Sara Brady

What a waste of time. It is almost not worth reading. I sent in three questions that were not addressed.
1. What class and who tought it did her son take before she gave him his rifle? (She is for mandatory training.)
2. Her group counts people up to 21 years old as children and say that parents should keep guns locked up
and away from their children. Does her son who is now 20 have the rifle or does she keep it under lock and key?
3. You just said that gun makers, " must be held accountable and bear responsibility for their marketing practices."
What marketing practice did they use to make you buy a rifle for your son and how should they be held accountable?

Tragedy and Triumph
Live Chat: Gun Control Advocate Sarah Brady


MODERATOR at 12:59pm ET Please stay tuned for our live chat with Sarah Brady at 1 p.m. ET. If you have a question for Sarah, post it in the space below. MODERATOR at 1:04pm ET Welcome, Sarah, and thanks for being here. Many of our audience members praise you for your strength and courage in the face of adversity. They say your story is "inspirational" and that you are a "role model" for all Americans. Here are a couple of comments we've received: MODERATOR at 1:04pm ET From Jane: "Thank you, Mrs. Brady and your husband Jim, for a lesson in courage. My father spent 15 years in a wheelchair -- my husband is a cancer survivor -- and our lives and faith are now, following the murder of our grandson several years ago, being challenged with the injustice of the American justice system. Your husband's lasting sense of humor and his words of advice: "Learn to duck!" gave me the first laugh I had enjoyed in a good while." MODERATOR at 1:05pm ET And Leslie says: "I have never been moved to chat online with any person that I have watched on television, but I would like to tell you how very moved I was by your courage and unyielding devotion to your husband and to the most vital goal of accomplishing the Brady Bill. You and your husband are shining examples of what all Americans should be, and I hope that your interview with Barbara Walters will serve as an inspiration for all viewers. I wish you continued strength and good health in the months and years to come, and I thank you for your heroism." MODERATOR at 1:05pm ET How do you stay so positive? SARAH BRADY at 1:06pm ET I have a husband who is very positive. And in the long run, I feel incredibly lucky. I have lived a marvellous life. All families have ups and downs and you just have to learn to balance the two. MODERATOR at 1:07pm ET Now that you're battling lung cancer, why do you still smoke? Have you tried to quit? SARAH BRADY at 1:08pm ET I am appauled that I am addicted. I continue to try to quit. I feel that I will conquer this challenge as well as others I've been able to conquer. MODERATOR at 1:09pm ET Diane Gutierrez writes: "I come from a family where guns were collected (my dad was a police officer and a hunter) but have never felt that they had a place in civilized society. They are, after all, instruments designed to kill and have no other purpose. The number of accidental and criminal deaths outweighs the value they might have in today's society. How do you justify that responsible people should have a right to own guns when the protection value is today more theoretical than realistic?" SARAH BRADY at 1:12pm ET I feel the serious problem that we have is one of public safety and what we need to do is reduce the number of deaths and injuries by firearms. The best way we can accomplish this is to keep guns out of the wrong hands. I support all measures to do that, including background checks, waiting periods. I think that in this society, there are many responsible gun owners who use guns for sports, recreation and other legitimate purposes. They are not the problem. We must concentrate on keeping guns out of the wrong hands. John David at 1:13pm ET I remember years ago, you stating that you would not rest until all firearms were banned. However, in your interview you stated that you were not a "gun grabber". Why the change of heart? In addition, you purchased a firearm for your son. If I'm not mistaken, that is considered a "straw purchase" which is illegal. Can you explain? SARAH BRADY at 1:16pm ET In the first place, I'd like to clarify: I have never said I wanted to ban all guns. The gun lobby has misrepresented my position over the years in order to rile up their members. Again, I'm working to keep firearms out of the wrong hands. I'm glad I have this opportunity to set the record straight. I did purchase a hunting rifle as a gift for my son. This was not considered a straw purchase. He himself is not a prohibited purchaser. He could purchase one at any gun store himself. Under both federal and Delaware law, it is perfectly legal to purchase a gun as a gift for a family member, and it's done day in and day out throughout this nation. MODERATOR at 1:17pm ET Jane McGuire writes: "The Brady Bill was a wonderful step in gun