Former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.) and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, rolled out a new gun-control group today.
“Two years ago, a mentally ill young man shot me in the head, killed six of my constituents, and wounded 12 others. Since that terrible day, America has seen 11 more mass shootings – but no response from Congress to prevent gun violence. After the massacre of 20 children and six of their teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary though, it’s clear: This time must be different,” Giffords said on the website for the new political action committee, Americans for Responsible Solutions.
“Americans for Responsible Solutions will encourage elected officials to stand up for solutions to prevent gun violence and protect responsible gun ownership by communicating directly with the constituents that elect them.”
Giffords and Kelly went to Newtown, Conn., last week to meet with families of the victims in the school shooting.
They also heralded the start of their group with an op-ed in USA Today, where they asked readers to “forget the boogeyman of big, bad government coming to dispossess you of your firearms.”
“We saw from the NRA leadership’s defiant and unsympathetic response to the Newtown, Conn., massacre that winning even the most common-sense reforms will require a fight. But whether it has been in campaigns or in Congress, in combat or in space, fighting for what we believe in has always been what we do, ” Giffords and Kelly wrote.
In Congress, they’ll have the backup of Rep. Ron Barber (D-Ariz.), Giffords’ aide who was one of those wounded in the January 2011 attack and successfully ran for her seat when she resigned.
“To me it’s important that we finally move from talking about the issue to actually taking some appropriate action and I’m going to be involved with that in Congress as a member of a task force that seeks to end or prevent gun violence,” Barber said on CNN.
“As a Second Amendment supporter, I really believe that there is a right to bear arms and it’s been confirmed by the Supreme Court, but I also believe that there have to be some limits,” he added.
Yeah well, being a victim of a hit and run don’t make ya an automotive engineer either…..
“As a Second Amendment supporter, I really believe that there is a right to bear arms and it’s been confirmed by the Supreme Court, but I also believe that there have to be some limits,”
What part of “shall not be infringed” does this jerk not understand?
The day Giffords was shot, my wife and I were glued to the television till late in the evening, then we followed her progress religiously as she went from barely hanging onto life to rehabilitation.
We honestly were heartbroken at the image of the little girl who was murdered by the ba$tard.
Giffords got a lot of sympathy from me during that time frame.
Then her husband had to start spouting off about the Tea Party – which was so far off base it was insulting – and as far as I know he’s never backed off of those hateful accusatory comments.
Now this.
All sympathy for her is gone now and she, her husband, and her former aide can all go the hell for all I care.
If they want to make a difference, then how about they look at the mental health issues in this country instead of depriving Americans of their birthright, personal property, and freedom of choice!
It is interesting how they’ve absolved the local PD for never doing anything about a lunatic they knew was dangerous, isn’t it?
Interesting and utterly predictable.
Seriously! I guess it’s just more convenient to attack those whose political views you disagree with.
I support all the entire Bill of Rights. What limits should we place on the other Amendments?
I read their screed – it contained the same tired, old, ineffective and intrusive ideas that the left trots out every time some nut job goes berserk.
I note that they mention no actual solutions, probably because they have none. We always hear the left screaming for “common-sense solutions”, and yet they never propose any that would have stopped whatever incident prompted the screeching.
Victims should be the last ones to make the laws.
With all due sympathy to their grief and loss, and all due respect,
it’s not only about them. These laws affect the rights and property of other people.
This is perhaps the cruelest hoax of the welfare state:
the implied promise that Big Brother can remove all danger,
prevent all loss and sadness.
Not this side of the Pearly Gates, sorry.
The Republicans have to realize that if they allow one single gun control bill to pass the House they’re finished as a party, right? Or is it possible that they’re stupid enough to not get that?
Never ever ever ever EVER underestimate the party of stupid.
What gets me is all of these democrats running around trying to pose as gun owners – right before they start mouthing off about banning guns.
Not buying the BS they’re selling…
I feel sorry for Giffords and her husband but this is yet another Potemkin organization financed, through conduits, by the usual suspects. Giffords and Kelly will make a few personal appearances, do some TV and lobby a couple of weak links in Congress. A bulk mail campaign will be sent out. Remember the “Million Mothers March?” I’ll bet there are a dozen other similar organizations along with several phony “gun owners” organizations. Presumably the funding for the Giffords version will reduce the funding for the others.
It is clear now in retrospect the naming of a warship for Ms. Giffords was a blatant political move–pure propaganda–and Mabus should resign.
She can have a warship named after her, or be politically active, but not both. Of course, Democrats have no class, so naturally nothing will change. The only thing they will allow in America is that they be worshipped. But nevertheless, this is why you only name things after dead people.
