101 Seconds (2018) - full transcript

The film follows individuals across a wide spectrum of political and philosophical beliefs as they engage in a debate concerning gun legislation in Oregon in the aftermath of a shooting at the Clackamas Town Center Mall in Oregon in 2012.

[toddler speaking indistinctly]

[woman]
That's what you want?

[toddler babbles]

What happens when
I hold you, Jenna?

What happens when you ask me
to hold you again?

I have to kiss you!
[grunting playfully]

[giggles]

[laughing]

[squealing]

[woman]
♪ Silent night ♪

♪ Holy night ♪



♪ All is calm ♪

♪ All is bright ♪

♪ Round yon virgin ♪

♪ Mother and child ♪

♪ Holy infant ♪

♪ So tender and mild ♪

[fading]
♪ Sleep in heavenly ♪

♪ Peace ♪

[clock ticking]

[overlapping clocks ticking]

[ticking continues]

[ticking stops]

[woman 1]
He's got a white face mask on,

black on black,
he's got a...



[woman 2] Black-on-black
coat or black-on-black shirt?

[woman 1]
Black-on-black coat.

[man 1] Someone
is down by Best Buy Mobile.

You need to get an ambulance...

[man 2] They're already
being dispatched.

[Sawyer] Another shooting,

another safe part of American
life shattered by violence.

[male reporter 1]
The gunman was armed

with an AR-15
semi-automatic rifle.

[male reporter 2] Police
say the killer made a beeline

from his car in the parking lot
through Macy's.

By the time he got
to the food court,

he was already firing.

[male reporter 3] Killing
54-year-old hospice nurse

Cindy Ann Yuille,

who was Christmas shopping,

and 45-year-old Steven Forsyth,
a father of two

who ran a business
in the mall.

It appeared that
the suspect's rifle did jam

while he was attacking
individuals in the food court.

[male reporter 4] Police say he
bolted down a flight of stairs,

got his rifle working again,

and killed himself
near J.C. Penney's.

Today, everyone agreed
it was a miracle

only two people were killed.

So this
is my mom's typewriter.

She used this in college
and kept it all these years

and, you know,
took really good care of it.

And I used to play with it
when I was a kid.

These are just two hiking books
that she loaned me.

I plan to do a lot
of hiking this summer,

and... I don't know,
I like having them here.

They definitely...
It's a little piece of her.

This painting...

I didn't realize, actually,
how many little things

around here
kind of remind me of her.

It makes me sad just
going through this stuff,

but...

yeah, it's past tense,
because she's...

You know, she's gone,
she's dead now.

But, um...

[chuckles softly]

but, yeah, I don't know,

I think of her
as being here and like...

And alive and...

I don't know.

[chuckles]

I'm fine. [laughs]

And I saved a couple of these
from the memorial.

I said, "I've been told before
that no matter what happens",

no one can replace your mother."
[sniffles]

"But it wasn't until now
that I fully understand

what that means."

I said, "I have realized
that inevitably",

"somehow,
this will change me.

How exactly,
I'm not quite sure yet."

I hate crying about this.
[sniffles]

But I said...

that wasn't part of the speech.
[chuckles]

And I said... I said,
"I certainly was not ready

"to lose her,
but I am honored

"to be the daughter
of such an incredible woman,

and I will never forget
who she taught me to be."

I found out
about the shooting

actually reading updates
on Twitter

as things were coming in,
and I called my mom.

Didn't hear an answer from her,
which was typical.

Called the house and talked
with my stepdad, Robert.

He also said
he hadn't heard from her,

but that she had gone shopping.

So I knew
she would be at Clackamas,

but I just figured that stuff
never happens to your family.

[man] Well, let's see.

We have so much.
Yeah, where do you start?

We took lots of pictures.
We did a lot.

We traveled a lot.
We played a lot.

Hiked, hiked, hiked.

Oh, Lake Quinault.
That was fun.

Oh, Fiji.
Fiji was good.

And then Essex, Montana.
That was even a better time.

- [chuckles]
- Snow camping. [laughs]

There she is.

Goddamn,
we had a good time.

[chuckles softly]

I was working in my shed
in the back.

She popped in, and she said,

"Well, I'm getting ready to go
shopping for Christmas."

[inhales deeply]

And we...
We said goodbye.

As we always... we always...

It was a good goodbye.

It was an exceptionally
good goodbye.

You know, I remember saying,
"Oh, wait a minute, sweetheart,

I got something
I want you to do."

And then I go, "Oh, Jesus,
Can't think of what it is."

But anyway, so go ahead and go.
I'll think of it."

And it was a simple thing,
like just taking the plastic

in to be recycled,
but I always think, like,

if I could've remembered...
Remembered that,

and it would have slowed
her down by a couple of minutes.

She wouldn't have been
standing where she was.

Different...
Would've been different.

Everything
would've been different.

But...

Yeah.
What are you gonna do?

[sniffles]

- [male host] Senator Ginny
Burdick, good morning.
- [Sen. Burdick] Good morning.

[female host] Ginny, you're
working on a gun control bill

that would expand
Oregon's background checks

to include sales between
private individuals.

Correct, we already
have it for gun shows,

which many states don't,
and, actually,

that was my initiative
that got that in place.

[female host] What's your
support for the bill?

Very strong support

from the gun-owning community,
from law enforcement.

There's... I mean,
some polling shows

over 90% support for it.

The other main bill that I have
would ban all guns

from schools unless
school districts wanted

to have people carry guns
in schools.

Right now the law says you can't
carry a gun into a school,

but there's an exemption

for concealed
handgun license holders.

[female host] You have been
working on this for so long.

You have such a history
in trying to actually reduce

the amount of gun violence
in our society.

What keeps me going is I know
the public is with me.

And what happened after
Sandy Hook and after Clackamas

is the public now...
They've been there all along.

They're now speaking up.
Gun owners are speaking up.

Most gun owners
are perfectly fine

with anything
I'm trying to do,

but that extreme fringe
makes life very,

very unpleasant for people.

[marching band drumming]

[female reporter 1]
Gun advocates gathered

at the Oregon State Capitol
today.

[female reporter 2]
People came out
in support of gun rights.

