August 9, 2026
Standing Together in the Face of Evil
On August 1, our Idaho family was shaken by the tragic shootings in Twin Falls.
Our hearts break for the victims, their families, the first responders, and everyone whose lives were forever changed by those terrible moments. There are simply no words that can fully explain the grief that follows such senseless violence.
Yet even in the darkness, we witnessed something else.
We witnessed courage.
Ordinary men and women chose to stand between evil and innocent life. Law enforcement responded with professionalism and resolve. Citizens acted with courage. Those who were able to defend others reminded us that, even in moments of unimaginable danger, there are still people willing to risk everything to protect their neighbors.
For that, every Idahoan should be grateful.
We often hear the saying, “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.” While that phrase has become part of our national conversation, the deeper truth is this: the only thing that stops evil is good people willing to stand against it.
That has always been true.
Like many Idahoans, I remember a different time. I remember seeing rifles in the back windows of pickup trucks parked outside our schools. They were tools for hunting and ranch work, and they represented responsibility more than fear. We had firearms, but we did not experience the horrific school shootings that have become all too familiar today.
The firearm itself has not changed nearly as much as our culture has.
That reality deserves thoughtful conversation.
Recently, someone asked me whether we could come together—regardless of political party—and have an honest discussion about the Second Amendment in the twenty-first century. I appreciated both the sincerity and the spirit of that question.
My answer is yes.
I do not believe the Second Amendment is fundamentally about Republicans versus Democrats. It is about preserving a fundamental liberty that ultimately protects every other liberty we possess. Constitutional rights do not become less valuable simply because society changes.
At the same time, I believe we should always be looking for ways to strengthen families, restore respect for life, address mental illness, rebuild healthy communities, and teach the values of responsibility, accountability, and love for our neighbors. Those are conversations worth having around kitchen tables, in churches, at community gatherings.
Where I become concerned is when the proposed solution begins with limiting the constitutional rights of millions of law-abiding citizens rather than confronting the evil that exists in the hearts of those who choose to commit violence.
The tragedy in Twin Falls did not end because evil suddenly changed its mind.
It ended because courageous people chose to stand against it.
Our constitutional right to keep and bear arms exists not because we celebrate violence, but because we recognize that every human life has immeasurable value and that every innocent person possesses the God-given right to defend that life. Idaho’s protections affirm that law-abiding citizens should never be treated as criminals simply for exercising their fundamental right of self-defense when faced with an unlawful threat.
The blessings of liberty require more than words.
They require citizens willing to defend those blessings, communities willing to stand together, and leaders willing to protect the constitutional freedoms entrusted to us.
But there is another truth we cannot ignore.
If we truly believe that innocent life deserves protection, then that conviction cannot stop at birth.
This November, Idaho voters will consider Proposition 1, a measure that would expand legal protections for abortion. Supporters present it as a matter of personal choice, but at its heart it asks us a far deeper question:
Who deserves the protection of the law?
I believe the answer is simple.
Every innocent human life.
The same principles that compel us to defend a child, a neighbor, or a stranger from violence also compel us to defend the most vulnerable among us—the unborn child whose voice cannot be heard and whose life depends entirely upon the courage of others to speak on his or her behalf.
Our commitment to protecting life cannot be selective.
If we celebrate those who risked their lives to save others in Twin Falls, we should also recognize our responsibility to protect those who cannot defend themselves at all.
A society is judged not by how it treats the powerful, but by how it protects the vulnerable.
And that is why I believe we must reject policies that weaken our commitment to the sanctity of human life.
The blessings of liberty are not sustained by government alone.
They are preserved by people of courage, people of conviction, and people willing to stand together—even in the face of evil.
May we continue to be that kind of people.
God bless,
Senator Christy Zito
District 8
Protecting Freedom for Future Generations
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