Brothers Caleb, 21, and Joshua Brimmer, 19, waiting for President Barack Obama to arrive in Roseburg. "I think he (Obama) should listen to the American people." Posted on 10/09/2015 11:15:41 AM PDT by TroutStalker
It's little more than an hour until wheels down in Eugene for President Barack Obama. He is meeting with the families of victims of the Umpqua Community College shooting, then flying to Seattle for Democratic National Committee roundtable.
Gov. Kate Brown will accompany Obama on his visits. Neither are expected to speak publicly. Yet, many see Obama's meeting the grieving families as a maneuver to push gun control laws in Congress.
Especially after Obama's impassioned speech, saying mass shootings could be prevented with stricter gun laws.
Already, protestors are in position to greet Obama when his plane lands in Eugene.
Conservative leaders in Douglas County say they expect at least 2,400 to show up among three different protest sites.
Meanwhile, another college shooting was reported Friday morning in Flagstaff, Arizona. At Northern Arizona University, a freshman killed one student and injured three others before surrendering to police.
The incident has fueled social media activity on both sides of the gun control debate.
The Oregonian's political team, Ian Kullgren and Jeff Mapes, are in Roseburg today, so you can follow their Twitter accounts by clicking their names.
We'll also be updated this blog all day with news from the ground. So, check back early and often.
11:11 a.m.
Brothers Caleb, 21, and Joshua Brimmer, 19, waiting for President Barack Obama to arrive in Roseburg. "I think he (Obama) should listen to the American people." 11:07 a.m. Read: Protesters turn out for Obama in Roseburg
It's the first Oregonian/OregonLive dispatch from on the ground today.
The group suggests demonstrators bring water, snacks and firearms if they feel the need to, but only handguns and to keep them holstered.
"Show the world that American gun owners are responsible patriots," a post by the group reads. "Look out for each other."
10:53 a.m. Not everyone is mad at Obama's visit. Oregonian reporter Rebecca Woolington said some people are gathered at the Roseburg Airport in support. She reports:
"I am embarrassed of what's going on up there," said Bryony Allenby, pointing up to the other protesters."
Allenby, who lives in Winchester, said she and family wanted to move away from the protesters who don't want Obama to visit.
Allenby said she went to UCC, is still very connected to the school and lives nearby. She heard gunshots last week.
"It's a very rare privilege to be able to be that close to the president of the United States of America," Allenby said.
Nkenge Harmon Johnson, CEO of the Urban League of Portland, also appreciated his visit.
Steve Mims, the Ducks football writer for the Eugene Register-Guard tweeted: "Politics aside, just can't believe there are people who don't welcome a president to console those who lost so much."
10:48 a.m. Photographer Beth Nakamura is talking to some protestors. Rick Halle, who is with about 10 other people, said he wants to have a peaceful protest that gets across the message that they don't want Obama "pushing political agendas on us."
"We're upset that literally within moments of this tragedy Obama was using it to force a political agenda," Halle said.
TV stations have been showing the crowd slowly grow in size since 9 a.m.
10:12 a.m. While we wait for Obama's plane in Eugene, let's start with some relevant reading.
This morning, Oregonian political reporter Denis Theriault published a story about how researchers and psychologists have made strides in identifying people who might be moved to rampage to stop them before they start.
"You're not going to be able to look at someone and say, 'Two years from now, he's going to be the next school shooter,'" said Mario Scalora, a psychologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln who consults nationally on how to thwart mass shootings and other targeted violence.
But Scalora and others said listening — and speaking up when something isn't right — can stop such crimes. A burgeoning field of study called risk assessment is also making a difference.
Mass shootings "are very preventable," Scalora said. "In a lot of cases, there are warning signs."
Read the story: Stopping mass shooters: Experts share lessons since Thurston
That story reflects on an Oregon school shooting in 1998. Read about that one and other in this list of mass shootings in Oregon.
How do authorities determine what constitutes a mass shooting? We have your answer: How many U.S. mass shootings? Why it's so hard to pin down
-- Molly Harbarger
No open “pope mobile” for the Caliph, LOL
Love it! Thanks for the updates..
Go Golf sign is awesome, ha!
Actually, school is out for today. It’s a statewide ‘in service’ day...that is, teachers work, but kids are out.
There’s no one at the high school except for the families of the victims.
Twitter feed:
Bo Smith @bro_bosmith
"@KPTVKaitlyn: Former deputy sheriff of Douglas Co. travelled ... to protest Obama. Holding up the second amendment. "
Bo Smith @bro_bosmith
What a coward!!!! He went out the other end. Even skirted the news crews!!
NewsWatch 12Verified account @KDRV
Roads now completely blocked surrounding the #Roseburg airport. #Obama @KDRV
Whether BO becomes a martyr or not, we’re gonna see schools, airports, streets, and more named after him until the cows come home. We’ll be puking at all the Obama sh!t that will appear. (When we moved to NY state for a job, we liked a house but didn’t buy it because it was on Clinton St. I know it was after DeWitt Clinton, not Bubba, but still... the name. Up with that I will not put.)
Bill Clinton did the same thing at the VFW convention in 1999.
Comment made by twitter poster:
Lots of open carry seen by protesters at todays event.
Kaitlyn BolducVerified account @KPTVKaitlyn
We've seen people from as far away as Monroe, WA and Klamath Falls who drove to be a part of Roseburg Obama protest. #UCCschooting
5.56mm
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