WASHINGTON—On the second anniversary of the Tucson, Ariz., shootings, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and astronaut husband Capt. Mark Kelly have launched a campaign for gun reform. Their demands will not go unheard.
The Obama administration has indicated a desire for reform, and Vice President Joe Biden, tasked by the president to come up with concrete proposals by the end of the month, is reportedly meeting with gun safety groups, gun lobbyists, and the video and entertainment industry in Washington this week.
Kelly and Giffords—who was forced to resign from Congress on account of critical injuries sustained as a result of the Arizona shooting—expressed frustration at the lack of action on gun reform, particularly following the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., last month.
In an opinion piece published Tuesday in USA Today, they launched their campaign, Americans for Responsible Solutions, inviting people to join, donate, and support members of Congress who push for legislative reform to end gun violence.
“Until now, the gun lobby’s political contributions, advertising, and lobbying have dwarfed spending from anti-gun violence groups. No longer,” they wrote.
Six people died in the Arizona shootings on Jan. 8, 2011, including Arizona District Court Chief Judge John Roll and 9-year-old Christina-Taylor Green.
Roxanna Green, Christina-Taylor’s mother, is featured in a 30-second ad that began airing Tuesday in Washington, D.C., and six other cities affected by mass shootings.
Part of a campaign led by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a strong proponent for stronger gun laws, the ad opens with a scene from the Sandy Hook School where 20 children and 6 adult staff were killed.
“I know how much it hurts,” says Green in the ad. “I have one question for our political leaders: When will you find the courage to stand up to the gun lobby?” she asks, looking straight into the camera. “Whose child has to die next?”
