LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth |
VIEW Point |
by Peter Rosenstein |
Delaware Stonewall to Honor Jim and Sarah Brady
Courage. The quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., with firmness and without fear; bravery. To have the courage of one's convictions, to act with one's beliefs, especially in spite of criticism. There can be no question that both Jim and Sarah Brady both fit the definition of the word courage. I admired Jim and Sarah from afar for many years. I wasn't a supporter of Ronald Reagan's so I could only admire Jim Brady at that time for his wit and humor in handling the press. He had style. It was only after the shooting in 1981 that we really found out how much style he had and how deep it ran in his veins. Sarah, who many of us hadn't known until that fateful day, was a dedicated teacher, and has been an activist her whole life. She displayed a courage and spirit that was impossible not to admire. Her strength of character showed through to even those of us who only read about her in the papers. You may ask why Delaware Stonewall Democrats would pick the Brady's to honor at their third annual summer event on August 5th in Rehoboth Beach. The cynics among you may say, "Well they are well known and will attract a lot of people to the event." And I say to that, "Bravo, of course they will." But another less cynical reason would be because we in the GLBT community recognize the courage it takes to stand up for one's convictions and fight against many odds to do what you believe is right. The Bradys have done this in so many ways and are a shining example to all of us. After Jim was shot, he and Sarah rebuilt their lives and vowed to make a difference, and they have succeeded in so many ways, and for so many people. First doing so by just simply showing us how they lived their lives. But then in 1985 Sarah joined the fight against handguns and the senseless violence they caused. Sarah joined an organization that started in 1974 as The National Council to Control Handguns. It was renamed Handgun Control, Inc., in 1980. Through The Center to Prevent Handgun Violence (founded in 1983 as a sister organization to Handgun Control, Inc., the organization Sarah joined in 1985), she spoke for the victims who could no longer speak for themselves and for those still living and their families and friends whose lives had been changed forever by gun violence. Through Sarah's work and then Jim's they began to again impact people across the nation in a much more direct way. They took the proverbial bull by the horns and stood up to speak for all those who had been hurt by the epidemic of gun violence on our streets. They showed an unbelievable courage, first in how Jim dealt with the hand given him and the strength he showed in coming back to be a force in our world. Then through Sarah, who stood by him and fought with and for him and their family every day to bring a sense of normalcy to their life, and then moved on to share that fight with the world. In 1991 Sarah took on the role of Chair of the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence and in November, 1993 Jim and Sarah were with President Bill Clinton as he signed the Brady Bill at the White House. It was a long seven year struggle to get the bill passed by Congress and signed into law. In 2001 to honor Jim and Sarah for their work both organizations were renamed in their honor and Handgun Control, Inc., is now The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. It can be safely said that what started out as a small organization became, through the efforts of Jim and Sarah's pure willpower and their willingness to use the tragedy of Jim's shooting to benefit others, the leading organization dedicated to ending gun violence in the world. Many of us will always remember Jim and Sarah's appearance at the Democratic Convention in 1996 and how they spoke to the world from that platform, despite Jim's former political party affiliation, because they put people and issues over party. They had the courage to stand for their convictions and we are proud to recognize them for that. In 1999 Jim and Sarah moved to Rehoboth Beach fulltime. They had been coming to the beach for many years, and finally made the fulltime commitment to be part of the community. I had met Jim and Sarah once before, but actually spent a little bit of time chatting with them the first time in the Blue Moon where they both enjoyed eating. Sarah would get seated inside with Jim and the rest of their party and then would sneak out to the patio for a smoke. When Sarah was diagnosed with Lung Cancer, she faced the world with the same courage she has always shown and told the world she would just beat this as she beat other things in her life. Today she is still with us and we are all thankful for that. She and Jim got to know the owners of the Moon well. I will never forget the night a few years ago when she and Jim came in after one of the owners got into some legal trouble and said they just wanted to be there to support him. Again, that was just another example of their courage to stand up for someone in our community when others were shying away. Their life is replete with such examples. I think that we never really know how we personally will act when adversity strikes us, until it happens. We all hope that we will be courageous, but I don't think we ever know. Sarah and Jim have always been fighters, and they continue to be shining examples to our community of what it means to stand up and speak out for what you believe, even if it isn't always the most popular thing to do, or the easiest. We need more Jim and Sarah Brady's in our world. We need more people with their courage and fortitude, and that is why I am so proud that the Delaware Stonewall Democrats have chosen to honor them for their lives and their work and just for being two of the greatest people who have chosen to make Rehoboth Beach their home. For more information on the Delaware Stonewall event in Rehoboth Beach on August 5th, visit them on the Internet at delawarestonewall.org. |
LETTERS From CAMP Rehoboth, Vol. 16, No. 9 July 14, 2006 |