It was an endorsement from one of the best-known modern survivors of gun violence: former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
Taking the podium at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday evening after being introduced by her husband, retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly, Giffords gave a nod to girl power before casting her public vote for Hillary Clinton.
“In Congress, I learned a powerful lesson: Strong women get things done! Hillary is tough. Hillary is courageous. She will fight to make our families safer. In the White House, she will stand up to the gun lobby. That’s why I’m voting for Hillary!”
Giffords, a beloved moderate Democratic representative for Arizona, was shot in early 2011 during a public meeting in a supermarket parking lot in Tucson. Several people were killed, including a 9-year-old girl, and Giffords was shot in the head.
Before introducing his wife, Kelly noted his years in the military and with NASA.
“My decades as a pilot, military officer, and astronaut gave me a unique perspective. From above, I saw our country at its best. I also saw humanity at its worst. I saw us lead an international coalition against the illegal invasion of Kuwait. I also saw the devastating human effects of war itself.”
He then turned his attention to Clinton, saying she “is ready to take on one of our country’s greatest moral failures here on our soil: The gun violence that is tearing so many of our communities apart.”
Giffords ended her short speech with a nod to the challenges she still faces more than five years after the shooting, coupled with an optimism for her candidate:
“Speaking is difficult for me. But come January, I want to say these two words: ‘Madam President.’ “