[male reporter 1]
Called a patriot rally,

they say no to new regulations,

like the ones being considered
this session,

including a ban
on big ammo magazines

and assault-style rifles.

[woman]
All right, this really stinks,

being the shortest one
working here.

Oka... there you go.

All right, so...
what's gonna happen

if those guys in there
don't listen to us?

We're gonna have a lot of laws
that really stink.

[scattered applause]

[man] I want to say
to these people over here,

who are you to stand up
against the law of the land?

What part of
"shall not be infringed"

don't you understand?

[man] And we need to get rid of
laws over there at the capitol.

[man] Anytime you have some
of these high-profile events,

Sandy Hook
or a Clackamas Town Center,

everybody's making a big deal
about the gun control

and take guns away
from everybody and...

You know, and let's limit
magazine size,

which, that's... that's not
going to solve any issues.

If those were 10-round
magazines,

I would've had 50 rounds
in...

That I could shoot off in less
than probably two minutes.

We need to get rid
of the misrepresentation

that the American gun owner
is some hick

that's sitting
in the back woods.

We're vegan.

We're alternative lifestyle
and everything like that,

but we're definitely for
our freedoms and our rights.

As soon as he is mentally
able to comprehend

what a firearm is
and what it does...

You know, physically,
I know he'd be

more than able
to pretty much now...

With the sheer intelligence
that he has... he's almost 2...

I'm sure he'll be able to grasp
the adult situation of it by...

By 4.

[man] When they collapse
the economy,

they don't want people being
able to defend themselves, so...

- [interviewer] Who's "they"?
- [man] The globalists.
The elitists. They run things.

They're the ones
pulling the strings.

[crowd] Indivisible with liberty
and justice for all.

[cheers and applause]

[man]
Why do I want to speak?

I have a lot to say,
and I've never really said it

in front of a large group
of people before,

so I figured why not?

We're all smart enough here
to know

that where's more gun control,
there is more crime.

[woman] Even though
I'm not big on the whole,

oh, I need to go have
some big old assault rifle.

If I want one,
I have the right to have one.

There you go, hon.

I saw a couple pictures
on Facebook.

It had, like,
Washington and Jefferson,

and it says, "Hey, stop.
We want our country back."

And, you know, I...
I honestly think

if they knew what was happening,
they would just... they'd say,

"Okay, Revolutionary War
all over again, guys.

We fought this once.
Let's do it again."

[marching band drumming]

Protect your Second Amendment!

[man] You want our guns?
Come and get 'em!

[light applause]

Within 24 hours,
I had gotten online

and contacted
Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

I sent emails to Brady.

So within two days
of Steve being shot,

I was...
I was already engaged.

I've been a gun owner
most of my life

and, I mean,
reasonably intelligent,

but I... I just
was trying to understand

why these shootings occur,
what motivates these people,

why they choose these
particular weapons, et cetera.

And then understanding laws,
and that was baffling to me,

how screwed up our laws are
across the country.

The fact that it was an assault
weapon really got me angry.

And as I was reading
about stuff,

I was just getting,
you know, a little...

More and more angry about it
and upset about it.

And the more I learned
about the circumstances

of how the guy got his gun
and what the Oregon laws were,

it was just getting me incensed.

- Jeff Barker.
- Paul Kemp, nice to meet you.

The reason I'm here,
my brother-in-law was one

of the shooting victims
at the Clackamas Town Center
in December.

I've gotten very involved
in efforts

to try to curb
gun violence.

I'm a registered Republican
I own a gun.

I've hunted.
Not gonna change any of that.

I just rec...
A week before Steve was shot,

I went and bought my son
his first rifle.

Being an ex-serviceman
and a police officer,

you may have a concealed
weapons permit.

I don't, but I store my guns
with trigger locks,

and the ammunition
is separate.

I'm a retired cop.
I don't need a...

- Oh, you may not, okay.
- But I... all...

Right as we speak,
all my guns are locked

- in a safe at home.
- Yeah.

Well, this AR-15
that was stolen was not.

It was just sitting out.

I took a trip back to D.C.
in February

and got a chance to meet
a lot of the other folks from...

Who had lost children
at Virginia Tech

and Northern Illinois
and University of Arizona

and Sandy Hook
and Aurora, Colorado,

and Columbine,

and it is simply not
the laws themselves.

I mean,
there's mental health issues.

- Huge, yeah.
- Yeah.

And there's other...
Other things.

But what... what seemed to me
a major part of it

was, you know, the simple
availability of the weapons.

Hopefully, you know,
there's a way

to find some support from you
on some of the measures

that are gonna come through
and button up some of the laws.

In general, I'm not in favor
of a lot of new laws

because we're not enforcing
the ones we have,

but I'm willing
to look at anything.

Thank you.
I'm really sorry for your loss.

- I mean, what can you say?
- Right. Yeah, there's...

- And I can't imagine.
- Yeah, well.

- I appreciate your time.
- You bet, and anytime.

And you know, anytime,
holler and we'll get you in.

- Okay, thanks very much.
- Be glad to talk. Okay.

[Paul] Probably it's typical
with most politicians.

You know, they're somewhat
guarded in their comments

and what they'll offer
support to.

But it would be
more encouraging

to hear some
just outright support.

[bird chirping]

[Stephen King]
In the '70s, the late '70s,

I wrote a book called Rage,
which was about a school shooter

who shoots his algebra teacher,

holds his class hostage
for a day.

And that was found,
actually, in the locker

of one school shooter,
I think, in Oregon.

So I made the decision

to withdraw the book
from publication.

When you find out
that you wrote something

that's been associated
with acts of violence,

there are a couple of ways
that you can go.

One way is to say,

"I had no responsibility
for that.

"I just wrote a book.

I didn't have anything to do
with the shooting."

Or you can say,
"Yeah, okay,

I might have had some sort
of influence on this."

The question
that you have to ask is,

does this disturbed individual
have access,

easy access to a weapon
to work out his fantasies with,

his... his killing fantasies?

My idea when I wrote Guns was,

let's make it
very, very difficult

for people to get automatic
and semi-automatic weapons.

I mean, obviously,

if we could stop
killer tornadoes, we would.

But somehow, we're just sort of
supposed to accept the idea

that some guy with an AR-15
can go into your mall

and light up the food court.