To the extent there is a USS Giffords and she is involved in political matters, my support for the Navy is eroded.
In fac, I am going to just presume the Navy has finally decided to be an auxiliary of the Democratic party, and is anti-Second Amendment.
– its first seven minutes to it this evening. Diane, what did you use to do for Nixon?
Here are a couple woppers in the text: “…we are more vulnerable to gun violence…” Really? damn those pesky falling violent crime statistics. If you live in place that has been under long term control of the Democratic Party and have disarmed law abiding citizens that may be true but not for most of the country.
And then there is this meme: “…And gun owners are less responsible for the misuse of their weapons than they are for their automobiles….” Again, really? Let’s see, if I run a stop sign I get a ticket. If I use a gun in a crime I go to jail. If I have an accident my auto insurance premiums go up. If I use a gun in crime I go to jail. There is only one crime committed with an automobile that gets you the same kind of jail time that you get when you “misuse” gun. Killing someone in an accident where you are legally drunk. That’s call vehicular homicide.
The adminstration will be using the same techinques they used in social media during the campaign for their control efforts. This is another example. Wise up, we need to counter these arguments at the source and not just talk to ourselves here.
I like Kelly’s last statement, try it with any of the Bill of Rights, it’s fun.
“As a Third Amendment supporter, I really believe…, but I’m sending a squad of soldiers to your house to live with you.”
Gabby and ‘Mikey, The Astro Boy’ look mighty good on the tube, & make all the right noises, but fall short in the continuity department.
1) They say nothing about Chicago and D C and the murder rates therein. Both have G C out the Wazoo, but what are the realities of these laws? One Biggie is that Criminals presumably cannot or will-not bother to read up on what they are not supposed to be doing. They just go out and do it.
2) Nowhere in their emotional screed are there any calls for :
** Increased drunk driving enforcement, and swift /sure prosecution for injury or death resulting from same. Look at the Volume of Tragedies from this national disgrace and see how many less victims in their mentioned incidents compare.
Why the silence, G & M ??
** Also note that they do not ever mention that excepting Gabby’s incident, all the other Mass Shootings in over 40-plus years, occurred in Gun-Free Zones. No calls for eliminating these Victim Only Areas, so how can this seeming conundrum be reconciled? According to them, why, just enact more laws that will also be ignored,by The Determined Criminals and Offenders.
3)Let’s see what they propose, long term, to encourage mental health initiatives throughout America. This discussion should be **A-#1** on ‘The List of Things We Should Be Doing’, regarding their self-chosen topic. One of these very same “askew” People put Gabby where she is and it’s the guns that are the problem?
BTW, Mike is slated to go up onto ‘The Station’ for a freaking year, very shortly. Who wants to bet he ‘makes news’ in this regard, from “up there” ??
(NASA will then be engaged in Muslim Outreach and Second Amendment Infringement.
What will be next…? )
They also failed to acknowledge that Sheriff Dupnick, a fellow Democrat, failed to take action against Loughner after several incidents because his parents had connection to the good sheriff.
Just been thinking again….they go on about how there was a concealed carry permit holder that day who ALMOST shot the man who took down the shooter.
Then they go on about how that illustrates the falsity of trusting citizens with guns as he ALMOST shot the wrong guy.
I think the point that is being missed here is – the private citizen who had the concealed carry permit DID NOT shoot the wrong guy! The situation was fluid and confused, and recognizing that fact he acted responsibly and held his fire.
As such this is a real world example of how judicious the average concealed carry holder can be in their perception of a situation, and that claims they will be shooting the wrong people all the time are clearly mistaken.
Still, with one operating on half a brain and the other clearly with an ax to grind, I don’t expect much intelligent debate from them.
Scottch, there you go again. Injecting logic and reason into an agenda that can only survive in an environment of pure emotion! That isn’t fair to those who abdicated cognition in favor of addiction, dependency, and mediocrity. You should consider being kinder to our more unfortunate voters. All right, everybody, a rousing chorus of Kumbaya! (/s)
Hehe…I WAS being kind.
You have no idea how much I edited that comment down from what I REALLY wanted to say!
:^D
When confronted with this meme I told the teller that “You know, I almost hit a pedestrian on the way here today. But I decided to apply the brakes before that happened.” I also told the person if you realized how many accident you almost have in your car everyday but made a conscious or unconscious decision that avoided those accidents you would never get in the car again. My point was there was no “almost” in the Giffords case. The guy with gun “did not know his target” and could not guarantee a safe miss and chose not to fire. Same with Nick Meli in the Clackamas Mall. If only NYPD patrolmen were so disciplined.
Well, that’s where the money is.