127 Comments

I too, appreciate your sharing about your connection to Monterey Park and your feelings about this latest horrific mass shooting. Not only have Republicans kept our country from passing meaningful gun laws to protect each of us, but they are still working to expand gun rights.

Immediately after the evening press conference in Monterey Park, former judge and U.S. Attorney Carol C. Lam, said on MSNBC that the gun used by the shooter was illegal in California, but the current Supreme Court ruled that weapon legal in another case. So they sent a California case involving the same weapon back down the chain to be reviewed by a lower court given their recent ruling on it. That means the future legality of the shooter's gun is in legal limbo at the moment.

At this point in America, it's clear the Republican party has lost its collective mind and any shred of morality. The faster that party finishes imploding on itself, the better off America will be.

I hope you will have time to relax with your pets before you have to start discussing this on TV. There is more morality and common sense in any one of your chickens than in the entire Republican House of Representatives.

Thank you for your expertise and your humanity. Wishing you peace.

Expand full comment

I’m angry, stunned, sad, and my heart goes out to you. What is happening regularly is beyond belief. Thank you for sharing your thoughts at such a traumatic time, Joyce.

Expand full comment
founding

Phenomenal as always, Joyce. Thank you for writing it but wish you hadn't had to.

Expand full comment
founding

This is truly heartbreaking. David Hogg is right...what can one say. It just happens far too many times. When you referred to the Supreme Court and their leanings these days, I am reminded of what former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Warren Berger said in an interview on PBS way back in 1991. Here's an excerpt from the article reporting on the interview:

---Former Chief Justice Warren Burger, a conservative, said the idea that there was an individual right to bear arms was "a fraud." If he were writing the Bill of Rights now, he said in 1991, "There wouldn't be any such thing as the Second Amendment."

He declared on PBS that the Second Amendment "has been the subject of one of the greatest pieces of fraud, I repeat the word fraud, on the American public by special interest groups that I have ever seen in my lifetime."

---

And here's a link the article. It contains a video of what he said:

https://www.npr.org/2018/03/05/590920670/from-fraud-to-individual-right-where-does-the-supreme-court-stand-on-guns

It's the most sane thing ever said about the second amendment, in my opinion.

Expand full comment

Your open heart and ability to express human reactions in such personal and clear words is a gift to all of us. Thank you again.

Liz

Expand full comment

I’ve changed my mind. We need to abolish the second amendment. We can have a set of gun ownership laws, so hunters, personal protection, etc, the origins of why the second amendment was made, but it is ridiculous that we, as citizens must be at constant risk

and held hostage to guns. This is insane. It is the guns. People choosing to have guns need liability insurance and must be held accountable for their actions and if someone mishandles their guns. And even so, there are so many guns this insanity will prevail for decades. There will always be violence but we should be making it harder to access weapons. We have matched, shouted, written letters. We must be stupid to keep putting up with this.

Expand full comment

Thanks so much for sharing this. I’m so sad for the families, community, and others (like you) affected. I’m with Mr. Hogg - running out of words and exasperated about this issue.

Expand full comment

I’m from Pittsburgh. Tree of Life Synagogue. I’ll never forget.

Over and over, and John Fucking Roberts is concerned for the safety of his clown court justices??! Complaining people are becoming more agitated with the Supreme Circus’ ruling on open lawlessness. If you want the Wild West, remember they lynched corrupt judges. Hung horse thieves and cheaters at card games. The deliberate devolving of society the SCOTUS is instrumental in achieving is being done specifically to control the masses with fear and intimidation. What other reason is there for the mass insanity we are being constantly confronted with?

Expand full comment
founding

Our politicians have failed us and mine (TN with the exception of Steve Cohen) are quite proud of their allegiance with the NRA. Despicable...

Expand full comment

Joyce, wishing for you and all the people affected directly and indirectly by gun violence a better set of leaders and better voters in the future who will put this issue on the ballot and decide that preserving lives is better than having access to weapons of war.

I understand some of how you feel. I was on a business trip to Northern Virginia when a gunman opened fire at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando. It seemed bizarre and horrifying and the number of questions people had for me, while I was just trying to make sure that friends and their loved ones were okay. That was not my town. We weren't like that. But that of course was untrue. We the people have work to do on providing actual safety for our countrymen and the proliferation of firearms has done nothing but make that safety more and more elusive.

May we all find a way to be more peaceful.

Expand full comment

My grandmother, Sadie Esther Green, was born in Monterey Park in 1908 but she grew up in Azusa. This shooting, therefore, breaks my heart, perhaps, a little more than all mass shootings do. So sorry for all the beautiful Asian Americans who are mourning today instead of celebrating the new year. 💔 🐇

Expand full comment

We have had 33 mass shootings (4 or more injured, not including the shooter) so far this year. This is only the 22nd day, and we have had 33 mass shootings. And if the shooter only injured 3, that shooting wouldn't be included in the total. I cannot feel anger any more about this horror, only shame.

Expand full comment

Dear Joyce, it’s heartbreaking. How do we not act. I live in west los angeles and this morning i i hugged my barista who is this lovely young Asian. How do we not act like New Zealand.

Expand full comment

I wish there was an actual "love" button for this post. Thank you for sharing your deep feelings, you wrote words for all of us.

Expand full comment

I'm so sorry, Joyce. We are all so sick of this. Every day I wonder what else we can do. I just don't know. Peace to you and all who are grieving right now.

Expand full comment

Thank you, Joyce, for the news and update. I grew up in Glendale, not far from Monterey Park. Sadly, Glendale was the opposite of inclusive when I lived there in the 1960's and 70's, but I always loved exploring this part of the San Gabriel Valley after I learned to drive. I'm reminded of Yeats: this ceremony of innocence was literally drowned in blood. Thank you for sharing about this, and I'm glad you did. "We are in this together," indeed - everywhere. Take care of yourself while you grieve.

Expand full comment