[indistinct conversations,
streetcar bell clangs]

- Nice to meet you.
- Paul, glad to meet you.

- Hi. I'm Jenna.
- Paul.

[Paul] You know, one of
the first questions I had...

Was that gun purchased
legally?

Was the gun dealer legal
selling it?

And does Oregon have
a safe-storage gun law?

I mean, can the guy who owned...
Had the gun stolen from him,

- can he be prosecuted?
- [Jenna] I don't think so.

Or can he be civilly charged?
No, he can't.

Oregon has no safe-storage
gun law.

I don't know how much of
a deterrent that is gonna be.

But none of these things
will solve all of the problem.

- [Robert] No.
- But incrementally,

it will reduce
the number of occurrences.

Right, there's a way
we can discuss this

with rational people
and prudent people, you know?

The gun-rights people
aren't the criminals.

They're the people
who are just concerned

about losing their rights.

We can ensure
that they keep their rights

and still be able to control
the weapons that are out there

- to a degree.
- [Paul] To a degree.

And honest,
it's not a failproof thing,

but certainly,
it will help a lot.

It would've helped
in our situation.

Yeah, the whole thing
might not have happened.

[Robert] Exactly.

The sheriffs are requiring their
deputies to lock up their guns.

What does that tell you?

This isn't something
unreasonable.

I mean, personally,

I've just kept
a baseball bat under my bed.

- That's what I've always done.
- [Robert] Right. Exactly.

And I'm not sure
how good that is,

'cause I'm a lousy
baseball player.

I guess the thing today
that struck me,

you would think
that some of these folks

would be kind of outraged
at what's happening.

The Clackamas Center,
our own backyard,

and then...
the slaughter

of 20 first-graders
and their teachers.

If that doesn't...
I don't understand

why that doesn't
outrage people.

Everybody, thank you
for coming today!

We're trying to figure out
an official name

for what we're doing.

Tie in, like,
defenders of the republic,

defenders of the Constitution,
the founding fathers,

Valley Forge,
fighting, republic.

For a logo we could have
a cross... crossed feather,

you know,
with an inkwell there,

a crossed feather
and an inkwell and a...

A musket and the FF
crossed like that.

- [man] I like that idea.
- [Michelle] Right now,

I wouldn't be too concerned
about a logo,

because we are under
such a time crunch

because of what's been
thrown at us.

I like revolutionary.

[man] I like
the Oregon Heritage Defenders.

It's short, simple,
to the point.

People will read the title,
and they'll get what it is.

Doesn't say anything
about firearms.

- [man] Right.
- But where we lack guns
in the name,

- we can have it in the symbol.
- You don't think
a symbol is strong.

Think about this symbol,
that's very strong.

He was a genius...
Every time I look

at the Third Reich,
I think of the genius

- of the symbolism of it.
- All right, you know what?

How about if we just table
the name for right now

and move on
to more important business?

[man] Can I say one thing?

We need to get away
from that messenger dog

and messenger pigeon,
get away from this...

[Michelle] We talked
about that, actually.

That's what you're going
to have to do, you have to.

Get away from that Internet
because they control it.

These rallies are
Second Amendment rallies.

They are, you know, gun rallies,
but the overall big picture

is you take away
the Second Amendment,

you're gonna take away
your First Amendment,

your Fourth Amendment,
and the rest of the Constitution

isn't gonna be there, and that's
what they're trying to do.

We've always,
always had guns.

When I was little,

my grandma had
a.357 sitting by the bed.

We shoot with them.

My husband and my son
go hunting.

I keep it for safety,
personal safety.

See, Jake is the first line
of defense.

If they get past that
and then they see the sign...

And if then they get past that,
then the door's locked,

and then if they get past that,
then there's me with a gun.

So I figure I've got four steps
of home security.

And they're free,

so I don't have to pay
a monthly fee or anything.

[laughs]
Just dog food and bullets.

[Jake barking]

The lady that lived over there,

I was walking one of the dogs,
and she says,

"Why do you wear a gun?
What are you scared of?"

And I said, "Nothing."

If I took it off, I would be.
[laughs]

[Jake barking]

[birds chirping]

This is a Mossberg 715T.

It's a.22 on an AR platform.

It accepts detachable magazines
right here.

It... it's got the rails,
which...

All that's for is to,
you know,

mount attachments,
like this foregrip here, which...

All the foregrip
is for is to...

You know, firearm stability,
you know, keep it more stable.

This is a flashlight laser.

You know, it's dark, whatever,
you need to see,

you turn on the flashlight.

This is a scope.

It's to see farther,
to shoot farther.

The adjustable butt stock,

you just adjust it
for your arm length.

It's another thing that gives
you better control of the gun,

same with the pistol grip.

A lot of people are scared
of the pistol grip,

but all that does
is just give you

more control
of the firearm, too.

Just 'cause you have
a pistol grip doesn't mean

you can go and kill more people
faster, you know?

They see somebody
go into a school or a mall

with a gun that has
a pistol grip and...

And rails and whatnot,
and they think,

oh, then that must mean
that those guns are bad,

which is completely false.

This is what a...

Like a high-caliber rifle
will do, like the AK.

That's a handgun.
That's a.22.

A.22,.22.

That's part of a shotgun.

It sends a pretty cool message
when, you know,

we have our pro-gun rallies
and we got

thousands of people coming.

And then they do their
little anti-gun rallies,

and they got maybe 20, 40.

Only put 10 in there.

[man] This is the start
of a movement, people.

I want to introduce
the best friend that you have

in the Oregon legislature,
State Senator Ginny Burdick.

[cheers and applause]

When the issue comes home,
it's time to act,

and that's what we're doing now.

So what I'd like to ask
all of you to do

is to become activists.

When we are silent
on this issue,

the other side wins
by default.

We can be silent no more.

[cheers and applause]

I started work on
the gun issue in 1996.

I had always been annoyed
that we couldn't as a society

talk about
reasonable gun laws.

[man]
Virginia Marie Burdick.

She's been talking
about gun safety

and gun restrictions
since I've known her.

I can't think of any other
legislator who's been as much

in the forefront or is such
a strong voice as Ginny.

I don't think anybody's
close to her.

[Sen. Burdick] We have language
that refers to transfers

between immediate
family members

not having to be subject
to the background check.

