A response from local gun control advocates and gun rights advocates on recent events
In the wake of a shooting that killed 10 people at a Colorado supermarket, President Joe Biden called on Congress Tuesday to tighten gun laws.
“Not gun control, we want gun safety,” said Dori Smith, an advocate with the local chapter of Moms Demand Action. She wants tighter federal regulations on guns. “The man who did the murders in Colorado yesterday, he bought that gun just six days ago. Did he have any training, was it really registered, is he mentally ill,” added Smith in reference to the deadly mass shooting in a Colorado grocery store. Even with tougher California gun laws, she believes they aren't strict enough or enforced enough. "We’re almost out of this pandemic and now we are going to have to go back to fearing for the safety of our children and others in schools, in grocery stores, out on the street,” said Smith.
John Richardson is a local gun shop owner advocating for gun rights. “People think that it’s really easy to go to a gun show and buy a gun, cash over the counter, and walk out. It doesn’t work that way legally,” said Richardson. He believes gun laws are already strict enough, especially in California. “We have background checks, we have 10 days, we have now to where they link it to where even if you’ve been to 5150 or your doctor deems that you’re not able to, they link that to DOJ, and we don't have… they’ll deny you,” said Richardson. If anything, he said it's just hurting law abiding citizens. “Even if they abolished gun rights completely and made guns 100% illegal you can’t own a gun anywhere. The bad guys are going to get guns regardless,” added Richardson.
As lawmakers continue to grapple with gun laws and the aftermath of mass shootings, gun control and gun rights advocates are firm in their stance on change. “Our second amendment rights are the only thing keeping our country from going full communism,” said Richardson. “We’re inundated with guns in america and it’s senseless,” countered Smith.
