By Mary O’KEEFE

How to address gun violence was the topic of discussion on Nov. 26 at Woodbury University at a forum hosted by Congressman Adam Schiff and State Senator Anthony Portantino. The discussion came on the heels of the Nov. 7 mass shooting in a Thousand Oaks bar and grill that was still fresh in everyone’s minds.

The discussion included Dr. Karen Rogers, attending physician and associate professor of clinical pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, USC Keck School of Medicine, and Andrea Welsing, director of the Injury and Violence Prevention Program at Los Angeles County Dept. of Public Health. In a statement about how common these types of shootings are, Schiff shared the story a young girl who was a student at Santa Fe High School in Texas during the May 18 shooting. Reporters had asked her if she was surprised that this type of thing had happened at her school.

“And we would all expect her to say, ‘No, not here,’” Schiff said to the audience.

But instead, she replied that she was not surprised and instead asked, “Why not here?”

It was important to have the conversation about gun violence and, Portantino said, important to have experts explain how youth reacts to these situations.

“As you see, young people around the country are driving a lot of the public policy conversation,” Portantino said. “I think it’s important to make sure our campuses are safe.”

The discussion was not about taking aim at the Second Amendment but to have “sensible” gun regulations.

“It is gun safety, it is public safety and community safety,” Portantino said, adding California leads the nation in sensible gun regulations.

Schiff added that sensible gun regulations can come from the federal government as well, and said he sees some changes in the national dialogue.

“There are a number of people who ran on the platform that addresses this problem of gun violence, and ran in areas that are usually [not receptive] to this [view],” he said.

He added the single most important legislation that could be brought to Congress is universal background checks.

“[In addition], we have to address the problem of everyday gun violence,” Schiff said.

Welsing said that LA County has one of the highest rates of gun violence and that data is being constantly collected to learn how to deal with the issue.

Rogers works with traumatized children and families.

“Just over two weeks ago I had a call from the Children’s Hospital [Los Angeles] media office asking if I would speak with the media about how parents can talk with kids when something terrible has happened. It was the day after the Borderline shooting. I did a similar media talk after the San Bernardino shooting, after Sandy Hook, after Aurora, Colorado,” Rogers said. “I never want to get that call again.”

She stated in reality mass shootings are rare but gun violence is not and that many children struggle with the effects of gun violence. 

Most in the audience spoke of the need for more gun regulations but one audience member, who gave only his first name as Kelly, spoke for less regulation and more study into why gun violence has increased.

The audience listened politely and both Schiff and Portantino thanked him for his opinion, stating that all views were welcome.

Kelly later said he felt his views were heard, and was not interested in his message getting to the panel primarily but to the audience.

“Many people don’t even hear the opposing arguments,” he said.

Kelly owns two guns and likes going to the range to shoot.

“We have more of a problem with crime itself,” he said. “The problem has to do with the underlying criminality as a whole.”

  Mary Okeefe