“I’m fighting hard to make the world a better place, and you can too. Get involved with your community, be a leader, set an example, be passionate, be your best.”
Gabrielle Giffords
(b. June 8, 1970)
Gabby Giffords was a former U.S. Representative from Arizona. Her life was upended in an instant when she suffered a gunshot wound to her head during an assassination attempt in January, 2011. She became a fierce gun control advocate as a result and founded (along with her husband, Mark Kelly), “Americans for Responsible Solutions” in 2012.
Prior to that, however, she focused her energy on expanding health care access. Congresswoman Giffords pushed for bills related to mental health and was named “Legislator of the Year” in 2004 by the Mental Health Association of Arizona. She also earned the Sierra Club’s “Most Valuable Player” award.
As the head of a district that shares a 100-mile border with Mexico, Giffords addressed border security and violence associated with drug trafficking in the region. In 2009, she invited 60 federal, state and local law enforcement officers to a drug violence summit, in order to address the trafficking issues in northern Mexico and their effect on the United States.
It was a long road to recovery with her husband by her side, but Gabby Giffords is still fighting hard for gun sense. She also encouraged her husband to run for Senator of Arizona and has been his strongest support. It is one of the best love stories told today.
The short list:
- After surviving a devastating gunshot wound, she became a fierce gun control advocate.
- Created “Americans for Responsible Solutions.”
- Awarded “Legislator of the Year” by Mental Health Assn. of AZ
- Awarded “Most Valuable Player” by the Sierra Club.
Noteworthy American Women Project 