One day after an Arizona congresswoman was shot while meeting with voters in her district, Congressman
Bob Latta met with media in his Bowling Green office. Despite the heightened concerns after Saturday’s
shootings that left six dead and 12 wounded, Latta did not beef up security at the gathering.
"No, it was just like we normally do," the Bowling Green Republican said Sunday.
Latta, while hoping for Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ recovery, is also hoping the attack doesn’t
change the way of doing business for congressional members.
"An attack on one member of congress in a situation like this is an attack on all of us," he
said.
Unless congress members have been victims of specific threats, most have no security at citizen
gatherings. Latta said that common sense approach makes sense most of the time.
"We have to do our jobs," he said. "We can’t just sit in an office. That’s not the way we
do our jobs."
Though in the wake of Saturday’s attack, some officials have criticized the current political environment
of stirring up hatred and violence rather than encouraging healthy debate, Latta said the top priority
should be free speech.
"We have to be sure not to curtail free speech," he said. "People can say anything about
me. They say it in the newspaper. You’ve seen it. That’s their right."
But others have noted that free speech does have its consequences. Free speech has always come with some
limitations, and promoting violence has never been acceptable.
However, Latta said Sunday that American politics have historically been tumultuous – and the political
rhetoric now is no more volatile than in the past. He referred to the vicious and personal attacks of
the founding fathers and some of the heated political debate in the time of the Civil War.
"One thing we don’t want to happen" is for free speech to be limited, he said. "Americans
want to make sure we maintain that."
But while the intensity of the political climate may not be any more threatening than in centuries past,
the weaponry available to citizens is. And Arizona’s gun laws are among the least restrictive in the
nation.
However, Latta said Saturday’s attack on Giffords appears to not be linked at all to political animosity.

"We’re talking about a random act here," he said.
And despite all the political posturing, members of both parties value safe exchange of ideas, according
to Latta.
"Even with all the bickering and all the fighting," in a time of crisis, both sides unite, he
said. "There’s no Republicans. There’s no Democrats."
Latta is hoping "common sense" prevails. He estimated that he attends hundreds of meetings a
year with citizens in his 16-county district.
"Our number one job is to be out there" talking to citizens, he said. "The correct term is
‘representative.’ Our first priority is being representative. You can’t do this job if you don’t talk to
the people back home."