She was a Republican before she was a Democrat. She's a gun owner. She's damaged. Those are all facts which should make her opinions somewhat more valuable than others. Somebody should be paying attention.
She wrote her own speech, which is much more eloquent than any words I could write, myself.
Read it, and weep.
And then she looked up. She stared right at the cameras, at the Senators, at those watching at home. BE BOLD! she exhorted. BE COURAGEOUS! she implored. In those moments, there was our Gabby, our Representative from District 8, our Congresswoman Giffords. She never hesitated to call for action. She often led the charge. Now, from a back seat not of her own making, she's reduced to commenting from the sidelines. Did her listeners realize that there but for the grace of God go they, themselves? Did they notice that her life is taking quite a different path than that which had been planned? Did they make the connection between the battered-but-unbowed woman before them and that-could-be me?
Be Bold.
Be Courageous.
Those words shouldn't have to be reminders. Those qualities should be woven into the fabric of the listeners' lives. If a former colleague's words are not enough, if seeing the effects first hand do not shame them into action, if pictures and stories don't push them to action.........
I can't finish that paragraph. There is no place else to go. Clerks can take it upon themselves to deny bullets to the obviously crazed, as the first Wal-Mart salesman did to our shooter, but that kind of boldness and courage has to be reflected at the top in order for real change to occur. We all need to look in our own backyards - locking weaponry at home is a good start - but those charged with making the rules need to step up and act, too.
I want to finish that paragraph. I just don't know where to go.
I don't have the answer for you (much to my dismay) but I agree, she looked and sounded wonderful. We can only hope she convinced them. If she can't, who can?
ReplyDeletePerhaps, kenju, WE can. Gabby and Mark are two votes in Arizona, but if she touches 20 million voters across the country, imagine the result.
DeleteIf you're reading this, and you haven't contacted your representatives in Washington and in your own state capitol, please stop right now and send a quick email or make a fast phone call. 1-800-962-3524 will take you to the Capitol Switchboard - tell the nice man on the other end of the phone the name of the Senator or Congressperson to whom you'd like to speak.
a/b
She was amazing. I watched the whole hearing. Captain Kelly and Chief Johnson were also amazing. That Gayle Trotter woman just pissed me off. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/gayle-trotter-gun-control_n_2583098.html
ReplyDeleteAnd she said she spoke for millions of women. NOT this woman! I was so angry watching her. She said the weapon of choice for young women is the AR-15. Even my hubby was saying you would not use an AR-15 for home protection.
I don't even understand why she was invited to the hearing to testify. She made LaPierre almost sound normal. I loved how Senator Leahy asked LaPierre if he still supported universal background checks and LaPierre said he did not. It all boils down to money.
I hope Gabby made an impression on the committee. As kenju says, if she cannot, who can? It's obvious the deaths of 20 children isn't enough to move some. Senator Cruz and Grassley saying that we should not be moved to action by emotion, but what the heck is it going to take for these idiots to address gun violence? Part of me was so utterly discouraged after hearing the lies that Trotter woman and LaPierre spewed. Professor Kopel was just way off, but he didn't come off as offensive like LaPierre and Trotter. I was glad those two were not sitting next to Captain Kelly.
I pray that something is done and this wasn't all for show.
Have a great Thursday.
Megan xxx
I watched with awe and admiration. Gabby Giffords was wonderful. If the Congress cannot act on her request, after that heart wrenching appeal, then they will never act. She is amazing and I am thankful she survived and had the true grit to go to Congress and testify. She is BOLD and she is COURAGEOUS.
ReplyDeleteShe and her husband have been powerful advocates for reasonable, sensible gun reform and not the least because he said they both own guns. It is frustrating to me that there would be those like the stupid (and I use that word carefully) young woman who spoke later about how women need assault rifles to defend themselves against those who might break into their homes. She used an example of a woman who did just that but she neglected to mention that the weapons the woman had would remain legal-- shotguns and revolver. An assault rifle is not only way beyond what she'd need but has far more potential for her to lose control of it and shoot herself or her children. That someone would be allowed to speak before Congress with something so ignorant as her argument just astounds me but it says a lot about our Congress.
ReplyDeleteThen there was the Congressman who said background take away our rights. So does not being able to gather on a street corner to talk to our Congress person. So does not being able to go to a movie theater or send our children to school and know they are safe. It just drives me nuts when someone supposedly intelligent says such a thing.
We need good background checks, delayed purchases to do them, no more extended magazines or assault and semi-assault rifles. We all, gun owners or not, deserve to have what can be done done. We may not be able to prevent all killings with guns but we can do more and it's the least we should do. And if we don't do more about the kind of mental derangement that has led to so many of these shootings, I want to know the reason why. It makes me angry because anyone can be the target next time. There is no immunity from the craziness we have unleashed on this country and mostly in the name of the almighty dollar.
We need to make these statements public - to everyone, everywhere.
ReplyDeleteAs JannyLou said at lunch yesterday, "No one is talking about my right to be safe!"
a/b