U2 Performs the tune that Bono,
friend of Gabby and Mark,
dedicated to Gabby at the end of each concert
following the tragedy in Tucson.
Former U.S. Representative and Gun Control Advocate
Gabrielle Dee Giffords.
A bit less than a year ago Commander Mark Kelly answered
three of my questions in front of a New Haven audience, and had one surprising
answer about his own future career plans. He reported Gabby continues to
improve, spoke of their relationship and afterwards we had a nice conversation
Former AZ US Representative Gabrielle Giffords was shot in a
public district meeting with voters over on January 8, 2011 in a killing fest
that killed 6 and injured 13. I had the chance to hear one half of an American
couple I greatly admire, Mark Kelly (Gabby’s husband and a 4 time Space Shuttle
veteran, including commanding the next to last Shuttle mission) speak at
Southern CT State University on May 4th, 2012. I happen to believe that the
enduring love affair between these two incredibly accomplished people,
particularly since the Traumatic Brain Injury which compelled Gabby to step
aside from her House seat and sit out this election (Mark indicated that she
continued to make slow but very good medical strides) is one to be emulated. It
seems as though their relationship has only grown stronger in spite of their
travails since a fanatic carried out his mass murder, including a 9 year old
girl, a staff member and friend of Gabby’s and a judge.
Mark Kelly in New Haven
After his inspirational speech about NASA, relationships and
more, I asked in front of the audience of several hundred: “I’m going to try to
compress several questions into one… Do you believe that, if her medical
condition allows it, Gabby is interested in running for public office once again and
would you ever consider a run for elective office yourself?” Captain Kelly
indicated that Gabby IS interested in a future run but just ‘not this cycle’
(which I took as a VERY positive sign), and said, among other things regarding
his own political future he “would never rule ANYTHING out.”
Mark Kelly in New Haven, note the brace on his arm
due to his prowess as a pole vaulter.
;)
Following the event, I had the chance to meet Mark, and I 1)
Encouraged both he and Gabby to run in the future; 2) Told him that I admire
their durability as a couple and congratulated him saying that I consider him a
relationship expert; and 3) Gave him a personal note to Gabby in which I
encouraged them both to consider replacing such Arizonans as Jan Brewer and
John McCain, offered my thanks for her service and prayers for her recovery.
Mark read the note at my request, and promised to hand it to Gabby personally.
When I criticized some of the Arizona incumbents to him privately, he laughed
with great fervor. The poor quality of the photos at the New Haven event is
partly due to the fact that I could only use my poor quality cell phone camera.
The brace he is sporting in these photos on his arm is due to a pole vaulting
accident (his daughter is a pole vaulter, and apparently Commander Kelly is NOT
at all).
I’ve checked into Mark Kelly’s positions on political
matters prior to the couple’s foray into gun control advocacy with their
founding of Americans for Responsible Solutions, http://americansforresponsiblesolutions.org/,
and it seems as though he is a bit to the left of the positions his wife took as
a more or less conservative Democrat from a very conservative state while she
served in the House. He supports investment in green technologies and jobs, he
has advocated the election of other fairly progressive candidates, and he
advocates policies to “strengthen Social Security and Medicare” on his Facebook
page and is unimpressed with calls to change the COLA formula for Social
Security. Gabby was asked by a CNN interviewer (Dana Bash) this week whether
she would have been a supporter of the legislation before the Congress on gun
control and she gave an emphatic “Yes!” even though she received high ratings
from the NRA while in office. What matters is that both she and Kelly are now
strong and effective advocates of background checks, an assault rifle ban and a
ban on clips of 10 rounds or more so that slaughters as happened at Sandy Hook
can’t be duplicated.
I asked Captain Kelly how he felt about the news coverage
of the Tucson massacre, and he said that as he was flying from TX to AZ he made
the mistake of turning on the television, and saw erroneous reports of Gabby’s
death, which obviously panicked him to no end. He was particularly livid at Fox
News Channel and did not mince words about his angst at the right wing network.
Kelly is a great public speaker and had his audience riveted
in New Haven. He spoke glowingly and lovingly of Gabby, calling her an
overachiever, unlike himself he said, and proudly spoke of her as a Fulbright
Scholar. He had the audience laughing with such comments as “Just think of how
impressed the aliens were when I told them I had been to earth 4 times” referring
to his 4 space flights. He spoke about his time as a pilot for the Navy during
the fighting over Kuwait and the terrifying process of landing jets on aircraft
carriers telling the audience that as he approached the deck at breakneck
speeds “I’m not very good at this” and the audience loved it. He said taking
off in a space shuttle is like being a “butterfly on a bullet.” He clearly loved being in front of the audience, was relaxed, adept, and
completely unscripted except for a message he read that was composed for the
talk by Gabby. Interestingly and significantly he began his talk by saying “He
comes in peace” and he spoke about liberal activist and U2 front man Bono’s
call to the couple two weeks after the shooting and their friendship. He was
particularly touched that Bono’s band was ending each of their concerts by
playing their tune “Beautiful Day” and dedicating it to Gabby. He said his desk
was decorated with a photo of Gabby with Bono.
Whacko Tea Party nut AZ Governor Jan Brewer cannot run again
and her office is available in 2014 and Kelly is in a good position to run and
likely the only Democrat who would win that office and be able to turn the
state around after being decimated with Brewer’s brew of idiotic policy for the
past few years. Additionally there are 5 Republicans in the US House and only 3
Democrats, and Gabby’s replacement in the House in their current home district
is a former staffer and friend who was injured in the Tucson shootings and who
may not be interested in another run or who would want to defer to Kelly. Given
Gabby’s frustrating expressive capabilities due to her injuries, it is not very
likely she’ll be able to run for office soon. However, I can think of nobody
better able and qualified to help turn the political landscape in Arizona
(dominated by whackos like Brewer and McCain) than Commander Mark Kelly, and I
urge him to run for Governor in 2014 [if not for the US House]! He certainly
has my endorsement for whatever that is worth.
At the end of their remarkable book published in November
2011 entitled Gabby: A Story of Courage and Hope, is the one chapter
written in Gabby’s voice rather than Mark’s. Some excerpts:
“Lots of people died. Six wonderful people. So many people
hurt. Always connected to them.
Long ways to go. Grateful to survive. It’s frustrating.
Mentally hard. Hard work. I’m trying. Trying hard to get better. Regain what I’ve
lost. Want to speak better.”
“I will get stronger. I will return.”
I am absolutely delighted to report that her words in 2011
were prophetic. Former U.S. Representative turned gun control advocate
Gabrielle Dee Giffords is most certainly stronger
and has returned and more! Thank YOU Gabby and Mark!
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