We in Santa Barbara wish to extend our expressions of condolence to the families and the people of Charleston. And at this moment we must also be aware that every parent and family member who has lost a loved one to gun violence relives those wrenching moments of loss for the rest of their lives. Charleston, the community of Santa Barbara understands your grief, your sorrow and pain. We have shared the loss of dear friends to gun violence and know the angst that remains. Knowing you will never see your child live a full life, knowing you will never again feel the arms of your loved one around you.
There is an animus, a profound anger that exists among a small segment of our population. A fear fed by extremists in our society that encourages intolerance of “the other,” people perceived as different and not “one of us.” Touting Second Amendment rights, these individuals suggest the imperative to “arm up," carry firearms everywhere, and be prepared to use them against their fellow Americans. This rhetoric of suspicion sows seeds of anger especially in unstable individuals.
Each time there is a shooting, we hear the words “disturbed” and “mentally ill.” Such words malign the large number of Americans struggling with emotional problems who are not violent. Yes, we must pay attention and offer concrete help to the population of mentally ill people who live in our families and communities. A majority of Santa Barbarans would like Laura’s Law, court-ordered treatment for the severely mentally ill, to be adopted in Santa Barbara County. Motivated by the Isla Vista tragedy, California recently passed a temporary gun violence restraining order law that enables families and law enforcement to temporarily prevent potentially violent people from possessing firearms.