Here is a direct link to the embedded video below for any of you who do not see it our have any trouble. Richard Martinez, father of 1 of the Isla Vista victims, lashes out at politicians over gun control
Richard Martinez has made another powerful statement some of you might find valuable to see. Again his voice speaks for me in ways that I have not been able to express. This video of CNN is from YouTube. I will try to replace it with one directly from CNN as soon as I check out some embed codes issues. Also, this Chicago Tribune article only contains as partial transcript. I'll attach a full transcript in an update as soon as I locate it.
Although he starts this CNN interview very calm and composed his grief and anger escalate as he proceeds. He rejects critics who say he should not say anything because he is emotional, responding that he is capable of being both emotional and objective at the same time. He is a veteran.
Isla Vista victim's dad blames government 'idiots'
Richard Martinez, whose son Christopher Michael-Martinez, 20, was gunned down Friday night in Isla Vista, Calif., said similar rampages would continue until lawmakers took action on guns.
"We're all proud to be Americans. But what kind of message does it send to the world when we have such a rudderless bunch of idiots in government?" Martinez said on CNN.
"I can't tell you how angry I am. It's just awful, and no parent should have to go through this."
"These people are getting rich sitting in Congress. And what do they do? They don't take care of our kids," he said.
Legislation after Sandy Hook to extend background checks for gun sales, ban assault weapons and limit magazines' capacities failed to clear the Senate in April 2013. Gun-rights advocates strongly opposed the measures.
CNN is also reporting its own interview saying that he is trying to organize a meeting of the other victims tonight, Monday. Its sounds as if Richard Martinez has decided to throw his grief into doing things to prevent massacres like this from happening again. And, it also sounds as if those who do not want to hear his message are already trying to suggest the media should not cover these kinds of statements while victims families, like Richard Martinez, may be overcome with emotion and not be thinking "objectively" about what they are saying. Whoa! That's a harsh criticism to level at a man who has just lost his son to a senseless tragedy.
The main CNN anchor asked the interviewer if Richard Martinez was taking care of himself, seeming to imply that maybe he shouldn't be giving all these interviews so soon. The interviewer reassured the anchor that Martinez says this is how he intends to cope - channeling his grief into making sure this doesn't keep happening to other children seems to be his only way forward. Something I can relate to and feel empathy for him. I feel like maybe a grief counselor should tell him about the five stages of grief by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross.
At some point he will likely collapse into a bottomless bit of grief and depression. For me antidepressants were the only way I survived. And my losses were no where near as much as his. Enough that I can feel empathy for what he is going though.
Once again let me apologize for not participating in the comments on my previous post, as I have so many unresolved issues around loss I was concerned I may become emotional and loose my objectivity. One valuable lesson I've learned writing here over the last nine and a half years, is when this happens to me I often say things that are not entirely constructive or are reactive in ways that imply meanings, or hurt peoples feelings in ways I had not intended.
If I am with people and can sense their emotions while communicating with them we can bond and create a safe "container" for unresolved emotions for the past which often come up during highly emotional discussions. I have been struggling with so many unresolved issues including grief, pain, and loss, that I can barely suppress to get through a productive day, that I am fear if I let even a little of this uncork, such a geyser may gush out ... Well, see I don't even want to go there.
I am feeling stronger today and have had some time to brace myself so I hope to dip my toe in this one at least.
1:16 PM PT: Matt Wilstein of Mediate Victim’s Father Goes Off on ‘Idiots’ in Congress: ‘Have We Learned Nothing’ Since Newtown? Mediate provides us more of a transcript, but not all the interview above.
“He’s our only child and he died on Friday. I’m 61 years old now. I’ll never have another child and he’s gone,” Martinez said through tears. “So the reason I’m doing this to try to see if we can do anything to make my son’s death mean something. Because that’s all we have got.”
Martinez castigated the media for focusing on the shooter while ignoring the victims. “If there’s all these things in the media about the shooter, and there’s nothing about the victims, then it sends the wrong message and the people need to understand that real people died here,” he said.
When he was asked about Congress’ lack of action on guns following the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, Martinez asked in return, “What kind of message does it send to the world when we have such a rudderless bunch of idiots in government? I can’t tell you how angry I am it’s just awful!”
“What has changed? Have we learned nothing? These things are going to continue until somebody does something, so where the hell is the leadership? Where the hell are these people we elect to Congress that we spend so much money on? These people are getting rich sitting in Congress, what do they do? They don’t take care of our kids.
My kid died because nobody responded to what happened at Sandy Hook. Those parents lost little kids. It’s bad enough that I lost my 20-year-old, but I had 20 years with my son, that’s all I’ll have. But those people lost their children at six and seven years old. How do you think they feel? And who’s talking to them now? Who is doing anything for them now? Who is standing up for those kids that died back then in an elementary school? Why wasn’t something done? It’s outrageous!”