KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
With the alleged racially-motivated attack that killed ten in New York last Saturday and a reported politically-motivated killing in Laguna Woods on Sunday, six Santa Clarita organizations are honoring the lives lost by the hands of civil unrest and gun violence this weekend.
News of the grocery store shooting in Buffalo, New York last weekend reverberated across the country after ten people were killed and three others were injured by the hands of a gunman in what investigators and lawmakers are calling a “racially-motivated attack.”
Processing the loss of yet another mass shooting, Californians mourned another loss in their own backyards on Sunday when a man in a Taiwanese Presbyterian church chained doors closed and shot five parishioners, killing one, in yet another attack that the Orange County Sheriff deemed “a politically motivated” hate incident.
Feeling the need to act on these tragedies in an area that understands the loss that gun violence brings all too well, members of the Santa Clarita Human Relations Roundtable, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Congregation Beth Shalom, NAACP Santa Clarita, Higher Vision Church and the Islamic Center of Santa Clarita Valley are gathering with the community in reflection.
“This event quickly materialized as we contacted each other and discussed the Santa Clarita community’s need to heal and move forward after another senseless killing born of racism and hate,” said Jeffrey Thompson, member of the City of Santa Clarita Human Relations Roundtable. “It is important we learn to celebrate our differences rather than give way to those preaching mistrust, division and fear.”
The organizations are inviting the Santa Clarita community to an Interfaith Vigil of Prayer and Lament for a Hurting World: Grieving Gun Violence, Racism and Hate at 7 p.m. on Sunday at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Santa Clarita.
“People are hurting and we must take a moment as a community to grieve those who lost their lives, share our sadness and then cast our eyes and our efforts toward the future we want to see so that together we can bring about an end to racism, violence and hate in all its forms,” said Rev. Christopher Montella of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church.
The organizations are hoping to bring together diverse religions and cultures in an effort to mourn the lives lost by civil unrest and gun violence.
“We will not be silent or deterred in light of recent events, we respond with solidarity,” said Rabbi Jay Siegel. “We will not be passive in the face of hate and violence, we will actively find ways to increase love and kindness.”
The organizations have stressed their unity with all people of conscience against bigotry, violence and prejudice, according to Dr. Omaran Abdeen, Imam at the Islamic Center of Santa Clarita Valley.
“Hate has no place in our society,” Abdeen said. “In our blessed tradition, the Holy Quran says: ‘O people! We created you from a male and a female, and made you races and tribes so that you may know one another. The best among you in the sight of God is the most righteous. God is most knowledgeable, All-Knowing.’”
Due to rising concerns, masks are strongly recommended for attendees at the event.
The vigil is scheduled to be live-streamed and available here or directly on Facebook @StStephensSCV.
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A public hand wringing will do no good in the long run.
Meaningful gun safety legislation could though.
There is no such thing as meaningful gun regulation. It never stops criminals. Gun ownership, and legal use is how we control criminals with guns.
Like New York doesn’t have one of the most stringent gun laws in the country. Maybe the whole de-fund the police thing was a bad idea. Also, once again on the FBI radar, but nothing was done. I guess meaningful auto legislation would have stop the Wahkeusha massacre too! Try sound logic instead of unsound emotion!
In NY you have to be 21 in order to purchase a firearm . Ghost guns are illegal in NY as well . The shooter was 18 and there were no serial numbers on the firearm . Two of NY’s gun law were broken prior to the shooting so I’m not sure how more control could have prevented this . Guns flood into our country everyday . Perhaps protecting our boarders couldn’t hurt .
That’s because the adjoining states do not have such restrictive gun laws. The shooter was able to get it either in another state with lax laws or in NY (illegally through someone that eventually acquired them in such other states). Universal/federal gun control is what is needed to control those states that don’t care about lives. About 80 to 90 % of guns used in shootings in Chicago and other cities/states that have strict gun controls come from guns sold via gun brokers in states with lax gun control. Quite a high percentage come from (number under 20) gun brokers in these states, but they get off with a hand slap because of the lack of gun control in those states.
As for guns coming into the US, it’s the other way around. The United States IS the largest gun manufacturer in the world. Drugs may flow in to the US, but guns flow OUT to the rest of the world. Plenty of guns here, no need to get them elsewhere.
yeah… it’s always the fault of illegal aliens when another young radicalized racist white kid shoots up a place. talk about ass backward thinkin….
one thing for sure, there isn’t solidarity over gun violence on this message board.
“Guns flood into our country every day.” (?)
FYI- The United States is the world’s leader in manufacturing as well as exporting firearms.
Yeah, like Fast and Furious ring a bell!
And this was gun made in the good ol’ USofA, a Bushmaster XR-15, legally sold by a licensed gun dealer in NY. Too bad the facts don’t back up your anti-immigrant screed, but I am sure that will not stop you from spewing future unfounded vitriol.
As long as the Liberals keep condoning & coddling the criminals, rampant crime will never stop! Perfect example is Gas-Con, Prop. 47(Gascon), Prop. 57, AB 109 etc.and the tender minded, bleeding heart, non-street wise Liberals who continue to allow crime from their gate guarded enclaves, despite the street creatures finding a way in to their arrogant palaces! Wake up, not Woke up Sheeple, the primitive beasts are coming for you next!(not paranoia, reality!)
And another black guy just killed a man on the New York subway. Asian woman knocked down, again another black guy. Chicago crime, black on black killing every day. Don’t ever mention that. Thou shalt not kill? Period.
The problem that none of you gun grabbers can solve is that criminals do not follow the laws. So, you only prevent upstanding citizens from protecting themselves.
Rosie & Ben, Truthful/Honest/Accurate/Realistic words/observations well spoken!
Our current laws don’t keep law-abiding citizens from obtaining guns legally.