Posted on 02/25/2016 6:59:46 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo
Former Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords and her husband were in Minnesota Thursday working to boost gun control in the state.
It's the second time the former congresswoman has been here to spread her message since she was shot at a public event in 2011. That attack left six people dead.
Giffords and many local leaders toured different parts of the Twin Cities with a new coalition to stress that gun ownership is not the problem, it's just making sure the guns are in the right hands.
"Stopping gun violence takes courage," Giffords said.
She still shows the effects of the shooting more than four years ago that left her with brain damage.
"I've seen great courage when my life was on the line," Giffords said.
But her message is clear as ever: "We must never stop fighting, fight, fight, fight," Giffords said.
Led by Giffords and her husband, Mark Kelly, other state leaders are joining the Minnesota Coalition for Common Sense.
"Our country is in the grips of a gun violence crisis," Kelly said.
Kelly said their focus includes closing the alleged loopholes in Minnesota law that let felons, domestic abusers and the dangerously mentally ill buy guns without a criminal background check.
"The vast majority of Americans agree that Congress needs to close these loopholes," Kelly said.
But Bryan Strawser and the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus believe the focus should be on dealing with violent criminals, particularly looking at prosecution and sentencing, and providing additional access to mental health services - not on laws such as Giffords's group supports that primarily impact law-abiding citizens.
"We have hundreds of thousand of permit holders, and, by in large, those gun owners are extremely safe and law-abiding citizens in the community," Strawser said.
Strawser agrees certain people shouldn't have guns, but he says some goals of the coalition go too far.
"We believe that is where the focus should be, not on the kind of laws that this organization has pushed that will really impact law-abiding citizens," Strawser said.
This coalition is now touring the state making sure lawmakers have the resources to strengthen existing laws. Kelly says the consequences for doing nothing will only lead to more violence.
"It's time for our leaders to finally do something about the gun violence that makes our country stand out in the worst of ways," Kelly said.
Giffords has already visited two other states with a similar message.
She has no idea that every time she opens her mouth that it only serves to make her look silly.
And hubby continues to ride her coattails.
Pitiful.
Using her personal tragic run-in with a violent democrat crazy to pit Americans one against the other. Pushing for further victim disarmament in a time when rising gun ownership has been proven to correlate with decreasing violent crime all over the nation.
If she had half a brain she’d...
Oh, wait, what? Never mind.
“[”Stopping gun violence takes courage,” Giffords said. She still shows the effects of the shooting more than four years ago that left her with brain damage.]”
At last, some factual reporting!
I’ve lived in Minnesota most of my life and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t own multiple firearms. What a terrible place to start a disarm movement. Half the Democrat voters in the state are going “wait, what?”. All 70 of their IQ points will kick into gear when you make ideas against their guns.
Must she always shoot her mouth off?
That’s cold...
It’s not the guns. It’s the PEOPLE, stupid.
Someone should pop a paperbag behind her.
I give the reporter credit for “the alleged loopholes”.
He’ll probably get fired for being truthful.
You’re bad! :-)
Oh, I know lots of people in MN that own no firearms. On both sides of the aisle.
Has your husband Mark bought any more out of state assault rifles to then go and turn into the sheriff?
Do you still have and shoot the assault weapons you have been pictured with numerous times, Gabby?
Every time she speaks, more Americans run out and purchase firearms. It’s a natural reaction to threat
Was tRump with her?
Exactly...
Every school kid should be issued a good quality firearm and taught how to carry it safely and shoot it well. A practical skill. This before drivers training —
Let’s get our schools back to teaching useful skills. Please see above. Thank y
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