Giffords tells DNC: 'Speak out, even when you have to fight to find the words'
Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords addressed the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday, urging support for Joe Biden while saying "America needs all of us to speak out, even when you have to fight to find the words."
Giffords, who still has difficulty speaking aloud and physical limitations after being shot in the head in a 2011 assassination attempt, gave her remarks in a pre-recorded video.
"He was there for me; he'll be there for you, too," said the former congresswoman of the Democratic presidential nominee.
"I've known the darkest of days, days of pain and uncertain recovery," said Giffords, speaking to the camera in an uninterrupted take. "But confronted by despair, I've summoned hope. Confronted by paralysis and aphasia, I've responded with grit and determination. I put one foot in front of the other. I found one word and then I found another. My recovery is a daily fight, but fighting makes me stronger."
Six people were killed and 13 others wounded, including Giffords, in the January 2011 attack on a constituent event in Tucson. Giffords, who barely survived the shooting and resigned from Congress a year later after extensive surgery and physical therapy, became a crusader for gun control, founding a lobbying organization that bears her last name. Her husband, Mark Kelly, is the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in November's election.
"But I have not lost my voice. America needs all of us to speak out, even when you have to fight to find the words," she said. "We are at a crossroads. We can let the shooting continue or we can act. We can protect our families, our future. We can vote. We can be on the right side of history We must elect Joe Biden. He was there for me; he'll be there for you, too. Join us in this fight. Vote, vote, vote."
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