Gun-control pioneer James Brady died on Monday at the age of 73.
Brady, the former White House press secretary for president Ronald Reagan, was permanently disabled after he was shot in the head during an assassination attempt on Reagan in 1981.
Following the incident, Brady became an outspoken advocate for stricter gun laws, including bans on many widely popular and commonly owned sporting rifles. The gun-control organization known as The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence was named in his honor.
His family released a statement saying that he “passed away after a series of health issues.”
“Jim touched the lives of so many and has been a wonderful husband, father, friend and role model,” his family wrote in the statement. “We are enormously proud of Jim’s remarkable accomplishments — before he was shot on the fateful day in 1981 while serving at the side of President Ronald Reagan and in the days, months and years that followed.
“Jim Brady’s zest for life was apparent to all who knew him, and despite his injuries and the pain he endured every day, he used his humor, wit and charm to bring smiles to others and make the world a better place,” the family stated. “Over the years, Jim inspired so many people as he turned adversity into accomplishment.”
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, a D.C.-based gun-control organization, also released a statement.
“It breaks our hearts to receive word that Jim Brady has passed away at the age of 73. Every gun violence prevention advocate owes a debt to Mr. Brady, who was the epitome of courage and determination in pushing for critical reforms like the Brady Law that helped to keep guns out of dangerous hands,” wrote the CSGV.
“On his last visit to Capitol Hill, Mr. Brady admonished us all to ‘fight fiercely’ in our struggle for gun reform,” it continued. “Let us all live up to his wishes and create the America that he yearned for so passionately.”
Good riddance. Now is the time for natural causes to take the rest of them. I for one am not losing any sleep over this death
I cannot mourn the loss of an enemy of our Constitution and our Bill of Rights. 28 years of protecting those documents against ‘Enemies, foreign an domestic’. I do not admire Brady or others of his ilk.
While I am very pro gun I can understand how Brady who was shot protecting our President or former pro gun Giffords who was shot while giving a speech would eventually become an anti gun advocate. But at least they have a real reason. I am truly sorry that the events that have led to their change of view happened to them but I will stand vigilant for my second amendment rights because this is bigger than just me.
Someone to respect even if you dont agree
Brady AND Castro dead the same week? God is Good. God is Kind. God delivers us in our darkest hour. Now, throw in Hillary for the trifecta.
always – well usually – sad when a life is lost, regardless of what “team” they were on. He lived a life fighting for what he believed in and that’s commendable, even if you don’t agree with it. RIP.
Sorry, don’t agree with you. Some lives are best ended early. Perhaps this politician was not an individual with bad intend, but I have found very few examples of people involved in politics who are not essentially, full of crap, and self serving. That being said, I am glad to see we have a non-politician as president as of this moment!
Most of us on this blog can agree, gun control laws have proven to be no deterrent to criminals, and a major stumbling block for law abiding citizens . Any law that endangers my family, or any other law abiding citizens family, is a bad law. Anyone who formulates such a law is an accessory to any crime committed against the law abiding, and should be held accountable for such.