now today's horrific rampage has local -- >> amos brown had poignant words about what is happening in society. >> reporter: that's right. after being a pastor in the city here for more than four decades, he said he is afraid that we will see more of these shootings in churches if we don't take better job in the way we treat each other and also take care of the mental ill. >> it is what happens in our society when we lose moral compos. >> reporter: over time, the church has had to make changes to keep people safe. amos brown says the country is changes for the worse. >> we have become a violent nation. >> reporter: and the reverend has overseen the installation of security gates and surveillance cameras and has had to hire guards since he became the leader decades ago. >> what this gentleman did at church this morning, he was uncouraged to do it because he felt he had his right to take his pistol, whatever weapon he used and go to church. >> reporter: the reverend says society has helped to shape. >> it is created a climate of instability and violence. and people tend to mirror, to ref

but i also want to start out by saying thank you to reverend amos brown. your leadership on so many issues, reverend, kind of defines what the 3rd baptist church is all about, especially on challenges that face people of color. you've been consistent, you've been steady, and you've been guiding us with the greatest amount of integrity in whatever capacity that you have filled. and this is exactly why the supervisor and president breed said that when amos and his wife, mrs. jane brown, celebrated their 40 years at 3rd baptist church a few months ago, they didn't celebrate by themselves, it wasn't just community, it was people from all over the country that came in here: bill clinton, governor jerry brown, reverend jesse jackson, they all came out because they recognized the historic center that the 3rd baptist church represented, but they also know that the reverend not only speaks locally, he speaks nationally and internationally. so congratulations reverend on 40 years of your life here at 3rd baptist church and for the city and county of san francisco. t

. >> reporter: reverend amos brown saying he has seen increase of violence as well around the country and he is blaming the government which he says fails to take care of the mentally ill. >> this is what happens to a society and culture when it loses its moral compass. >> reporter: over time the church has had to make changes to keep people safe. >> we have become a violent nation. >> reporter: the church is located in the inner city. and the reverend has overseen the installation of security gates and surveillance cameras and has hired guards. the lives of his parishioners too precious to leave solely to chance and faith. >> what this gentleman did in church this morning, he was encouraged to do it. he had a right to take his pistol, whatever weapon he used and go to church. >> reporter: the reverend says society has to do. >> it has created a climate of instability and violence. and people tend to mirror, to reflect their environment. >> reporter: we do not know the psychological state of the shooter. he says we need it do a better job of taking care of our mentally illand p and pr

doctor amos brown, pat scott, phil stone, daisy ozene, devon bracey, doctor walker. i will read the rest of the cards after doctor walker. pastor brown. public comment es. two minutes everyone. >> i would just be giving my introduction with two minutes. (laughter) >> seriously, mr. president and members of the board and superintendent, friends in the audience, as i said i want to commend the superintendent for the courage that he has exhibited to tell it like it is. i just hope and pray this board will exhibit the intestinal fortitude to not talk about we got to have time, doctor martin luther king said. the time is always right to do the right thing. i want to repeat that. the time is always right to do the right thing. but the superintendent has given us a very comprehensive, clear, concise manner. it should be applauded by this board. it not that the children are failing. i am using the pronounce we. we are failing. this board is failing. this city government is failing. you have professionals in the school district who have failed. they have come to respecting the

i, too, stand with pastor amos brown pastor of the naacp in calling for a districtwide state of emergency. as you know the achievement gap in this city is outrageous. i also read what you wrote in the huffington post and have to say i'm shocked at your response. here you have people reporting of the reality of the inequality of our school system, and you somehow manage to turn it around to accuse those people in hurting our students. they are looking out for our students and our parents. they are standing up for them. they are calling you out for not doing enough. it might seem clever for you to turn it around on them, but i i don't have time for that type of clever. we don't have time for that, our kids don't have time for that. so again we want to remind you for your invitation december 4th at 6:00 p.m. at 5051 mission street. we will be hosting 300 other concerned parents here in san francisco to discuss how we can solve this achievement crisis for our students. commissioners, please reconsider the invitation and get back to us as soon as possible. thank you. >> sean biven, reverend to

amos brown says he's not taking chances. >> what this gentleman did at church, it was encouraged to do it. he felt that he had his right to take his pistol, whatever weapon he used and go to church. >> our coverage continues on the "today" show at 7:00 this morning. we'll have you covered as well at www.nbcbayarea.com when we have any new developments. >>> as the gun debate goes on this morning, following the massacre in texas, there's a ste story developing here at home. the search is on for someone who stole guns, am vision and fbi jacket from a sheriff's deputy car. >> it's not the first time an officer's vehicle was burglar e burglarized. kris sanchez is live with what is being done to prevent it in the future. >> reporter: the pressure is on to find the high-powered weapons before the car burglary turns into a much more serious crime. we have seen stolen weapons used in other homicides and other kinds of crimes as well. now, the guns, the bullets, 800 of them, bullet proof vest and fbi jacket were all taken from the san mateo county sheriff's deputy's unmarked car on friday night.

. >> brown: ...and, with his dog amos, breathtaking trails in the sierra buttes >> what always interestsin a work of art is what i call its locale. so, a lot of my stories, particularly this one, really reflect my experience of being an american artist in my own locale. >> brown: the california gold rush has been romanticized in opera and books before. "girls of the golden west," which we watched being rehearsed, presents a more raw tale, one with echoes to today, in which immigrant and white cultures clash with tragic results. adams credits longtime collaborator and director peter sellars with the idea. >> the problem is that the stories are all told from the white perspective, and we're sort of turning that upside down and getting, you know, the women's point of view and the mexicans' point of view. it's not just an academic exercise. it's actually a very thrilling human experience to do this. >> brown: to find those characters, the pair dug through primary sources-- photos, letters, diaries, lyrics to old songs. the opera's libretto, which sellers crafted, is made up entirely of histo