State Of The Union Address: Gabrielle Giffords In New Gun Reform Ad

Gabrielle Giffords is starring in a new TV ad urging Congress to enact laws on gun control.

Gabrielle Giffords, the former Arizona congresswoman and Democrat, has become a quintessential gun control advocate since she was shot in 2011 in Tucson, about a mile away from Oro Valley. Being a victim makes her a perfect spokesperson for the cause, and she knows it.

In the ad, Gabrielle Giffords speaks slowly but clearly, narrating the ad paid for by Americans for Responsible Solutions, an organization created by her and her husband Mark Kelly. According to the Tucson Citizen, sad images in the ad remind viewers of mass shootings in Colorado, Wisconsin, and, of course Tucson, where Gabrielle Giffords was among those shot. The images pass on the screen as she speaks:

“We have a problem. Where we shop; where we pray; where our children go to school. But there are solutions we can agree on, even gun owners like us. Take it from me, Congress must act. Let’s get this done.”

The gun reform ad is the first by the Giffords’ organization and is scheduled to run in Washington, D.C., and four other top congressional districts including Cincinnati, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and Louisville, Kentucky.

The ad is backed by a six-figure budget and will run this week on major networks including on Tuesday in amendment to President Obama’s State of the Union address.

According to Yahoo News, Gabrielle Giffords and Mark Kelly will attend President Obama’s State of the Union address as guests of Arizona Democratic Republican Ron Barber, the successor to Giffords in Congress, and Arizona Republican Senator John McCain.

Do you think Gabrielle Giffords’ gun reform ad will be enough to speed things along in the government?