President Bill Clinton once summed up the public service of Jim and Sarah Brady this way: "If it hadn't been for them, we would not have passed the Brady Law, and then the ban on assault weapons, and on cop-killer bullets...How many people are alive today because of Jim and Sarah Brady? How many? Countless."
How many people, indeed? From how many cities and towns and counties across our country? From how many races, religions, economic backgrounds and circumstances?
Since it's impossible to prove what never happened, we'll never know how many lives have been saved because of the contributions of Jim and Sarah Brady. It's part of their legacy, and ours, not to be able to count the vast numbers of Americans who are living out their lives and hopes and dreams because of Jim and Sarah's leadership in the movement to prevent gun violence.
This is a legacy, however, that has its roots in the terror-laden seconds 30 years ago when a mentally-ill man armed with a 22-caliber handgun shot President Reagan, a Secret Service agent, a police officer and Jim Brady. Just 69 days earlier, Jim had achieved his long-held dream of becoming White House Press Secretary. Of the four wounded, Jim's injury was the most severe -- a gunshot to the head left him partially paralyzed for life.
The Bradys took a few years to heal and adjust to radically different life circumstances, but in 1985, they laid the foundation for a gift to us of service and sacrifice that endures.
The Bradys actively joined the gun violence prevention movement that year and devoted their hearts and minds and energies to the enactment of common sense gun restrictions. At one point, Sarah traveled 200 days out of the year. From outlawing armor-piercing "cop-killer" bullets to banning metal-detector-evading "plastic" guns; from their support of laws to limit illegal gun trafficking and curtail corrupt gun dealers to the Brady Center's outstanding and unique advocacy in the courts for gun violence victims; Jim and Sarah's leadership on gun law reforms has saved lives and brought justice to Americans who have suffered traumatic injuries and loss of life.
In 1993, after 7 years of legislative struggle and gun lobby opposition, Jim and Sarah joined President Bill Clinton as he signed the Brady Law, which requires background checks on handguns purchased at federally licensed dealers. Since taking effect in1994, 2 million gun purchases attempted by dangerous and irresponsible people, like felons, have been blocked by the Brady background check system.
In 1996, President Clinton awarded Jim the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among the highest civilian honors in the United States. Four years later, President Clinton officially named the White House Press Briefing Room "The James S. Brady Press Briefing Room" in Jim's honor. A plaque recognizing his service as White House Press Secretary now adorns that high-profile space.
We now mark the anniversary of Jim's shooting with a renewed sense of loss: Tucson. A major difference between the two tragedies is that the outcome on January 8 was even more deadly. The shooter was armed with large-capacity assault clip that allowed him to shoot 32 bullets in just under 16 seconds. His killing spree ended only after he stopped to reload and witnesses bravely moved to subdue him.
In the face of personal adversity and unrelenting challenges, Jim and Sarah Brady have provided inspiration and a conscience for America. The greatest honor we can give them is to make our voices heard in Washington and in statehouses across the country. We must demand that our elected representatives ban assault clips, require effective background checks for all gun sales, and give law enforcement the tools to stop the trafficking in illegal guns. The passage of sensible new guns laws making it hard for dangerous and irresponsible people to get guns would be a tribute worthy of these special Americans, who have given this nation their all.
Paul Helmke is president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Follow the Brady Campaign on Facebook and Twitter. This entry, along with past entries, has been co-posted on The Brady Campaign site.
The book is "Shooting The Bull" by the same fellow who publishes Gun Facts. His promo page says it is a guide to political propaganda and uses the gun control movement as the case study.
Things are about to get interesting. The Brady's (and Paul for that matter) need to be exposed.
There is a reason that Clinton/Brady's 1994 Assault Weapons Ban was allowed to expire; it had no positive effect on gun crime. It's the same reason that the majority of the population don't buy into this garbage. The liberal media buys into this junk and takes a position on it by refusing to show more than the anti-gun perspective. That is not journalism, that is opinion, and a dangerous one at that.
The Brady bunch are anti-American, they are against American freedoms, and they are outright lairs. Take some time and look at their Facebook page. You'll notice that the posts and conversations are one-sided. Rather consistently, they simply delete opposing views to artificially show support for their agenda.
https://www.facebook.com/bradycampaign
It's VERY possible to prove what never happened. Let me give you an example:
STATEMENT: CCW will lead to Wild West Shotouts, Blood In The Streets, and dead Baristas in Starbucks."
