Gabby Giffords and Mark Kelly

Anyone who knows me understands that I am very passionate about politics.  I've been  a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat since before I could vote.  And I've made no secret about which candidate I support this primary season.


Today being the primary in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland. Connecticut and Rhode Island, I thought I should talk about an event I attended at Five Towns College in Dix Hills, NY, just before the New York primary. It was an event sponsored by the Hillary Clinton campaign, so of course you will hear the speakers endorse her candidacy. 


But what made it interesting...it was hosted by Congressman Steve Israel, it featured former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords and her husband Captain Mark Kelly, and it was a forum about gun violence and gun control.

This country has a gun culture like no other civilized country.  Gun violence scares me.  the power of the NRA scares me.   Reasonable and sane safety measures, thing supported by the majority of gun owners, are routinely voted down in Congress because of the power of the NRA.

Steve Israel...well, I voted for the man every time he ran for office, so you know I'm a fan.  Mark Kelly is an eloquent speaker, and I really enjoyed listening to him.  The other speakers were women whose lives had been altered because of gun violence, one woman's story made me cry.


But the person who really impressed me is Giffords.  She is so much more fragile than she lets on.  In person you can see the full extent of the deficits caused by her traumatic brain injury. And yet, here she was, on the campaign trail, discussing her cause.

It's an issue that needs to be front and center, no matter who wins our party's nominatin, no matter who runs for office in the fall.

But you can skip the following film clips if you don't want to hear  Gabby and Mark endorsing a candidate...