And we want to broaden
that out a little bit.

And are we speaking
to all of the bills?

Focus on
the Benson schools bill.

Public education is...
Is at risk.

[Sen. Burdick] In my campaign,
I was about stronger gun laws.

Because of that,
I felt a sense of mission.

It was very important
for me to do it.

Wow.

Some earrings?

- [Paul] Yeah.
- That's cute.

[Paul] They collected everything
and kept it.

Wow.

So this is the stuff
directed to the Forsyth family.

This is stuff that's just
kind of directed to both.

Those are cards and stars
for Cindy.

They put together
these books with notes,

and there's a book
for each family.

And then these were just
different items

left at the memorial.

I thought this one
was especially cool.

- [Jenna] That's awesome.
- [Paul] This took somebody
a while to do that one.

I can't believe
people did this.

[Paul]
One of Macy's cosmetic girls.

I'm sure Steve would stop
and talk to them.

[chuckles]

'Cause that was right near
where his stand was.

[Jenna] Yeah.

- [Jenna] They're hard
to look at.
- [Paul] Yeah.

[Jenna sniffles]

[Lars] Welcome back
to The Lars Larson Show.

It's seven minutes
after the hour,

and I'm in one of the best
places you can ever be

on a Friday
for First Amendment Friday

because we're making it
a Second Amendment Friday.

I'm at Northwest Armory
on Southeast McLoughlin.

This place is a madhouse today.

It looks like shopping day
after Thanksgiving.

[man] Our business has been
exponential amount of growth.

There's been a lot more interest
in personal protection

since there's been
a couple national tragedies.

There's also been
a lot more interest

with the possibility
of legislation,

and people concerned that
they're not going to be able

to get access to things

that they used to be able
to have access to.

[Lars] The Oregon legislature
is considering

four really bad bills.

They would take away
people's right to carry guns

in various places, including...
One of them

would limit your ability
to carry in a school.

If the janitor at Sandy Hook
Elementary had carried a pistol

and he heard the shooting
down the hallway

and people screaming
and then saw a young man

not in a police uniform
running at him with an AR-15

and had shouted to the guy,
"stop,"

and then pulled his pistol out
and shot Adam Lanza,

would that have been
a good thing or a bad thing?

The folks like Ginny Burdick
and those, you know, nitwits,

why would they think it would be
a bad thing for people...

Legitimate law-abiding people,
to carry a pistol in a school?

[man responds faintly
over headset]

[Sen. Burdick]
The rally starts at noon.

I'll be saying a few words
and then introducing

other legislators
who are coming.

[man] Have you heard
anything in the wind

about any counter protests?

We expect a counter protest,
yeah.

Do you guys have the...
Do you have, like,

the little sleeves
for the coffee cups?

We're going down to Salem

because Ceasefire
is holding a rally,

and we're going to go show them
that they're not

gonna get away with what
they're getting away with.

- [woman] And I urge...
- [applause]

I urge our senators to send
a message to Oregonians

that the safety of our citizens,
of our families,

of our children
is their top priority.

[cheers and applause]

Right. Paul.

[woman]...1,000 people
in Portland,

and there are more
than 90,000...

[cheers and applause]

[crowd chanting]
USA! USA!

USA! USA! USA!

USA! USA! USA!

[man] What if our citizens
that fought against the British

would have taken your stance?

There wouldn't be
a United States today.

And that's the end
of the argument!

So thank you all for coming.

You guys are gonna make
a difference, you really are.

[man] The Second Amendment
was created

to keep the United States
government in check.

It's to support government,
not to combat government.

I think that people
should be able to hunt.

I think people should be able
to target shoot.

But they do not need weapons
that are semi-military.

With what you say
is okay?

You're just shouting me down,
so you're not reasonable.

You want us to respect
your opinion,

but you won't respect ours.

These pieces
of legislation provide

common-sense gun controls.

[woman] The guy
who just got killed,

and his wife in Texas,
they had guns.

It didn't stop that.

I'm anti-massacres
of children,

but I'm anti-guns that have...
That have no purpose

- out on the street.
- And if we would arm
our teachers,

we would have a lot less
massacring done.

- The more guns...
- No!

The more good guys...

The more that good guys
have guns...

A gun in the hands of a good
person is not a bad thing.

A gun in the hands of
a bad person is a bad thing.

[overlapped chatter]

[Sen. Burdick] What we're do
gonna is we're gonna do

a series of panels,
you know,

encourage all the gun owners
you talk to

to come when the time comes.

I'm finding that people
are pretty timid.

Because these people have never
stood up to the opposition.

You... you have years
of experience.

You're used to
that kind of intimidation.

[device rattling]

[woman speaking faintly]

You are about to hear
just a very angry voicemail

from someone out there.

[man]
Ha ha, you stupid cunt.

I have more guns
than you can count.

I'll never give them up.
Fuck you.

[automated voice]
Received May 8 at 10:45...

There you go.

Yeah, I think we're good.

Press one to save...

"Hitler and Stalin
would be so proud of you.

"You guys are pathetic.

"You are a waste
of the oxygen I breathe.

"It's just too bad
that you people

"were starved from the nipple,
or maybe you guys

would have
all your brain cells."

"Lynching is
an extrajudicial execution

"carried out by a mob,
often by hanging,

but also by burning
at the stake."

Unsigned.

[theme song plays]

[Al Sharpton]
In Oregon, pro-gun advocates

are intimidating lawmakers

with threatening emails
and video surveillance.

Joining me now is Oregon
State Senator Ginny Burdick.

You canceled
the town hall meeting,

and then what did they do?

I did, and when I canceled
the town hall meeting,

I didn't want to say
anything inflammatory,

so I just said the standard
"scheduling conflict."

Well,
they showed up at my house

and they stayed in front
of my house

for two and a half hours
taping everything I did.

And then they put it on the web,
and their point was

that I didn't in fact
have a scheduling conflict.

But they ran my address

and they ran very threatening
comments about it.

- Was that all right?
- Yes, you were good.

Wow, I didn't know any of that
was going on, my goodness.

- Yeah.
- Watching you
take out your trash.

It was really creepy.

I'm not too happy about them
coming into the capitol.