REALITY: It never happened
QUANTIFICATION: CCW statistics.
Assault clip? Looks like Paul enjoys inventing his own words. I stopped doing that around age five, but I guess some people never grow out of it.
And of course, it's easier to scare people who are ignorant on the subject by attatching the word "assault" to things you don't like.
On the Brady Bunch facebook page, Helmke calls them "Jared Loughner-style assault clips."
They are truly desperate.
Excerpt from below-linked article:
"And while liberals certainly do not argue for lawlessness, and will acknowledge the necessity of certain restrictions, it is generally understood that liberals fight to broadly interpret and expand our rights and to question the necessity and wisdom of any restrictions of them.
Liberals can quote legal precedent, news reports, and exhaustive studies. They can talk about the intentions of the Founders. They can argue at length against the tyranny of the government. And they will, almost without exception, conclude the necessity of respecting, and not restricting, civil liberties.
Except for one: the right to keep and bear arms."
Link to article: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/07/04/881431/-Why-liberals-should-love-the-Second-Amendment
Have an enlightened day!
As to your comment about a "well regulated militia" I'd suggest you review the recent SCOTUS decisions that have finally settled that tiresome debate. Possession of a firearm is not, and never was intended to be tied to service in a militia. Instead, the 2A preserves the right of the people to be armed so that as a last resort they may form a militia if and when it becomes necessary (recent examples = L.A. riots and post Katrina).
Participation in a militia is not a pre-req for the exercise of the right to arms. The militia phrases does not create or limit the right to arms.
Was the gun arrested, prosecuted, convicted and sent to prison?
checkmate
Real Americans believe in the rule of law.
Real Americans believe in the sanctity of life.
Real Americans don’t own handguns or assault rifles.
Sorry, if you’re not a Real American.
But it’s not too late!
We’ll never know how many lives we saved from outlawing armor-piercing “cop-killer” bullets to banning metal-detector-evading “plastic” guns and Laughner Style large capacity assault clips. Start today. You’ll become a special American and can feel good about yourself!
Everything I post is information that I’ve learned from the writings of gun control groups, their supporters, and supporting commenters. None of this is personal conjecture. A little searching will show this to be true. I’m doing my part to help spread the message.
I, for one, believe in the sanctity of life, especially innocent life. As part of that belief, I have a duty to do everything in my power to defend my life, and the lives of those I love, when someone attempts to destroy it. Handguns are important for defending life!
Sarah and HCI (the predecessor to the Brady Camp) had nothing to do with the passage of the AP bullet ban, the NRA did. The bill backed by Sarah and HCI, SB 555 by Rep Biaggi, failed to be passed. The bill the NRA supported passed and became law.
CKBs are basically a myth created by NBC (see the history of the KTW bullet http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvcopk.html ) and propagated by the gun control lobby.
As a cop and an LE arms instructor, I still find people, even cops, who unfortunately still believe this myth.
Of course, you've NEVER bothered to notice that guncite is a source of links to the real studies, most of them from the gov't. It's SO much easier to reject the data out of hand because they were quoted or linked on an "obviously biased website".
You are correct, you cannot prove something which has not occured. Nor can you assign causation to that non-occurance. But we can look at the CDC report which looked at more than 50 studies of gun control and was unable to find any conclusive evidence that gun control has had any positive effect.
An item which never existed. This bill was the result of the use of disinformation to cause a public concern.
I'm curious... What other issue?
There is not such item. The author is fabricating terms with the sole intent of scaring people.
That provision was included at the insistance of the NRA. Sarah and HCI wanted waiting periods.
"Since taking effect in1994, 2 million gun purchases attempted by dangerous and irresponsible people, like felons, have been blocked by the Brady background check system."
Many mistakenly. Many were able to clear up clerical or legal issues and then go on to complete their purchases.
Of those who were correctly denied, less than 500 were ever charged for the criminal act of trying to purchase a firearm and lying on their 4473. Fewer still were ever convicted. This due to the gun control lobby protesting this application of the federal laws.
...already against the law. What do you imiagine it does it have to do with the NRA?
They banned something that doesn't exist? WOW! That is impressive!
Priceless, absolutely priceless. LOL