The recent gun violence and mass shootings – including in Uvalde, Texas where an 18-year-old is accused of shooting and killing 19 elementary school students and two teachers – have triggered public outrage, marches, and renewed calls for broad legislative action.

Weighing in on the recent spate of national gun violence, U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (CA-52), whose congressional district includes San Diego beaches, voted to pass the Protecting Our Kids Act and the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act. The Protecting Our Kids Act builds on the House of Representatives’ twice-passed legislation advancing universal background checks for all gun purchases, an action that is supported by nearly nine out of 10 Americans.

“It’s painful to recognize that the loss of countless innocent lives over decades led us here today,” said Peters. “Passing these bills to prevent more gun violence reflects the will of the American people. Now, we will continue fighting to get additional life-saving legislation over the finish line. I will not rest until the job is done.”

Added Peters, “The House also passed the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act permitting law enforcement officers, family, and household members of a person who poses a threat to themselves or others to request that a federal court issue an extreme risk protection order to prohibit an individual from purchasing or possessing a firearm.

“The bill protects the right to lawfully possess a gun by requiring high standards of proof, an opportunity to be heard in court, the right to counsel, and penalties for those who file frivolous petitions. The legislation also encourages more states to adopt these red flag laws and requires law enforcement to be trained in the use of extreme risk protection orders.”

Residents in La Jolla and Pacific Beach addressed recent gun violence, what they believe causes it, and what could and should be done about it.

“Social media is driving some of this violence,” said Bill Zent of Pacific Beach noting, “Kids have cell phones and use them all day on social media. The age for social media should be 18 and require verification.”

Added Zent: “What we can do (about gun violence) is hold parents responsible. If the child obtains a weapon from the home and uses it, they should be charged with murder – no exceptions. And it should be a federal charge so it’s level across the country. Another problem we have is in situations like the district attorney in Los Angeles turning people back on the street is dangerous. The courts and system must take a tougher stand.”

Landscape architect Jim Neri, who works both in La Jolla and PB, had an interesting suggestion.

“One idea would be for California to hold a gun buy-back drive as they did in Australia,” said Neri. “It will likely trigger more guns being bought in other states, but we need to lead by example. The state is flush with cash right now, so let’s show the world that California cares.”

La Jollan Melinda Merryweather believes assault weapons should be severely curtailed. “I am part of the common-sense party and you can not protect any space from an AR-15,” she said. “They are for wars. Any hunter will tell you you can not eat a dear that has been shot with an AR-15. They should be illegal and you should have to be 21 to buy one and have to wait one year.”

Larry Emlaw of PB was thankful for the opportunity to vent about gun violence. “Guns today are simply too efficient at killing, and much too easy to procure,” he said.” Laws need to change to account for this ramp-up in ‘efficient kill’ technology.”

Emlaw doesn’t have a problem with “someone who feels the need to own a handgun for protection.” But he asked, “Do they need a 17-round magazine or an AR-style weapon? There is absolutely no reason for the general public to have access to anything this high on the ‘efficient kill’ totem pole.  These are military weapons. And just as we don’t allow any yahoo to keep a surface-to-air-missile system in their garage, neither should we allow these other killing machines. They are all mass kill weapons – not what our Constitutional framers were contemplating when they added the Second Amendment.”

Concluded Emlaw: “Sadly, our gun (non) policy is a reflection of our collective consciousness as a nation, just as our elections are. But everything and everyone is evolving, and gun law change is inevitable. It must happen. Background checks I feel are a no-brainer… with muscle… and no loopholes. That would be a great help now, but not the full solution.”

La Jollan Barry Jagoda cited the Gun Violence Archive, which counts 8,000-plus gun deaths in the country in the first half of 2022 alone.

“Perhaps the steady stream of death will eventually open up new understandings of our own history because many Americans keep living out a 150-year-old dream that, no matter what it is that frightens or enrages us in our complex, chaotic, and the often unsettling world – guns are the answer,” Jagoda said. “Many of us walk around with an image of our country in our heads that we believe comes from history, when in fact it comes from marketing and mythology. It’s that marketing and mythology that keeps us saturated with weaponry, and which needs to be rejected before we can make any enduring change.”

Ann Dynes of La Jolla noted she is “a gun owner for self-protection.” But she pointed out she does not understand “why there cannot be strong regulation of assault weapons and firearms which go well beyond the need for self-protection. If someone wants to get the presumed high of firing such devices, why not require them to rent them at a range?”

PROTECTING OUR KIDS ACT INCLUDES

• The Raise the Age Act to raise the purchasing age for most semi-automatic weapons to 21 years old. Currently, someone could buy a semi-automatic rifle at just 18 years old – yet you must be 21 to buy a handgun.

• The Prevent Gun Trafficking Act to crack down on gun trafficking and straw purchases to keep illegal guns off the streets.
• The Untraceable Firearms Act outlaws ghost guns and ensures that all firearms are traceable.
• The Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act to close the bump stock loophole, banning these deadly tools from civilian use.
• The Keep Americans Safe Act to outlaw new high-capacity magazines, which have been the accessory of choice in the bloodiest mass shootings.
• Strengthening safe storage requirements to protect children from accidental shootings.
• Requiring an annual report of demographic data of those determined ineligible to purchase guns.