[Baird] My team and I
provided physical security

for Senator Burdick
on probably three

or four occasions
in the Portland area.

People had confronted her.

In one case,
she was walking to her car,

and somebody
jumped out of the brush.

Certainly we really
took this quite seriously

when Congresswoman Giffords
was shot in Tucson, Arizona.

How do you know something
like that's going to happen?

So we believed at that point
that she had a legitimate right

to be concerned
about her welfare.

[cheers and applause]

[Chris]
She's a public figure.

People understand
that public figures

don't really have privacy.

I think Ginny Burdick's a bitch.
She had what's coming to her.

I think if she's that scared,
she should just step down.

She should just get over it
and move on

and, uh...

quit her job,
because nobody likes her.

[laughs]

I'm not bitter at all,
by the way.

- [laughs]
- [sneezes]

[Chris] Oh, I was gonna
show you this now.

This one was my
very first tattoo.

It's a cross.
That one's my flag.

I did that on myself.
It's the heritage stuff.

I have a lot of family
from the South and whatnot, so.

Yeah.

[female reporter]
Lawmakers plan a marathon
public hearing on four bills.

They include a ban
on guns in schools

and criminal background checks
for private gun sales.

So we should be there by...
This is telling me 7:30.

I mean, hopefully,
this'll be a good forum,

and people will be open
to everyone's message,

um, on...
On all sides of the issue.

None of us can replace Steve,

but we can try
to make things better.

[Jenna] Back in January,
my friend invited me

to this community meeting
about gun safety.

I literally just stood up there
and said,

"Hey, this is who I am.

My mom was killed
at Clackamas Town Center."

And silence swept the room.

By just standing up
and saying that,

I'd made it real for everyone.

I realized then in that moment,
I do have a voice.

Maybe I can make an impact.

[Robert]
I want people to remember.

I don't want people to forget

that people were murdered
and how they were murdered

and that we need to change
this cycle of violence

that seems to be going on
in our communities.

Big day.
Let's hit it.

[Sen. Burdick] Politicians
back down just because

they don't want to take
the harassment,

and that is what results
in no change.

And I just refuse
to be intimidated,

because I can't in good
conscience

after Newtown back down.

[indistinct conversations]

This issue is very simple
to members of the public,

but somehow when you get
into the charged environment

in this building,
it becomes more difficult.

[man] Good morning, everyone.
Thank you for being here.

I'm going to go ahead
and open up

the Senate Committee
on Judiciary.

This morning we have four bills
that are before us

that we're going to be taking
public testimony.

Each of these bills
have amendments

that will change the actual
purpose of the bills.

In conducting today's hearing,
I ask that everyone

be respectful to the speakers
and their views,

even though you may disagree
with those positions.

I think it's very important
that we have this hearing today

to decide on what, if anything,
will be moving forward.

Senate Bill 700 would finish
closing the loophole

to require background checks
for all gun sales.

These bills will do nothing
but target law-abiding citizens.

They're not going
to affect the criminals.

They don't solve any of the
problems that we've had.

The fact that this state
continues to allow

the private sale of guns
without background checks

is reckless, irresponsible,
and downright dangerous.

None of these bills will keep
the guns out of the hands

of a single criminal
or madman.

If more people had been killed
at Clackamas Town Center,

we would have a more
comprehensive law.

We're legislating a reaction to
a tragedy that it won't prevent.

It is true criminals
will always get guns,

but let's make it harder
for them.

For women and those
with disabilities,

guns are the great equalizer.

Senate Bill 347
would allow school districts,

rather than one advocacy group
or another,

to decide what really is
a safe school.

There is no place
in our schools for guns.

Gun-free zones might
as well be advertised

as potential killing zones.

Students were almost unanimous
in their opinion

that their sense of security
would not be enhanced

with additional weapons
on-site.

You need somebody at the school
to stop that person.

The laws we have and the systems
we have in place do not work.

The NRA can spread their money
around and their influence,

but it's only you folks,
the legislators,

that can write and pass the laws
that we all live by.

[man] All right,
thank you very much.

And our next panel,
please come forward.

None of these bills would have
stopped the shooter

that killed my mother
at Clackamas Town Center.

Still, it is an important action
for this legislature

to demonstrate
that they are serious

about making our community
safer.

Reducing gun violence
is a complicated issue,

but that is not an excuse
for inaction.

I'm here today in hopes
of opening a dialog

on gun safety.

Please don't make the same
assumption that I did,

believing that this
couldn't happen to me.

It could easily have been
your wife, your husband,

your daughter or your son.

[man]
Do you remember Katrina?

Do you remember 9 I 11?
What happened?

Overnight, nothing mattered.
Politics didn't matter.

Where you were from
didn't matter.

People would do anything
to help the people.

That's never happened since this
terrible tragedy in Connecticut.

It didn't happen.

And I knew when
it didn't happen...

I mean,
if you slaughter children

the way they were slaughtered
and you slaughter six students...

Six teachers who are trying
to defend their bodies

and defend them
the way they were slaughtered,

and that can't bring us together
instantly,

then, my friend, this thing
will never come together.

[male reporter] There are now
six state associations

and 262 individual sheriffs
who are on record

opposing any new
gun control legislation.

[female reporter]
This week, the sheriffs
of five Oregon counties

sent out letters that
they would not support laws

passed by Congress that trump
the liberties of citizens.

[man] It's addressed
to Vice President Joe Biden.

"I will not tolerate
nor will I permit

"any federal incursion
within the exterior boundaries

"of Grant County, Oregon,

"or any type
of gun control legislation

"aimed at disarming
law-abiding citizens

"as the goal or objective.

"As sheriff for Grant County,
I too will publicly state

"that I will refuse to
participate or stand idly by

"while the people I represent
are made into criminals

due to your
unconstitutional actions."

This is my basic police class
back in the late '80s

when I went to
the Police Academy.

Things are happening
in our country right now

that 40, 50 years ago,
it was unthinkable about people,

the mass casualties
and the killings

and the bombings,
and I don't like it either,

but I think that people
need to take responsibility

into their own hands
and be prepared.

I heard one talk show one time,
they were talking about,

well,
if our government has nukes,

do you propose
that you have nukes?

And my thought was, if they're
gonna use a nuke against me,

I would like to have a nuke
to level the playing field.

