This interview took place on Monday, August 4th, 2014 from 10:35 to 11:00 PM EDT.
On an otherwise quiet Monday, March 30, 1981 in Washington, DC, our newly-elected President, Ronald Reagan was at a speaking engagement downtown. After making his speech he was being led back outside when shots rang out and the leader of the Free World was hit. But as he was rushed to the hospital, three other people also had to be attended to. Among those was the victim who was the most seriously wounded, press secretary James Brady, who was left permanently disabled and wheelchair-bound for the remainder of his life, which ended today at the age of 73. In addition to having the White House briefing room named after him, Jim Brady and his wife Sarah became the faces of the fight for gun control. In 1993, President Clinton signed the Brady Handgun Violence Protection Act into law. It requires background checks on firearms purchases from Federally-licensed dealers, and supporters estimate the law has blocked the transfer of about two million guns. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence has had its successes and failures over the years, but no one can doubt the former press secretary’s dedication to the cause. We’ll talk about James Brady’s legacy with return guest John Lott (@JohnRLottJr) of the Crime Prevention Research Center.
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