As thousands gathered in Tucson with President Obama, one of the first local vigils held in Oakland brought the national tragedy home. I was one of hundreds gathered in a candlelit circle outside Oakland City Hall to call for healing, peace and civility in the wake of the tragic shootings in Tucson this past weekend. Organized by the East Bay Young Dems, no one was in much of a mood for the pat explanations or the blame game. People came seeking solace, hope and solutions. Especially, people came seeking each other.
We’ve been here before – mourning the loss of a community member to senseless violence. But perhaps it’s time for Oakland to assume a national role in addressing the violence that plagues our nation. Oakland’s heart has broken and healed before – and the community and leaders seem poised for strong, new solutions.
- Congresswoman Barbara Lee called for expanding availability of mental health care and to strengthen gun laws;
- Martin Luther King Freedom Center director Roy Wilson called for new rules against speech that incites hate and violence;
- Mayor Jean Quan called for new controls on guns crossing state and international borders.
As my friend Karen Smulevitz wrote on her Facebook page after the vigil:
“This is Oakland, California, and we have known too many heartbreaks, suffered the loss of too many loved ones, to not know how much the people of Tucson are hurting. We have all wept and shouted Why? into the cruel ill wind that sweeps through our neighborhoods and steals the future from our children. Murder is no stranger here, and hate poisons the air we breathe. We can wrap our arms around Tucson, and say, “We Know. We wish we didn’t, but grief has gripped us as it has you, and life goes on, whether you want it to or not. It hurts, horribly, and how well you survive depends on how you find a purpose to fill your days, to honor your loved ones.
“So the people of Oakland shared a silent moment, and listened to the wise words of clergymen, and of Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Assemblymember Sandre Swanson, Mayor Jean Quan and others. Their hearts were filled with empathy for those who are suffering in Tucson, and they rededicated their energies to work for peace at home, to stop the violence that is too familiar here.”
Here’s the KRON coverage from this evening.