You know,
it's a little unrealistic,

but let's be realistic,
that if our government

or anybody else is gonna use
a tank against us,

it would be nice to know
that I have the same ability

to protect the people that have
elected me into office,

that I could step
to that same level.

I don't anticipate ever wanting
or having to have a tank

or the use for one,

but if somebody was
to use one against me,

it would be in our best interest
to be able to defend ourselves,

and that's what the
Second Amendment's all about.

[Mund] I'm not in the camp
of anti-government,

but I think less
government intervention

into our lives
would be a good thing.

And I think there's
a big divide there between,

you know,
what we call Western Oregon,

or the Valley,
the Portland area,

and rural Oregon.

A lot of what we get
from the politicians

is a knee-jerk reaction.

I don't have a tremendous
amount of ease

in how they do things.

And I think the gun control,
whatever you want to call it,

is a very good example of that.

[gunshot]

Killed that pine cone.

I don't know that the solutions
to lessen the chance

of a Sandy Hook type incident
is gonna come from gun control.

I think
it's much deeper than that.

Do I know what the answer is?

No, because there's...
I think it's a very complicated,

very complex problem.

Guns were part of it.

We have to decide
what we're willing to accept

on both sides of the fence.

You know, are we willing
to accept what happened,

you know,
in these different instances?

If not, then what are we
willing to accept...

You know, laws and rules...

To lessen the potential
of that happening again?

[wind whistling]

[typing on keyboard]

[on video]
My name is Francine Wheeler.

My husband David is with me.

We live in Sandy Hook,
Connecticut.

David and I have two sons.

Our older son, Nate,
soon to be 10 years old,

is a fourth grader
at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Our younger son, Ben, age 6,

was murdered in
his first-grade classroom

on December 14th,

exactly four months ago
this weekend.

I've heard people say
that the tidal wave of anguish

our country felt
on 12/14 has receded.

But not for us.

To us, it feels as if
it happened just yesterday.

Please help us do something

before our tragedy
becomes your tragedy.

We have to convince
the Senate to come together

and pass common-sense
gun-responsibility reforms

that will make
our communities safer

and prevent more tragedies

like the one we never thought
would happen to us.

Help this be the moment
when real change begins.

[sighs]

Boy, talk about
making a difference.

[man] What went through
your mind watching that, Ginny?

Pain.

The pain.

And how she was able to...

you know,
rise above her own pain

to try to keep others
from having to experience pain.

More than 3,000 people
have died since Sandy Hook,

and every single
one of them had families

who are experiencing that pain.

And she's trying
to do something about it,

um, even though she's in
desperate pain herself.

I really admire her.

[man]
How does it make you feel

watching her stand up
like that so publicly?

Well, it certainly...
It certainly drives me.

You know, I...
I'm a legislator,

and I haven't had this kind
of loss in my family,

knock on wood.

But people are depending on me
and my colleagues

to keep them safe
and to have reasonable gun laws

so that this kind of thing
won't happen again.

And now I need to find
a Kleenex.

- I tell you...
- [alarm beeping]

the flippin' vote today,
I couldn't believe it.

I thought for sure
the Senate would...

Would do it.

[typing on keyboard]

[Obama, on video]
A few months ago...

Gabby Giffords there.

In response
to too many tragedies,

this country took up the cause
of protecting

more of our people
from gun violence.

A few minutes ago,

a minority in
the United States Senate

decided it wasn't worth it.

We had a Democrat
and a Republican,

both gun owners
with "A" grades from the NRA,

come together to write
a common-sense compromise

on background checks.

In fact, even the NRA
used to support

expanded background checks.

But instead of supporting
this compromise,

the gun lobby and its allies
willfully lied about the bill.

Those lies upset an intense
minority of gun owners,

and that in turn intimidated
a lot of senators.

After I saw the vote
didn't pass,

I just was absolutely...

crushed and thought
that all the senators,

the entire Senate
should be ashamed of itself.

If those kind of weapons
were less available

or harder to get,

we wouldn't have a lot
of these shootings,

and we certainly wouldn't have
the number of deaths.

I'm convinced of that.

Um...

I don't know.
It's bullshit.

[Sen. Burdick]
Good to see you.

[Jenna]
I met with Prozanski,

and he gave me an update
on what's going on.

Yeah, so basically,
what this move means

is the Senate president
has actually taken the bills

and referred them
to the Rules Committee

without sending them
to the floor first.

Because he thinks that they
won't pass on the floor.

Right, he... he doesn't think
they have the votes.

I disagree.

We're talking about people

who are gonna be running
for re-election.

So, you know, it's one thing
for the Republicans,

because the Republicans know
that the president

does not like to bring guns...
"bring guns"...

Bring bills to the floor
without the votes to pass.

So naturally they're gonna say,
"We're not gonna vote for it,"

hoping to keep it
off the floor altogether.

- [Jenna] Okay.
- Because then if they
don't have to vote,

- then they can hide
from the issue.
- Oh, I see. I see.

[Jenna]
Background checks is like...

That seems like
a no-brainer to me.

I don't know why we're even,
like, having to vote about it.

Yeah, I mean,
we were disappointed

that there weren't, like,
stronger bills on the table.

So the fact that these really...
I mean, honestly,

they're really weak bills...
Can't even get passed...

It's sad that
they can't get passed.

[chirps]

[medicine bottles rattling]

That one can get thrown away.

[sighs] Okay.

This is what happens
when you have a child

with lots of medical problems.

All right, I'm putting
all of these in one

so you don't have
to worry about it.

He has scoliosis,

and he just had surgery
in August.

This one right here they did
was that he has...

- [whispers] Spondylolisthesis.
- Spondylolisthesis.

And has has an extra vertebra.

So instead of sitting like this,
it sat like this.

And it was cutting off
blood flow

and nerves and all of that.

He is a high-functioning
autistic.

I wish I could see the world
like he sees it for one day.

The... the... [sighs]

hearing things
that normal people don't hear,

seeing things
that normal people don't see.

He sees details that we don't,

and he hears things
that we don't.

And I... I would love to see
the world as he sees it,

because he...
He picks up everything.

He feels things
that we don't feel,

temperature variations
and differences in textures

and smells,
and it's awesome.

