SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
Gun Control Advocate James Brady Dies at Age 73
Former White House aide who dedicated his later years to establishing more aggressive gun laws in the United States and co-founded the Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence
Aug 04, 2014
James Brady, the former White House press secretary who was shot and partially paralyzed during the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan and went on to found the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, has died at the age of 73, members of his family confirmed on Monday.
"We are heartbroken to share the news that our beloved Jim 'Bear' Brady has passed away after a series of health issues," read the statement released by his family. "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."
Brady was forced to live in a wheelchair after being shot in 1981 when John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to kill President Ronald Reagan, under whom Brady served as White House press secretary.
Subsequent to the shooting, Brady and his wife Sarah founded the Brady Campaign to advocate for better gun control and safety laws . In 1993, the landmark Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act--known simply as "the Brady Bill"-- was signed into law by Congress. As originally intended, the law mandated a five-day waiting period and a background check before a prospective buyer could purchase a handgun.
In the wake of a growing number of mass shootings in the country--and despite the virtual stranglehold of the powerful National Rifle Association and the gun lobby--the Brady Campaign has remained a steady voice for stronger legislative measures to combat the national scourge of gun violence in the United States.
The family statement continued:
Jim touched the lives of so many and has been a wonderful husband, father, friend and role model. 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.
Over the years, Jim inspired so many people as he turned adversity into accomplishment. Whether working to prevent others from becoming victims of gun violence, mentoring his Sigma Chi brothers, or working to improve the lives of Americans with disabilities, Jim used his many talents and can-do attitude to make a difference in the lives of others. We believe with all our hearts that he did.
While we mourn the loss of our Bear, we take comfort in the time we had with him and the marked impact he had on us and so many other lives. He will forever live on in our memories and in the powerful example he set for all of us.
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
James Brady, the former White House press secretary who was shot and partially paralyzed during the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan and went on to found the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, has died at the age of 73, members of his family confirmed on Monday.
"We are heartbroken to share the news that our beloved Jim 'Bear' Brady has passed away after a series of health issues," read the statement released by his family. "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."
Brady was forced to live in a wheelchair after being shot in 1981 when John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to kill President Ronald Reagan, under whom Brady served as White House press secretary.
Subsequent to the shooting, Brady and his wife Sarah founded the Brady Campaign to advocate for better gun control and safety laws . In 1993, the landmark Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act--known simply as "the Brady Bill"-- was signed into law by Congress. As originally intended, the law mandated a five-day waiting period and a background check before a prospective buyer could purchase a handgun.
In the wake of a growing number of mass shootings in the country--and despite the virtual stranglehold of the powerful National Rifle Association and the gun lobby--the Brady Campaign has remained a steady voice for stronger legislative measures to combat the national scourge of gun violence in the United States.
The family statement continued:
Jim touched the lives of so many and has been a wonderful husband, father, friend and role model. 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.
Over the years, Jim inspired so many people as he turned adversity into accomplishment. Whether working to prevent others from becoming victims of gun violence, mentoring his Sigma Chi brothers, or working to improve the lives of Americans with disabilities, Jim used his many talents and can-do attitude to make a difference in the lives of others. We believe with all our hearts that he did.
While we mourn the loss of our Bear, we take comfort in the time we had with him and the marked impact he had on us and so many other lives. He will forever live on in our memories and in the powerful example he set for all of us.
James Brady, the former White House press secretary who was shot and partially paralyzed during the attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan and went on to found the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, has died at the age of 73, members of his family confirmed on Monday.
"We are heartbroken to share the news that our beloved Jim 'Bear' Brady has passed away after a series of health issues," read the statement released by his family. "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."
Brady was forced to live in a wheelchair after being shot in 1981 when John Hinckley, Jr. attempted to kill President Ronald Reagan, under whom Brady served as White House press secretary.
Subsequent to the shooting, Brady and his wife Sarah founded the Brady Campaign to advocate for better gun control and safety laws . In 1993, the landmark Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act--known simply as "the Brady Bill"-- was signed into law by Congress. As originally intended, the law mandated a five-day waiting period and a background check before a prospective buyer could purchase a handgun.
In the wake of a growing number of mass shootings in the country--and despite the virtual stranglehold of the powerful National Rifle Association and the gun lobby--the Brady Campaign has remained a steady voice for stronger legislative measures to combat the national scourge of gun violence in the United States.
The family statement continued:
Jim touched the lives of so many and has been a wonderful husband, father, friend and role model. 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.
Over the years, Jim inspired so many people as he turned adversity into accomplishment. Whether working to prevent others from becoming victims of gun violence, mentoring his Sigma Chi brothers, or working to improve the lives of Americans with disabilities, Jim used his many talents and can-do attitude to make a difference in the lives of others. We believe with all our hearts that he did.
While we mourn the loss of our Bear, we take comfort in the time we had with him and the marked impact he had on us and so many other lives. He will forever live on in our memories and in the powerful example he set for all of us.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.