For Virgilia Singh, a 23-year-old entrepreneur from Phoenix, Arizona, the recent shootings in Tucson made her realize that the problem lies far beyond Arizona’s borders, and “how messed up our country is politically.”

“Instead of rallying together in memory of those that were attacked last week, people began selfishly bickering about their own political ideals,” she said.

Her comments come after some described Arizona as “an intolerant place”.

“Taking a minute to respect and help the families who had been directly affected by the shooting would have been a better reaction,” Singh added.

Yet she herself does not agree with the assessment of an intolerant Arizona.

“For someone who is a brown Sikh Arizona woman, no, it is not,” she said.  “Does this particular incident relate to the main issues in Arizona?  Not at all.”

Included among these issues was gun control, and what Arizona is doing about it following the shooting.  A Fox 23 News Update reported that Sen. Chuck Schumer said on ‘Meet the Press’ that he has made proposals to the Justice Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regarding improved gun control laws.  He has encountered difficulties in appealing to lawmakers on the issue, citing lack of support for such measures.  His overarching message, however, was to find common ground and pass some kind of reform.

Singh, who believes that gun control will still spark debate for “ages to come,” was still stunned by the fact that a “narcissistic loner” brought a weapon to a political rally in the first place.

“I’m really surprised that there wasn’t proper security outside a gathering where political leaders were present.  [It] would have prevented this from even happening,” she said.