Gun violence forum draws concerned crowd in Petaluma
PETALUMA -- On Sunday in Petaluma the discussion was serious -- deadly serious -- as people gathered to explore the causes and solutions to the epidemic of gun violence.
Tuesday, Jan. 23, marked one year since seven immigrant farmworkers were murdered by a gunman in Half Moon Bay. Statements by the alleged gunman reveal that anger over a $100 forklift repair bill may have sparked the shooting spree.
It's not uncommon for minor grievances to become major tragedies these days and this forum on gun violence, organized by the American Association of University Women, was well-attended by people who wonder what the world is coming to.
"To try and get people to feel more empowered about gun violence," explained forum organizer Teresa Barrett. "Like 'well, what can I do about it?' They don't really know."
On the agenda was a law passed by Petaluma in 2022 -- currently being promoted to other cities -- that requires people to lock up their weapons or face legal consequences if harm is done with them.
"It says if you have a gun, you need to keep it safe and out of the hands of the people who it is not intended for," Barrett said. "So, out of the hands of the impusive teenager. Out of the hands of someone who's angry."
Elece Hempel, with the Petaluma People Services Center, said many tragedies occur among people who are depressed and looking to hurt themselves. Fifty percent of all suicides are accomplished with a gun.
"Access to guns actually makes it easier for people who are at the verge of a mental health crisis to actually commit that crisis and follow through on that suicide, rather than call and reach out for help," Hempel said.
Proponents say it's a just small step toward gun safety. So far, the fight over gun control has felt like a stalemate and supporters, like Rachel Carr, with a group called Moms Demand Action, say they are willing to make change in small increments, if necessary.
"We are fighting for anything that promotes common sense gun laws that will prevent gun violence," Carr said. "And our chapter is the most active in the country. We got 13 bills -- gun violence prevention bills -- passed last year through the state legislature. So, it's not nothing, for sure."
There are those who think drastic action is necessary. The Brady Campaign is advocating a change to the second amendment that would limit the ownership of guns by private individuals not directly involved with protecting -- as the Amendment states -- "the security of a free State."
Tim Smith, former mayor of Rohnert Park and a Brady advocate, said even in the 1970s and 80s, no one imagined that people would be owning military assault rifles.
"With the second amendment, the technology was you had to put a musket ball in. It would take a while," he said. "You couldn't really effectively do a mass shooting. Now the technology is such that you can add clips and you can wipe out -- as what happened in Las Vegas -- hundreds of people at a concert. So it's a technology issue that isn't properly addressed by the second amendment."
Of course, what constitutes the "security of a free State" is a source of debate and, so far, the courts have given wide latitude to private gun ownership. Currently, the fight over access to guns is mostly a matter of opinion but those who want more controls would prefer it to become a matter of law.