Brady leaves heroic legacy in fierce gun control battle [View all]

[DonCoquixote]

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/brady-leaves-heroic-legacy-in-fierce-gun-control-battle/2191744

Folks, this is the sort of article that will hammer home facts as well as break your heart. The phrase "American hero" is bandided about, this article shows Brady deserved it.

From the article:

"Together with his wife, Sarah, the couple became the driving force in the creation of what would eventually become the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. And their efforts paid off in the 1990s with measures signed into law that created background checks for weapons sales, waiting periods to obtain a gun, and the restoration of the federal ban on the sale of assault weapons.

It is estimated that the laws passed because of the Bradys' efforts kept guns out of the hands of some 2 million people who failed background checks because of criminal records or a history of mental illness. That is no small accomplishment against an opponent like the NRA, which pretty much counts Congress as a wholly owned subsidiary.

But over time, many of the gains made by Brady and other gun control advocates have been slowly whittled away, especially the perfectly reasonable five-day waiting period before a gun purchase can be finalized. The NRA opposed the waiting period as an "inconvenience" to law-abiding purchasers of guns. Brady had another view.

"I need help getting out of bed, help taking a shower and help getting dressed, and — damn it — I need help going to the bathroom," Brady fumed. "I guess I'm paying for their 'convenience.' "