Napa Valley Register - Gun Control Debate Stirs Napa Crowd
January 8, 2013
By Peter Jensen
Discussions of federal legislation on gun control have proven to be a spark for contentious debate in America, and Tuesday night's forum at the Napa City Hall was no exception.
Residents packed into the City Council chambers to voice opinions on both sides of the debate to a panel featuring U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and officials representing local law enforcement agencies, school systems, and mental health service providers.
The forum's intent was to gather a wide variety of view points that may help shape legislation that will be advanced by a task force Thompson is chairing in Congress.
It certainly provided those view points, as 55 people had signed up to speak, and the forum ran over its allotted time of an hour and a half.
Thompson started the event by saying that ideas expressed at local community forums often help craft policies intended to tackle the complex issues that are at root of mass shootings, including the one at an elementary school in Connecticut in December.
“It's not going to be fixed by one law,” Thompson said. “It has to do with a culture of violence. Often the best ideas about how to combat these things have come from the community.”
The task force is made up of Democrats in the House of Representatives, and will be examining a number of potential policies, which include:
- curbing access to military-type weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips;
- coordinating with schools and mental health professionals to develop the best means of preventing gun violence and mass shootings;
- stopping glorification of gun violence from permeating throughout the media and entertainment industries.
John Staggs, a firearm instructor in Napa, said the notion of banning military-type weapons and high capacity magazines is misguided, and wouldn't keep mentally ill people from seeking to kill other people.
“It's not the guns that kill people,” Staggs said. “A magazine has never killed anybody either. If you're mentally ill and you're going to kill somebody, you're going to kill somebody.”
Joan Bennett, an American Canyon city councilmember, said she has never owned a gun, but acknowledged how emotional discussing guns can be among Americans. She said she was sickened by the comments made by National Rifle Association leader Wayne LaPierre after the shooting in Newtown, Conn., that armed guards are need to protect schools.
“To me, that is not safety in our community,” Bennett said.
Napa resident Ed Estin said he used to work as a probation officer in southern Los Angeles, but never carried a firearm while working. He said there is no need for assault weapons, and called upon the task force to work to improve mental health care in the U.S. He said the actions of former President Ronald Reagan left the mentally ill “on the streets â€" and they remain on the streets.”
“Would I feel more safe knowing there's guns here in this room?” Estin asked the audience. “No. It's time that we stop letting the bully pulpit rule.”
Margie Mohler, a member of the Yountville Town Council, said the violence is spawned by the way media coverage treats violent events.
“This is a copy-cat effect,” Mohler said. “It's really been a tragic flaw of our information age.”
Napa resident Jordan Jinx also said media coverage was to blame.
“Because of them, it makes the shooting of a school, a library, a post office, something glorified,” Jinx said.
Bill Chadwick, who identified himself as a former member of a special forces unit in the military, said he is an avid hunter. But he fails to see any need for assault weapons or high-capacity clips.
“Unless you arm the game we're hunting there's no need for high-capacity magazines,” Chadwick said.
Residents packed into the City Council chambers to voice opinions on both sides of the debate to a panel featuring U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena, and officials representing local law enforcement agencies, school systems, and mental health service providers.
The forum's intent was to gather a wide variety of view points that may help shape legislation that will be advanced by a task force Thompson is chairing in Congress.
It certainly provided those view points, as 55 people had signed up to speak, and the forum ran over its allotted time of an hour and a half.
Thompson started the event by saying that ideas expressed at local community forums often help craft policies intended to tackle the complex issues that are at root of mass shootings, including the one at an elementary school in Connecticut in December.
“It's not going to be fixed by one law,” Thompson said. “It has to do with a culture of violence. Often the best ideas about how to combat these things have come from the community.”
The task force is made up of Democrats in the House of Representatives, and will be examining a number of potential policies, which include:
- curbing access to military-type weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips;
- coordinating with schools and mental health professionals to develop the best means of preventing gun violence and mass shootings;
- stopping glorification of gun violence from permeating throughout the media and entertainment industries.
John Staggs, a firearm instructor in Napa, said the notion of banning military-type weapons and high capacity magazines is misguided, and wouldn't keep mentally ill people from seeking to kill other people.
“It's not the guns that kill people,” Staggs said. “A magazine has never killed anybody either. If you're mentally ill and you're going to kill somebody, you're going to kill somebody.”
Joan Bennett, an American Canyon city councilmember, said she has never owned a gun, but acknowledged how emotional discussing guns can be among Americans. She said she was sickened by the comments made by National Rifle Association leader Wayne LaPierre after the shooting in Newtown, Conn., that armed guards are need to protect schools.
“To me, that is not safety in our community,” Bennett said.
Napa resident Ed Estin said he used to work as a probation officer in southern Los Angeles, but never carried a firearm while working. He said there is no need for assault weapons, and called upon the task force to work to improve mental health care in the U.S. He said the actions of former President Ronald Reagan left the mentally ill “on the streets â€" and they remain on the streets.”
“Would I feel more safe knowing there's guns here in this room?” Estin asked the audience. “No. It's time that we stop letting the bully pulpit rule.”
Margie Mohler, a member of the Yountville Town Council, said the violence is spawned by the way media coverage treats violent events.
“This is a copy-cat effect,” Mohler said. “It's really been a tragic flaw of our information age.”
Napa resident Jordan Jinx also said media coverage was to blame.
“Because of them, it makes the shooting of a school, a library, a post office, something glorified,” Jinx said.
Bill Chadwick, who identified himself as a former member of a special forces unit in the military, said he is an avid hunter. But he fails to see any need for assault weapons or high-capacity clips.
“Unless you arm the game we're hunting there's no need for high-capacity magazines,” Chadwick said.