Patricia Maisch was one of the bystanders in attendance the day Jared Loughner opened fire on Gabby Giffords and her constituents meeting at the Congress on Your Corner event two years ago, and was one of among those who disarmed Loughner. In the time since, she’s been a strong advocate for gun control and has since testified in front of Congress on the matter.
This week, she was contacted by The Guardian (U.K.), for her opinion of the Executive Actions enumerated by President Obama on Wednesday.
From The Guardian:
Maisch has grown increasingly angry over the past two years as calls for tougher gun controls have been systematically stymied by the gun lobby. On Wednesday, having listened to President Obama vow to introduce real change, she has an uncompromising message for that gun lobby, and for the members of Congress who she believes are held in its sway.
“The NRA, the gun manufacturers, and most legislators are saturated in the blood of innocent children. It’s unforgivable that they have refused to take action,” she said.
Maisch said she was greatly heartened by measures outlined by Obama that would help prevent guns falling into the hands of mentally unstable people. Jared Lee Loughner, who is serving life in prison with no chance of parole for the Tucson killings, had been suspended from college for bizarre and erratic behaviour and was deemed unfit for military service but was still able to buy a 9mm Glock pistol at a gun store.
For more, check out guardian.co.uk.
This article appears in Jan 17-23, 2013.
i am doing something about guns too..i am buying more of them!…its a shame law obideing citizens should have to suffer because of an irresponsable person did not lock up their guns and a failed health care system that does nothing to help the uninsured mentally ill people!
obamas new world order, dissarm america!
If someone in the crowd would have had a gun and shot that guy when he fired the first shot it would have been done and over with. Where were the armed police force?
Chuck, someone in the group of bystanders was armed but in the confusion of the situation didn’t have the opportunity to respond. He, in fact, almost was ready to identify one of the crowd who had disarmed Loughner as the assailant. Fortunately, he didn’t shoot that person!
The idea that an armed populace is the cure for the spat of mass shootings lends credence to the N.R.A.’s position that all we need is more guns. America is awash in guns, what we need is more responsibility for gun ownership and mental health programs to help identify and treat problem individuals.
Nobody with a crumb of common sense has bothered to comment on the commentary above, so I feel it is my duty to step up.
@jammerk65 : Really? Law abiding citizens DID suffer. They were shot and I’m sure those who didn’t die suffered, not to mention the suffering of all their loved ones.
@Chuck Peterson: You obviously didn’t hear the part about the Safeway shooting where there was someone in the crowd who was armed & they almost shot an innocent person mistaking them for Loughner.
OOPS! Didn’t bother to consider those logical facts, did you now?
The man who had the gun was at the Drug Store when the shooting happened, he got there in time to help disarm the shooter. I had gone to Gabby’s events before, she never did anything to help me, but my concealed gun NEVER harmed anyone.
My apologies to JCC. Your comment wasn’t posted yet when I posted mine, I don’t want you to feel as if I included you with jammerk65 & Chuck Peterson. You obviously have a lot more common sense than either one of those people.
Has anyone seen the New NRA TV ad attacking The President and his children?
The NRA is a bunch of sick people that shouldn’t be in control of such a powerful organization. They need to represent only sportsman.
it would have been quite easy to spot someone with a gun shooting at people and take him out with a leagley owned gun, and again the system is doing nothing to help mentally ill people that have no insurance. sandy hook happened because an irresponsable person did not lock there guns in a safe and left them where a mentally ill person could get them.and once again law obideing citizens are suffering due to irresponsable people,my guns are locked in a 1000 pound safe just try to open it or carry it away,if u hate guns so much do us a favor and move to the north east!
p.s. go back to school AZ/DC to learn how to comprehend what u read before commenting on it, i said law obideing citizens have to suffer, meaning those that got shot their famlies and the law obideing citizen that own and enjoy useing firearms!
Alright jammerk65, maybe I misunderstood how you were putting your comment across, but I LMFAO when you told me to go back to school. Your horrible spelling and grammar show a textbook example of the pot calling the (what you believe to be) the kettle black. You’re the one who should be going back to school to earn your Junior High School diploma.
Just think Patricia, eventually you will be detrermined to be mentally deficient. Have you considered just who will make the determination and what will be the issues. Maybe because you believe something different than the powers to be, you have crossed the line from sanity to mentall disorder. Sounds like a power grab to me.
I am buyin as MANY AR-15’s LOWER receivers as I can (thats the part with the serial #) .. Obama is gonna make me RICH… thank you Obama…best gun salesman of all time..