In light of the third anniversary of the shooting in Tuscon, AZ. that killed six people and injured 10 in 2011, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz) wrote a special piece on gun violence and her journey to survival for The New York Times.
Giffords was shot in the head during an outside meeting by Jared Lee Loughner in 2011. She talks about her disappointment in the nation’s gun laws over the years and her recovery.
I’ve spent the past three years learning how to talk again, how to walk again. I had to learn to sign my name with my left hand. It’s gritty, painful, frustrating work, every day. Rehab is endlessly repetitive. And it’s never easy, because once you’ve mastered some movement or action or word, no matter how small, you move on to the next. You never rest.
Giffords also shined a light on the future of gun laws and hopes that the importance of background checks, and “common sense gun polices” will become more important.
Our fight is a lot more like my rehab. Every day, we must wake up resolved and determined. We’ll pay attention to the details; look for opportunities for progress, even when the pace is slow. Some progress may seem small, and we might wonder if the impact is enough, when the need is so urgent.
But every day we will recruit a few more allies, talk to a few more elected officials, convince a few more voters. Some days the steps will come easily; we’ll feel the wind at our backs. Other times our knees will buckle. We’ll tire of the burden. I know this feeling. But we’ll persist.
On top of her sentimental piece, the former congresswoman plans to skydive today. The jump will broadcast on the TODAY show on Thursday morning. Giffords also tweeted about her piece and her current status.
Three years after the shooting that almost took my life, I can move my arm again. Grit can overcome paralysis. http://t.co/LuDvqDajO0
— Gabrielle Giffords (@GabbyGiffords) January 8, 2014
We’re happy to see Giffords in high spirits in light of her own tragedy and the pervasive gun violence in America.
SOURCE: Huff Post, NYT | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