I'd never, ever,
ever want him to be,

quote, "normal,"
'cause kids with autism rock.

[laughs]

He's shot BB guns.
He's shot.22s.

He's shot, you know,
.25s and all of that.

You know, he talks about
he wants an AK. [laughs]

I don't know if I want to spend
that much money. [laughs]

But, yeah, he has...
He has his own guns,

and when he gets better
and gets healthy

and where he can stand up
for a long period of time

and handle the recoil,
we'll go shooting.

[radio host]
11:18, busy day today.

Biggest story in our city
for sure

is the one-year remembrance

of the Clackamas
Town Center shooting.

Cindy Yuille
lost her life there.

She was a hospice care nurse.

Her daughter, Jenna,
is in the studio with us.

How are you doing
a year later?

[Jenna] I don't know.
Not great, honestly, um...

[host] Are you angry?
I would be so furious.

Yeah, yeah.

Someone asked me the other day
if I will ever be able

to forgive this person who
killed my mom.

The answer is no.

Jenna, I hope everything
gets better.

- [Jenna] Thanks.
- I really do.

We'll be out there tonight,
5:30,

candlelight vigil,
Clackamas Town Center.

I hope you come down.

[female reporter]
At this time of the year,

malls around the country

are packed with parents
and children.

Many of them
are going to see Santa.

And for a lot of families
who were here

at the Clackamas Town Center
one year ago tonight,

that magical moment
turned tragic.

Jenna, are you gonna
speak first?

[Jenna on microphone] We are
gathered here this evening

because a year ago today,

my mom and Steve
were murdered...

right here at this mall.

[voce breaking]
My mom was absolutely amazing.

She was kind and generous
and accepting.

I don't know how to express
the depth

of how much we miss her
every day.

[Chris] This last October,
my sister-in-law Jessie,

she was brutally murdered.

She was shot in the head
by her husband,

who she was in the middle
of a divorce with.

She got a restraining order.

Not too long after,
he forced his way into her house

and shot her in front
of her two young daughters.

I was asked afterward
by several people,

"Chris, doesn't that change
how you see gun control?"

I always responded with,
"Absolutely not."

My wife is over there
selling shirts

to raise money for domestic
violence awareness

in her sister's name.

[man]
Can you go back to that day?

Well, we were getting ready
to watch the football game,

and... sorry.

[sniffles] That day's hard.

[sniffling]

So we were getting ready
to watch the football game.

The Ducks were playing, and...
[sniffles]

I got a call from my mom,
and she said

that there was a shooting
over at Jessie's apartment.

[sniffles] And we didn't know
where Jessie was.

And at first I was like,
okay, so there was a shooting.

Didn't know it was Jessie.
We didn't really know anything.

[sniffles] And then...

I called around
to the hospitals,

and they told us where
she was at, and we found her.

And I was the first one there

to see that she was shot
in the head. [sniffles]

[sighs]

If her address was concealed
a little better,

it probably could have at least
slowed it down.

But I think the biggest thing
that would have helped

is if she was armed.

The ridiculousness
of the gun grabbers

has gotten to epic proportions,
people.

How many of you guys have heard
of the board game Clue?

You've got the pipe wrench,
the lead pipe, the rope.

Guess what?

The revolver piece that was
less than a 1/2-inch big

offended a parent,
and they removed it.

I think they have forgotten
we are the boss.

They work for us.

What we say goes,
not what they say.

[cheers and applause]

[phone keyboard clicking]

[man 1, on recording]
Shame on you, motherfucker.

[man 2]
We're looking for you.

[man 3]
I pray you get every inch

of fucking shit coming to you,
fucker.

You burn and rot in the flaming
depths of fucking hell.

[man] Why do you think there
isn't much civil dialog on this?

Why has it become so polarized,
and is there a middle way?

Is there a middle ground
somewhere that we can find?

You know, after Newtown,

I thought there
was a middle ground.

I thought,
we're gonna ban these clips,

these multiple-shot clips,
that's gonna happen,

and we're gonna get
background checks.

But then both of those things
were blocked.

Those things never happened,
and I sort of lost hope,

and I think a lot of people
have lost hope.

There really doesn't seem
to be a middle ground.

And one of the things that
I tried to establish in Guns

was that there should be
a middle ground.

[birds chirping]

[Jenna] I still think something
simple is best,

like,
maybe something like this,

where it's just the simple
outline of the state.

And then just get rid
of the background color,

- if you just had the outline
and that was it?
- Right.

[Belluschi] The gun control
movement needs to understand

it takes a long time,
it takes persistence,

it takes patience,
but it takes constant advocacy.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving
was started in 1980.

It was one small change
after one small change.

And one small change
might occur in one state,

and then another state
would adopt that,

tougher penalties for offenders,
more prevention programs,

lowering the illegal limit
for drunk driving.

I have seen a similarity
between some of the tactics

I think the NRA is using
compared to some of the tactics

that the alcohol and hospitality
industry used in our fight,

particularly to lower
the illegal drunk driving limit.

The alcohol industry initially
in Illinois said absolutely not.

They are gonna take away
your glass of wine at dinner.

They are gonna make a criminal

out of somebody
who has a cocktail.

All these bars and restaurants
are gonna have to close.

We were able to prove
that those claims were,

number one, not true.

And number two,
once we did pass the law,

the hospitality
and alcohol industries

joined with us
to promote the law.

So it will be great
if at some point

the NRA joins with the gun
control advocates and says,

let's do work together on this,
and we can find common ground.

[indistinct conversation]

[traffic passing]

[siren wailing]

[police radios chatter]

[man] If it seems there
is a shooting

in a school every week now,

a group that keeps count
says there nearly is,

about one a week
since Newtown.

The latest happened
just hours ago

near Portland, Oregon,
and it was deadly.

[female reporter]
They say the shooter
that went into that high school

this morning is dead
along with one student.

That shooting began
just after 8:00 this morning

just as students were getting
started with their day.

A very active scene
and a community in shock

after a shooting
in Troutdale

at Reynolds High School.

[Sen. Burdick] My first reaction
was, "Not again."

And then my second reaction
was to get really mad.

Somebody was raising a child
in a house with an AR-15

and hundreds of rounds
of ammunition.

What kind of message

was that child being sent
living in a house like that?

