Candidates In Race To Replace Reichert React To Florida Shooting

ENUMCLAW, WA - Cameron Kasky, a survivor of the Wednesday shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., published an essay on Thursday asking politicians to do something to stop school shootings.

Addressing politicians of both parties, Kasky wrote that there's "desperate need for change."

"But the truth is that the politicians on both sides of the aisle are to blame," he wrote. "The Republicans, generally speaking, take large donations from the NRA and are therefore beholden to their cruel agenda. And the Democrats lack the organization and the votes to do anything about it."

In Washington, voters in the 8th Congressional District, currently held by Dave Reichert, will have the opportunity this fall to pick a candidate who is either part of the, in Kasky's words, organizationally-challenged Democrats or an NRA-supported Republican.

On the day after the Parkland shooting, Patch asked the four leading candidates in the 8th District race: "If you were in Congress today, what would you do to stop future school shootings?"

Here's how they answered:

Democrat Jason Rittereiser, a former King County prosecuting attorney

"When I saw the news of the horrific school shooting in Florida, my heart went out to the victims, their families and their friends, and to all those victimized by another tragedy of gun violence. But it's not enough to express regret over another mass shooting.

"It is time for a new generation of leaders to take on the epidemic of gun violence in America. As a former prosecutor I've worked to combat gun violence in our communities. We can stop preventable deaths in America, and Congress's moral failure to act is inexcusable. We must start by passing laws that help ensure criminals and those who suffer from mental illness do not have easy access to guns. Background checks must be mandatory for all firearm purchases, and we must strongly enforce existing laws that are designed to enhance gun safety and keep guns out of dangerous hands. These are common sense measures that will stop preventable deaths.

"After the tragedy in Las Vegas I joined the call for Congress to take action by forming a Select Committee on Gun Violence. It's time for Congress to act, and it's time for us to elect new leaders who have the moral courage to do what is right."

Republican Dino Rossi, a former state Senator and 2010 U.S. Senate candidate

"First, we have to do more to recognize and treat mental illness in this country. It's important to have resources available to help people who may be struggling with mental disorders before they become dangerous, and I would support efforts to do more for the mentally ill, just as I did in the state legislature. Second, we must strictly enforce current firearms laws. After dipping for several years, prosecution of gun crimes is now trending up again, and that's a good thing. Third, we should re-evaluate whether there are modifications in the market that turn legal weapons into illegal ones. It has been illegal to own automatic weapons for a very long time, and if there are technologies that can functionally turn semi-automatic weapons into automatic ones, we need to make sure they're not falling through loopholes in the law. Lastly, although this is not a legislative fix, I believe that we must collectively stop sensationalizing the murderers who commit these attacks. The focus in the aftermath of these atrocities must be on helping the victims and preventing these attacks, not on giving the attackers the attention and platform they desire."

Democrat Dr. Kim Schrier, an Issaquah pediatrician

As the mom of a third grader in public school, my heart breaks for the families, classmates, and teachers at Stoneman Douglas High School. We send our son to school every day and trust that we’re sending him somewhere he can feel safe and secure. But the truth is that nowhere is safe in a country that allows guns to get into the hands of people who would do others harm.

The number one thing we can do to keep guns out of dangerous hands is to enact a more comprehensive background check system, like the one we have here in Washington State. Here in Washington, our background checks look for a history of domestic violence, criminal background, and mental illness, and closes the gun show loophole. These criteria should be expanded nationwide, and in Congress, I will fight to do exactly that. I’ll also fight any reciprocity bill that would undermine our state’s background check system.

This is a common-sense solution. 90% of Americans support background checks for gun ownership. There is no excuse for a system that lets guns get into the hands of someone who has shown signs of malicious intent.

Democrat Dr. Shannon Hader, former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official

My heart is absolutely with the families and communities in Florida. I have family and friends who are avid hunters and I support the second amendment. I know EVERYBODY - those who do and don’t own guns - wants to prevent tragedies like this and other losses of life due to guns. In Congress, I would move to close loopholes and ensure universal background checks, re-institute Brady Bill measures that have been lost, and mandate and fund a full public health response to gun violence. What does that mean? We don’t know enough about what works - what policies, programs, mental health supports, young adult programs, or other measures will do the most to reduce these tragic gun deaths, as well as those due to suicides and accidents. The CDC has been effectively prohibited from doing the hard research work to give us evidence-based solutions for decades now. We need answers and solutions, and I will prioritize getting those.

Caption: People hoist up their candles during a vigil for the victims of the Wednesday shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, in Parkland, Fla., Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. Nikolas Cruz, a former student, was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder on Thursday.

Photo by Gerald Herbert/Associated Press