SAN BERNARDINO — President Obama arrived in San Bernardino Friday night to meet privately with victims and first responders of the terror attack but found a critical audience among those who feel this suburban Southern California city's tragedy was either politicized or got a muffled response.
Visiting the city for the first time since Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, stormed the Inland Regional Center on Dec. 2 and opened fire, killing 14 people and injuring 21, Obama met privately with victims' family members and first responders — a little more than two weeks after the deadliest terror attack on American soil since 2001.
Obama stopped in California while on his way to Hawaii for the family holiday getaway. His visit came on the same day Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency for San Bernardino County, paving the way for more government resources as the recovery continues.
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-San Bernardino) said in a statement that he welcomed Obama’s visit in his role as Healer in Chief.
"As we mourn those lost and start to rebuild, it is important to have our president here to bring comfort to the family members of the victims and to our community," Aguilar said.
But that enthusiasm was not shared across the board, particularly among local residents and politicians, who felt the tragedy was politicized by the Obama administration or met with muted response — too little, too late.
Ringo H.w. Chiu / AP
San Bernardino Supervisor Curt Hagman called on the president to also meet with the families of the wounded and first responders at the scene.
"Wounded members of the San Bernardino County family and the first responders who saved them from further harm also deserve the president's time," Hagman said. "This is an opportunity for unity and healing at the highest level and I call upon President Obama to be more inclusive with his meeting."
Hagman offered his assistance, as well as his staff, to bring the families of the wounded and first responders to the meeting.
“President Obama should take this opportunity to express the gratitude of the American people to these heroes face to face," Hagman said.
Responding to a comment on Facebook that he is using the opportunity to be decisive and political, Hagman said he spoke out because he heard from families of the wounded who felt abandoned by the Obama administration.
“Instead, we all witnessed how the President turned their grief a political issue and used a terrorist attack to promote his agenda on gun control,” Hagman said on Facebook. “This was a lost opportunity to set an example and truly show support for a community that has been shaken by the recent attack.”
Hagman didn’t respond to BuzzFeed News' request for comment.
Jaime Newsome, a 39-year-old San Bernardino resident, said she was glad the president visited the area.
"I'm happy he's here because he's showing support for San Bernardino which we need. It's just awful that a tragedy had to happen for him to come to San Bernardino."
Newsome said she hoped Obama will help push for stronger gun laws that would make it harder for people to get a hold of assault rifles.
"There are so many tragedies occurring related to guns. We need gun control," she said. "I know it's not the guns that are bad, it's the people who are bad but do you really need an uzi?"
LINK: College Students Shocked By San Bernardino Shooter’s Earlier Terror Plot
LINK: The Friendship, Faith, And Terrifying Path To The San Bernardino Attack
from BuzzFeed - USNews http://ift.tt/1IZUerH
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