Yeah, they have a Second
Amendment right to do it,

and we got two dead kids
to show for it.

And I just feel
a sense of personal failure.

What could I have done
to make a difference?

Um... and that haunts me
all the time.

[voice breaking]
We... have to work harder.

[man] Yeah.

[slow folk guitar plays]

[man]
♪ The sun it sets ♪

♪ And then does shine ♪

♪ In some other ♪

♪ Patch of sky ♪

♪ Here we sit ♪

♪ 'Neath friendly dome ♪

♪ Hand in hand ♪

♪ All alone ♪

[woman joins]
♪ All alone ♪

♪ All alone ♪

♪ So it goes ♪

♪ All alone ♪

♪ You're my friend ♪

♪ Great and good ♪

♪ Until the end ♪

♪ Knock on wood ♪

♪ On and on ♪

♪ Down the road... ♪

This is the aftermath
of gun violence.

[sniffles]

♪ All alone... ♪

But I truly believe
that we can have our guns

and we can do so responsibly.

It shouldn't be that hard.

♪ So it goes ♪

♪ All alone ♪

♪ All alone ♪

♪ All alone ♪

♪ So it goes ♪

♪ All alone ♪

[song ends]

"Here's how it shakes out.
First, there's the shooting.

"Second,
the initial TV news reports

"accompanied by flourishes
of music

"and dramatic
'breaking news' logos.

"Third comes confirmation
that it's not a false alarm.

"Fourth, the first video.
It's always from a cell phone.

"Fifth, the first
on-scene news reports

"filed by those local reporters
who must sub

"until the A team arrives.

"One or more will use the phrase
'as many as',

"followed by a number.

"Sixth, the correct equation...
'X dead, Y injured.'

"Tenth, the shooter
is identified correctly

"and we get to look
at a yearbook photo

"in which the guy looks
pretty much like anybody.

"14th, recaps
of previous shootings begin."

"17th, the NRA announces
they will have no comment"

"until the details
become clear."

"18th, politicians decree
a national dialogue"

"about gun control."

"21st, any bills
to change existing gun laws"

"quietly disappear
into the legislative swamp."

"22nd it happens again,

"and the whole thing
starts over.

That's how it shakes out."

I don't know if anybody
will remember that essay

50 years from now

or anything else
that I have written

or might write
in the future about guns.

But if they do,
the only thing I'd like

is for somebody to say

he was on the right side
of the issue.

And I hope I am.
I believe that I am.

But, of course, belief is part
of the problem here, isn't it?

I mean, the strong belief on--
on both sides.

[Jenna] Tonight, Every town
is having their kickoff event.

[indistinct conversations]

I get to the point a lot
where I'm like,

"Uh, nothing's changing."

You know,
same old, same old.

And then I'll do these
little things, and I'm like,

"Oh, yeah, okay,
I can make a difference."

We're about to start
the next session.

We are really hoping to pass
some bills finally.

Ready?
One, two, three.

[birds chirping]

[man and woman speaking
indistinctly]

[female reporter]
A gun bill took center stage
in Salem today,

and Senate Bill 941 passed
by just a few votes

after several hours of debate.

[gavel bangs]

[Paul]
I think the stakes are higher

because it's gotten
out of the Senate.

A lot of anxious folks
one way or the other.

So it's a big deal.
A bill's never gotten this far.

[woman] I want to thank
everybody for coming.

We're gonna work
as hard as possible to make sure

that everybody is able to get
their voice heard.

Despite the continuing
incidents

of gun violence
in our own state,

Oregon lawmakers have failed
to fix problems in our gun laws.

That is an embarrassment,
and it's time for a change.

We are about to reach
the culmination

of a 20-year...
Close to a 20-year process.

[indistinct conversations]

[woman] Good morning,
colleagues.

Happy Monday to everyone.
The House will come to order.

Representative Williamson
moves adoption

of the committee report
on Senate Bill 941.

It closes the loophole
in Oregon's

25-year background check law

for selling
and transferring firearms.

[Robert] When I realized that
things might actually change

was when we were in the balcony
and actually voting on it.

[woman] Clerk will open
the voting system.

[Rachel Maddow]
In today's climate, it is almost
im-freaking-possible

to pass any kind
of gun-safety reform,

but Oregon is bucking
the national trend.

[indistinct conversations,
cameras clicking]

[Paul] It's too late for Steve.
It's too late for Cindy.

It's too late for others,

but it will have
a positive impact

and it will save lives
down the road,

there's no question about it.

- There we go.
- [applause]

[Robert]
We have accomplished something,

and something that we did
with Cindy in our minds.

She was a remarkable woman.

She was a very strong advocate
for justice

and for things that are right.

[Jenna] She'd be really proud.
She would be.

It's weird to think
about stuff like that.

Like, I wouldn't be doing this
if it weren't for her death.

But, um...

but yeah, no,
she would be really proud.

[chuckles softly] She'd be
cheering us on, totally.

[Sen. Burdick] There is a lot
happening in our country.

It's just not happening as fast

as some people would like,
including me.

But it's... it's happening.

[Paul] I don't see myself
backing away from this issue

for a quite a while.

There's too much at stake.

[Robert] It takes time
to change things around.

I've learned to accept that.

But change does come
as long as you're persistent.

[Jenna] It's turning more and
more into an issue for people.

Every one person that's killed
affects the whole community.

I don't accept the idea
that mass shootings

have to be a part
of American life.

["Solar Lights and the Shining"
by Heidi Spencer
& The Rare Birds plays]

[woman] ♪ In the morning
when you rise ♪

♪ Who's your sight
for sore eyes? ♪

♪ In the evening
when you sigh ♪

♪ Who comes to mind? ♪

♪ And isn't it divine? ♪

♪ Is it divine ♪

♪ By design? ♪

♪ Love you flirt,
you flicker, flatter ♪

♪ You love me all the time ♪

♪ Somewhere in the hills ♪

♪ My heart is still ♪

♪ Can you hear it pining? ♪

♪ Can you hear it pining ♪

♪ For a thrill? ♪

♪ Solar lights
and the shining ♪

♪ The weather
and the lighting ♪

♪ We find each other
distracting ♪

♪ I think that covers
everything... ♪

[song ends]