over the years, guns were common birthday and Christmas presents. My brothers and I are all fair marksmen and we have all slaughtered our fair share of game both antlered and feathered. But you know, somehow I just cannot relate to the gun nuts nowadays. They seem an immature and paranoid lot given to action movie fantasies and imagining bad guys lurking in the garden bushes. I have lived in many places in this country and foreign cllimes during my life and never once felt the need to pack a gun for protection. In fact, ever since I lost the taste for hunting, I have got rid of all my guns. It's time to put away childish things.

Eckermann (anonymous profile)
January 1, 2011 at 3:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)

So the gun store people reacted positively to lifting of the ban. Whoda thunk it? Sheesh.

"I propose that 2011 be the year when we collectively quit allowing fear to dismantle the constitution."
--3domfighter

Boy, there's a laff riot. We'll meet here next year to see how that worked out. During the presidential campaign, the Republicans will make Fear the official national emotion. JohnLocke will approve. Remember, you read it here first.

SezMe (anonymous profile)
January 3, 2011 at 2:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)

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Police: Gunman suspended before school shooting

2011-01-06T18:32:00.000-08:00

Source:

(AP) – 5 hours ago

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Hours before he opened fire on two principals at his high school, a Nebraska teenager calmly accepted a suspension for driving on an athletic field. He went home to speak with his father and some friends — all the while giving no hint of turning violent, police said Thursday.

But after his father left to run errands, 17-year-old Robert Butler Jr. took a handgun from a closet and headed back to the school to confront the administrator who had punished him.

Butler, whose father is a detective for the Omaha Police Department, asked to see the assistant principal and fatally shot her in her office with his father's service weapon. He then wounded the principal and fled before killing himself.

Authorities on Thursday outlined the events that led up to the shooting, which unfolded at Millard South High School on the first day of class after holiday break.

Butler had transferred to Omaha in the fall from a school in Lincoln, about 50 miles away. On New Year's Day, he had been cited for criminal trespassing after driving his car on the school's football field and track, police said.

Butler was called out of class at 8:10 a.m. Wednesday to meet with Assistant Principal Vicki Kaspar. The two talked in her office, and he was escorted out of the school at 9:23 a.m., police said.

Butler remained calm after learning of the suspension.

"He wasn't acting like an out-of-control student at all," Police Chief Alex Hayes said. The teen received a ride home, where he talked to his father and spoke with some friends by phone.

Butler's parents decided to transfer him to Omaha because he was having disciplinary problems in Lincoln and had not been listening to his mother, who is divorced from Butler's father and remarried, Hayes said.

Butler's father didn't have any reason to expect his son would turn violent because the teen did not seem distraught about the suspension and had no history of mental illness.

"He was disappointed with the discipline, but he wasn't acting angry," Hayes said.

Superintendent Keith Lutz would not say exactly how long Butler was to be suspended, except to say it would not have exceeded 19 days. Any penalty longer than 19 days is considered an expulsion in the district.

Butler's father, who normally works an evening shift, left the home for about 40 minutes to run errands, Butler took his father's handgun out of a closet, posted an ominous message on Facebook predicting he would do "evil things" and broke into a locked garage where his father had stored his car since the trespassing incident.

"When we, as police officers, leave our houses, we do not expect our children to commit crimes like this," Hayes said.

Butler returned to the school at 12:45 p.m., but he still did not seem upset and even took the time to sign in at the administrative office, asking to see Kaspar again.

"He walked into the school just like a normal student. He was not displaying any firearm or weapons," Hayes said.

Police said he had been in her office about four minutes with the door closed before he shot her. Butler then walked across a hallway and shot Principal Curtis Case.

Butler also fired at a custodian and missed, and debris hit a school nurse, who was not seriously hurt.

An unarmed security officer was sitting at a desk outside the school's main offices and saw Butler walking away. Butler pointed a gun at the officer, who took cover and wasn't shot.

A school resource officer who heard the gunfire called police.

The security officer gave police Butler's name and described his car, and at 1:35 p.m., authorities received a report of a suspicious vehicle about a mile from the school. Officers raced to the car and found Butler inside, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The gun was his father's service weapon, a .40-caliber semiautomatic pistol that can fire up to 15 rounds. Butler fired seven rounds.

People in the school office initially did not realize the first three shots were from a gun because there had been an earlier birthday party. They thought the noise was from balloons popping.

After word of the shooting spread, panicked students took shelter in the school's kitchen and in locked classrooms while police checked the building.

Kaspar, 58, died Wednesday evening. Case, 45, was hospitalized in serious but stable condition.

The superintendent said Kaspar was a dedicated professional who did her job well.

"She will be missed but certainly not forgotten," Lutz said.

Case was improving and had been able to speak with family members, Lutz added.

Classes were scheduled to resume Friday.

Butler's rambling message on Facebook described his unhappiness with the school but did not supply many details.

He wrote that the Omaha school was worse than his previous one, and that the new city had changed him. He apologized and said he wanted people to remember him for who he was before affecting "the lives of the families I ruined." The post ended with "goodbye."

Associated Press writers Nelson Lampe, Eric Olson, Michael Crumb, Ryan Foley and Melanie Welte contributed to this report.

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Planes, Trains, and Semi-Autos

Planes, Trains, and Semi-Autos

Friday, December 31, 2010

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