Gun Violence Is a Full-Blown National Crisis [View all]

[SecularMotion]

On a bright winter morning more than five years ago, I was nearly murdered with a gun. At a meeting with my constituents in Tucson, Arizona, a troubled young man opened fire, injuring 12 others and killing six. I was shot in the head from three feet away. The bullet tore through the left side of my brain, an injury that is almost always fatal. Somehow, I survived.

Today, speaking is still hard for me. My eyesight isn’t very good, and despite hours and hours of physical therapy, my right arm and right leg remain mostly paralyzed. And I had to resign from a job I so loved: representing southern Arizona in Congress.

But I don’t spent a lot of time focusing on what I can no longer do. Instead, I’ve moved ahead and chased big goals. I’ve learned speeches and delivered them in front of crowds and cameras. I’ve gone skydiving. I’ve started relearning Spanish. For the first time in years, I’ve taken my French horn out of its case. And this past November, I rode 40 miles in Tucson’s annual charity bike ride, El Tour de Tucson.

Along with another opportunity at life, I was also given a second chance at service. At first, the path was unclear. My husband, Mark, a Navy combat veteran and retired NASA astronaut, and I asked each other: How can we make a difference? How can we still serve? How can we use our voice? The murder of 20 beautiful children in their classrooms at Sandy Hook School gave us our answer. It shocked us into action.

http://www.vogue.com/13442030/national-gun-violence-awareness-day-national-crisis-gabby-giffords/