control. Do you have suggestions for further legislation regarding hand gun control and, if so, what are they?" SARAH BRADY at 1:19pm ET Yes, the Brady Bill has done a marvellous job in weeding out prohibited purchases from gundealers. However, it applies only to purchases made through federally licensced gun dealers. I would like to see background checks on all purchases of firearms. I also believe in a short waiting period (at least 3 days) to help accomplish the goal of a good, comprehenisve background check. It would also serve as a cooling off period. MODERATOR at 1:20pm ET Barbara Martin says: "I admire the Brady Bill, but would like to know what we can do about all these kids who have access to the family guns and shoot other kids. The kids go on trial, but shouldn't the parents also be held accountable?" SARAH BRADY at 1:23pm ET Barbara brings up an excellent point. When making a decision to have a gun in the home, the owner must take the responsibility for keeping these firearms locked up and unavailable to children and other prohibited persons. Mandatory safety training programs would aid greatly in reinforcing the responsibility of the gun owners. Additionally, many states have laws holding the adult gun owner responsible in the event of its misuse. These laws are just another tool in helping to reduce unnecessary accidents and misuse of guns. MODERATOR at 1:25pm ET Jim McGrath asks: "Of the 700,000 sales prevented, how many individuals were arrested?" SARAH BRADY at 1:26pm ET The important point to consider is that the purchase of the weapons by a prohibited person was stopped. One can only imagine how many lives were saved and tragedies avoided. Wendell Hall from ipt.aol.com at 1:26pm ET Pundits have already made much of Mrs. Brady's reluctance to blame the tobacco industry for the disease which seems about to claim her life, compared with her willingness to blame the gun industry for the incident which nearly claimed her husband's life. Will Mrs. Brady speak to that? SARAH BRADY at 1:30pm ET In both cases, both industries must be held accountable and bear responsibility for their marketing practices. I believe the tobacco industry should be regulated and that everything should be done to ensure that cigarettes are not marketed to children and that there is no misrepresentation to the general public about the dangers of smoking. The gun industry and tobacco industry are both special interests that must be held responsible for their business practices. SARAH BRADY at 1:32pm ET I certainly plan to speak out about the dangers of smoking and discourage young people from ever picking up that first cigarette. Denise from tnt1.morganton.nc.da.uu.net at 1:33pm ET Have you ever felt threatened because you took such a public stand against the NRA? SARAH BRADY at 1:33pm ET From time to time, there have been threats against me because of my stand. But I have always felt that I won't be deterred. Trish Fodor at 1:35pm ET I heard your story tonight On ABC and was so very inspired by it. I am a 37 year-old PR professional in Columbus, Ohio. Recently, the Ohio House has passed legislation allowing people to carry concealed guns. Although Governor Bob Taft is expected to veto it, (if law enforcement officals do not support it) I am appauled that it got this far. Your thoughts? SARAH BRADY at 1:38pm ET I agree totally. I applaud the governer and hope that he will veto the concealed carry bill. The carrying of concealed weapons poses, in my opinion, a great safety concern for the general public. The thought of people in bars, at sporting events, in the movies when children and innocent bystanders are present is a deep worry. James Mission at 1:38pm ET Do you believe in registration of all firearms? And if so, do you have any fear that the government would use that list to confiscate them? SARAH BRADY at 1:40pm ET I think the important thing is that we continue to work to have background checks on all purchases, not just those from gun dealers. This would achieve the goal that we're all looking for, which is to keep guns out of the wrong hands. For those folks who agree with me, I hope they will contact their elected officials. Brownie at 1:40pm ET Dear Mrs. Brady, What can the average citizen do to join your fight to prevent gun violence? Is there a number we can call? A website? Brownie WW SARAH BRADY at 1:43pm ET I'd like to direct you to our Web site, which is "www.bradycampaign.org." There is also the Web site for my book, "www.agoodfight.org." We offer many chances for interested individuals to get involved and through our union with the Million Mom March, there are countless ways to stay involved at the local level. MODERATOR at 1:47pm ET Our thanks to Sarah Brady and all those who joined the chat. If you'd like to join another live discussion, please visit our community index. Name: Include old messages Your message will go into a queue accessible only to the chat moderator, who will select and post messages.