Yes, THAT Sarah Brady, the one from the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence.
It’s hard to comment on something of this nature. The old adage of not speaking ill of the dead, among others comes to bear.
One has to almost – notice I said “Almost” here before you lash out and take my head off – admire the woman’s dedication and tenacity for her cause. That it flies in the face of the US Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms is another fight entirely.
She was in fact, a true believer in abolishing the 2nd Amendment and she helped pioneer the slight of hand and speech to enable it, with such ambiguous language like “commonsense reforms” and helped to, if not down right perfected, the art of soft pedaling it to the public to make it more palatable. One only needs to look at both Brady Non-Profits mission statements to see an example of her and other Brady activist leaders “soft” approach to banning guns.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence works to pass, enforce, and protect sensible laws and public policy that address gun violence at the federal and state levels. We do this by engaging and activating the American public, electing officials who support common sense gun laws, and increasing public awareness of gun violence. Through our advocacy campaigns and Million Mom March and Brady Chapters, we work locally to educate people about the risks of gun ownership, honor victims of gun violence, and pass sensible gun laws.
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence develops and implements extensive public health and safety programs and utilizes the courts to reduce gun violence. Through our Legal Action Project, we represent victims of gun violence in cases against irresponsible gun sellers and owners. Through our public health and safety programs, we inspire safer attitudes and behaviors around the 300 million guns already in our homes and communities and new gun purchases taking place every day.
Alas, the devil is always in the details….Both the current “Brady” campaigns as they exist today have ties back to organizations such as “National Council to Control Handguns” (NCCH )est. 1974, later to be renamed in 1980 as “Handgun Control Inc” who briefly was partnered with the National Coalition to Ban Handguns (NCBH) which in turn, made no bones about it, and advocated for the banning of all handguns.
The NCBH and NHCC split when the NCBH, renamed itself in 1990 as the “Coalition to Stop Gun Violence” (CSGV). The NCBH then was absorbed by the Brady Campaign in the mid 80’s as the much softer sounding – “Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence”. The CSVG Continues on today as its own organization and lobbying machine. It routinely attacks the NRA and GOA and labels them as an “Insurrectionist “groups However, a quick visit to their page and a little reading – one can see quickly that they are using some of the same Brady Tactics, the renaming of their groups is one flag, and then the site is literally polluted with the “common sense gun control” mantra.
Additionally, that the very same Brady gun control machine was critical to the passage of the 1994 “Assault Weapons Ban”, Sort of gives lie to the soft sell mission statements above. Make no doubt about it, the Brady organization in whatever guise – wants guns banned, “assault weapons” Hand guns, Rifles, all of them. They may not come out and state it, but it doesn’t take a PhD to figure these folks and the CSVG types out.
That the Brady’s exploited a personal tragedy and made it their public cause, isn’t really disputable. That James Brady was Ronald Regan’s Press Secretary at the time of his attempted assassination, gave them an intimidate leverage and a vehicle to further push their cause and agendas and as noted above, they absorbed more than one hard core gun ban group. One has to wonder, how much traction they would have gotten, had it not been for Hinkley’s actions on that day. It’s interesting to note that the NCCH in the early 80’s and before the Brady’s had about 100,000 members. Now? Under the soft sell strategy of the Brady machine – it boasts millions.
None the less – Sarah Brady has passed. In sticking with the old admonishment from my Dear Mother – “If you ain’t got nothing good to say – don’t say anything at all”.
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