Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amie Carter's Statement on the Death of Dianne Feinstein

09/29/2023 -

Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amie Carter issued the following statement following the death on Thursday, Sept. 28, of Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California at age 90.

As the first woman to serve as Sonoma County superintendent of schools in a century, I have deep appreciation for Dianne Feinstein’s trailblazing career as the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from California, and the first female mayor of San Francisco. When I learned of her death on Friday morning, I thought of her family, friends, and colleagues, as well as her legacy.

As our communities face a ceaseless wave of gun violence while too many politicians in Washington deflect and delay, our schoolchildren need the type of bold leadership Senator Feinstein displayed during the passage of her federal assault weapons ban in 1994.

It is my hope that California’s next U.S. senator works just as tirelessly to limit the sale and spread of guns designed to kill large numbers of people in seconds or minutes. Images of children and teachers huddling under desks in darkened, locked classrooms as they drill for the day a gunman arrives on their campus should be a source of national shame, not some routine exercise on the school calendar.

Anyone who works with young people knows how deeply important their senses of safety and belonging are to their success at school, and in life. Senator Feinstein’s devotion to civil rights and gun control should serve as a guiding light for those who follow her.

Amie Carter, Ed.D.
Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools