Gun Control Advocate Hero & Victim James Brady Dies

James & Sarah Brady 2011  (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

    James Brady, former White House Press Secretary to Ronald Reagan, has died. Brady was shot in the head by John Hinckley Jr. as he tried to assassinate then president Ronald Reagan.  The assassination attempt took place March 30,1981.  Brady had been on the job just 69 days.    Brady survived, confined to a wheel chair for the rest of his life. He became an ardent gun control advocate, co-sponsoring, with wife Sarah Brady,  the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.  Their push for national legislation eventually became known as the "Brady Bill".  He leaves a legacy of courage, perseverance and strength.   

I came across this anecdote today.

How James Brady Didn't Get Me Fired
AUG 4, 2014 4:37 PM EDT
By Albert R. Hunt 

In 1979, I wrote a critical front-page Wall Street Journal profile of leading Republican presidential contender John Connally. The tough-talking Texan demanded that his press secretary call the Journal's top brass and get me fired. Later that press secretary reported back: "They won't do it; those bastards always stick together." Connally just shook his head.

The press secretary was James Brady, who of course never actually called the Journal's executives. Rather, he mollified the candidate without causing further damage.

Jim, who died today at 73, left a mark on America; he was a man of indomitable courage in the face of awful adversity.

A couple years after the Connally incident, he was riding high as Ronald Reagan's press secretary when he was severely shot in the head during an attempted assassination of the new president. My wife, Judy Woodruff, then NBC's White House correspondent, was standing yards away; it was a gruesome scene. This was only 10 weeks into the Reagan administration and Brady -- who was smart, funny, knew the ways of Washington and was respected by the press -- could have been become a Reagan insider.

It wasn't to be.

Jim never really recovered from his near-fatal brain injury, was wheelchair-bound and faced numerous health setbacks over the next three decades. But he didn't disappear. He and his incredibly persistent and gutsy wife, Sarah, became the most visible champions of a sensible gun policy in America. In 1993, the so-called Brady Law was signed by President Bill Clinton; it requires a background check before purchasing most firearms.

The law was diluted by the courts and politicians, and had too many loopholes. Still, millions of gun purchases have been blocked and probably many lives saved.

The Bradys became an inspiring presence at major events in Washington and in the corridors of Congress, sometimes at the White House. Jim lost a lot, never his spirit or humor.

A few weeks before the shooting in 1981, Jim and Sarah took my wife and me to dinner. Near the end of a delightful evening, I asked him a needling question about the White House. His instant retort: "I should have gotten you fired."

To contact the writer of this article: Al Hunt at ahunt1@bloomberg.net.

Sen. Kelly Ayotte Approval Rating Drops 15% After "No" Vote on Background Checks

And yesterday it was "in your face" time from the daughter of the principal killed trying to protect her students during the Sandy Hook massacre.  The N.H. Town Hall meeting was fraught with emotion.  (Turn up the volume for Erica's questions.)

New Hampshirites are NOT okay with this.  

Shame on Congress

NY Daily News headline Mar 20, 2013

Shame on us indeed.  Redundant to say the least . . .What the hell is going on with Congress?  Is Harry Reid crazy?  The Dems have allowed him to jettison the Assault Weapons portion of the bill.  

We watched a movie, "End of Watch", last night.  It was not a movie I would have picked but my husband more or less does all the Netflix research and he usually picks winners.  This film is about the police and gang violence in Compton, CA aka "South Central".  (I actually got lost there a few years ago.  My car was on fumes & I had to go to the bathroom.  I thought I was heading to Long Beach...but that's another story).

Anyway, the movie is well done and  the performances compelling.  One is particularly struck by the weapons the gangs prefer, automatic assault, and the preventive measure the cops take to keep from getting killed.  It again brings home the ridiculous availability of these weapons to the public.  Yes, I know.  If a criminal wants one for the wrong reasons, they'll get them anyway.  But why make it easy?  Why does anyone need one at all?  We aren't supplying weapons of mass destruction to criminals (well, we are overseas thank you DOD) or making a case for the availability of same.  Why honor the NRA's insistence on keeping the availability of these types of weapons and not requiring registration, background checks, waiting periods, etc?  

Look at those faces above.  How many more innocent babes will be gunned down by a lunatic with a gun? 

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper signed a "gun control" packaged bill yesterday after the executive director of the Colorado Corrections Dept was gunned down at his home yesterday morning.

Congress should be made to stare at these faces day in and out until they grow some balls and ban assault weapons.  It would be a start.

Tide Turning On NRA?

There may actually be changes afoot regarding some aspects of gun control.  Wayne LaPierre is gettin' a beat down not only from Joe Scarborough of MSNBC's "Morning Joe" but  from Chris Wallace at Fox News Network.  

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And the HITS just keep on coming.

NRA: Fringe Group

By now I would assume you've heard about the new NRA ad attacking President Obama and his children! 

Yeah.

As unbelievable as it is, it has electrified the media and the backlash has been comforting.   To my amazement, Joe Scarborough, "Morning Joe", is all over this as well as much of the crap the GOP, his party, is pulling.  He's so consumed, I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop to hear Joe Scarborough switch parties.

I often ask God "Why?".  There is no answer.  Perhaps we aren't meant to know the answer.  On the other hand, perhaps the terrible events, the mass murders by troubled, sick, isolated individuals is bringing the less extreme sides of our political parties, like Joe Scarborough, together.  

What If You Gave A Party and Nobody Came and Other Interesting Tidbits

 

Some Republicans have repeatedly declined to spend time with Obama.  Boehner chose not to be photographed with the president at last year’s White House Christmas party and has refused invitations to five state dinners in a row. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has also turned down multiple state dinners. Many new Republican House members chose not to come to a reception Obama held for the incoming freshmen in 2011. . .Boehner and McConnell also both turned down an invitation to watch “Lincoln” at the White House, along with three Republican senators — Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Olympia Snowe of Maine.   Washington Post 

I cannot imagine turning down an invitation from a sitting or retired President.  It's inconceivable.  In my work in broadcast sales, I've spent plenty of time with people I didn't like or agree with.  It's my job.  I've worked for people I didn't like.  It wasn't easy but it was my job.  John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Lamar Alexander, Tom Coburn missed the memo.  IT'S THEIR JOB.  No wonder nothing ever gets done.

Olympia?  She doesn't count.  Her term is up.

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New York lawmakers agreed to pass the toughest gun control law in the nation and the first since the Newtown, Conn., school shooting, calling for a stricter assault weapons ban and provisions to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill who make threats. . .The measure also calls for restrictions on ammunition and the sale of guns. It is expected to pass Tuesday.     Huffington Post

It's a start.  Kudos to Gov. Cuomo and Mayor Bloomberg for spearheading the passage of strict new gun laws in New York state.  Now, if our other 49 states will belly up to the bar...

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And then there's THIS guy:

Recently reelected Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas) has barely had a chance to get his feet wet in Congress again, after serving one term from 1995-1997. But already he's making bold threats to file articles of impeachment against President Barack Obama over gun control measures being sought in the wake of December's mass shooting in Newtown, Conn.   Huffington Post

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From the Dept "Oh How the Mighty Have Fallen and Can't Get Up"

While he can’t save his career or his fortune, an admission of doping might rehabilitate Lance Armstrong’s charity and, ultimately, his legacy. . .The disgraced cyclist, who denied doping for more than a decade, admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. . . “Lance knows he’s poison as is, and my guess is he believes if he apologizes... and cries big crocodile tears it won’t solve his problems immediately, but it will at least start the process,” said Richard Burton, David Falk professor of sports management at Syracuse University. . .“His brand value during his yellow jersey days was almost immeasurable,” said Mark Serrano, CEO of ProActive Communications. “I think there were probably few brands in the world that were worth in excess of $20 million a year, and he was one of them.”...

“Today we’re looking at a brand value of near zero,” Serrano said.

                                                      

Marketing Guns

Ad campaign run by Bushmaster, the company who manufactured the assault weapon used by Adam Lanza to kill 27 people Friday, 20 of them children.

I've just written an email to the ad agency who produced this.  Rather than say what I felt, I said what I believe:  there is "responsible advertising" and there is "irresponsible advertising".  This represents the latter.  They need to take partial responsibility for the tragedy and "rethink" their growth strategies for the future.   

I've never sold an ad to a firearms or weaponry company in my life.  I just flat out don't believe in it. 

NRA Humor

None of this is funny, I know.  Ironic is more apt.

 Purloined today from one of my favorite blogs, The Political Carnival.