Republicans and Democrats on the King County Council issued separate statements Monday addressing the tragedy in Las Vegas, which serve as a perfect microcosm of how the parties are addressing the worst mass shooting in modern American history.
In short, the Democrats called for congressional action to tighten gun restrictions; the Republicans asked people to make a donation to cover the medical costs of those injured in Las Vegas, while leaving gun control unaddressed.
In long, here are the two statements:
From Democrats Joe McDermott, Claudia Balducci, Rod Dembowski, Larry Gossett, Jeanne Kohl-Welles, and Dave Upthegrove:
“We are devastated by this tragedy in Las Vegas, as are all Americans. Senseless gun violence has gained a foothold in almost daily life in our country, with communities around the country losing loved ones and being torn apart by tragedy and trauma.
“This horrific attack – the worst mass shooting in modern American history coming only 15 months after the previous record setting mass shooting in Orlando – puts a fine point on this tragic reality. We must come together to honor those we lost last night, support the hundreds of survivors still recovering, and comfort their loved ones in this time of shock and grief.
“But we also must come together to demand action from our Federal leaders to address access to weapons of war in our communities. Solutions exist, and words of sympathy are not enough.
“Failure to act at the Federal level continues to put King County, and every community in America, at risk – and this remains simply unacceptable.”
From Republicans Reagan Dunn, Kathy Lambert, and Pete von Reichbauer:
“As citizens across this nation and world react to the tragedy in Las Vegas, we ask fellow residents of King County to join us in donating financial support to provide relief to the victims and families of this horrific act of violence.”
This GoFundMe me account was created this morning by Clark County Commission Chair Steve Sisolak.
Of course, county councilmembers aren’t the only political leaders grappling with the tragedy. Here are some recations from some of our members of Congress.
dperson@seattleweekly.com
