How a grieving mom changed Kirsten Gillibrand's stance on guns

[brooklynite]

Washington Post

NEW YORK — As she walked through the doors of Nazareth Regional High School in Brooklyn, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told herself that all she needed to do was “show my heart.” Maybe then, in the Democrat’s first major appearance as a senator, she could gain the trust of a grieving community angry over her support for gun rights.

Inside, Jennifer Pryear waited for her. She held a photograph of her daughter, Nyasia Pryear-Yard. She wasn’t sure she wanted to meet a politician. “She’s not from Brooklyn. She’s from upstate. She likes guns,” Pryear remembered thinking. “But then I thought, if I could use my tragedy to make a difference, it would be worth it.”


It was February 2009, two weeks after Gillibrand had been appointed to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate and three weeks since Nyasia, 17, left the house to go to a dance party. Someone started shooting, and a bullet struck Nyasia, killing her.

Pryear showed Gillibrand the picture and begged her to support stricter gun-control measures. To Pryear’s surprise, her pleas seemed to work. Gillibrand looked into the mother’s eyes and promised, “Your daughter’s death won’t be in vain.” Later, Gillibrand pledged to introduce gun-control legislation and start an internship program in her office in Nyasia’s honor.

[hlthe2b]

1. I certainly should hope so...

[MyOwnPeace]

2. Appreciate the story.........

but nothing can change my mind about her - re: Senator Al Franken.

[Trumpocalypse]

5. I thought being a Liberal/Progressive

meant having an open mind?

[MyOwnPeace]

21. Having an open mind

does not mean that you can consider something wrong as possibly being right later............

[Trumpocalypse]

32. Depends on what you consider more wrong nt

[MyOwnPeace]

34. So now I guess

you can figure out what I believe was "more wrong."

[Trumpocalypse]

35. You tell me nt

[SMC22307]

26. It does. My mind is open to the fact that a colleague...

of Al Franken's led the charge against him to further her career.

[Trumpocalypse]

31. Further her career?

How so? And does the same judgement apply to Harris, Booker, Warren and Sanders.

[Politicub]

22. DRINK!

Franken mention - check!

[mtnsnake]

3. The real reason that Gillibrand changed her stance on guns (and immigration, too) was because

Hillary Clinton handed Gillibrand her Senate seat on a silver platter, and since Gillibrand was no longer representing a red leaning district in the House (NYS District 20), she knew damn well that, as Senator, she better change her pro-gun and anti-immigration stances or she wouldn't get re-elected. Then she had the nerve to throw Bill and Hillary under the bus when she said Bill should have resigned over the Lewinsky affair. Gillibrand changes her stripes to suit whatever office she is running for and shouldn't be trusted, but I hope she follows through on the gun legislation and the internship she promised to that grieving mother.

[Trumpocalypse]

6. Clinton had nothing to do with Gillibrand getting the Senate seat

Unless you are alleging that laws were broken. Are you?

[mtnsnake]

10. If you don't think Hillary had anything to do with Gillibrand being appointed to her vacant seat,

then you really should do some research on it. Hillary (and Bill) nurtured Gillibrand in her political career, only to get stabbed in the back by Gillibrand. Google it if you don't believe me. If I tell you that Gillibrand used to be cozy with the NRA, you probably won't believe that either.

[Trumpocalypse]

11. So you are alleging

that laws were broken.

[mtnsnake]

12. I'm not alleging any such thing

but nice try in trying to change the subject because you can't accept the facts about Gillibrand and how she threw the Clintons under the bus.

[Trumpocalypse]

14. You're alleging that Clinton was involved in the process of naming

her successor. Which is illegal. So are you claiming that the law was broken or not?

[mtnsnake]

15. No. The only thing I'm alleging right now is that you are spinning nothing but nonsense

You would have much better luck trying that crap on someone else. Have a nice day!

[Trumpocalypse]

19. You said

That Clinton handed her Senate seat to Gillibrand on a silver platter which implies that Clinton was involved in the process of naming her successor thereby breaking the law. Are you retracting your earlier statement?

[mtnsnake]

20. Try your debate school lessons on someone else

You've wasted enough of my time.

I'm done with you so toss the bait somewhere else. Take care.

[Trumpocalypse]

30. So do you stand by your original statement

or are you retracting it?

[customerserviceguy]

8. I'm with you except for one thing

By not voting, Caroline Kennedy was the one holding the silver platter. If she had bothered to do her civic duty, we'd have never heard of Gillibrand.

[JI7]

16. not really, caroline just isn't good in public although she would

have been a good senator. but she doesn't have the talent of her parents and uncle when it comes to campaigning.

her failure there really hurt Ted Kennedy.

[customerserviceguy]

17. That's true

but I was living in NY at time that Sen. Clinton gave up her seat to become Secretary of State, and NY Gov. David Patterson had choices to make. When Caroline Kennedy's name was raised, her dismal voting history came up, and her name was quickly withdrawn.

Being as this was going to be filled by an appointment from the Governor, there was no campaigning ability required. Chances are she could have rode the Kennedy name to re-election in NY.

[SMC22307]

4. She still doesn't have a snowball's chance.

Dems and Indies won't forget how she led the charge against Franken. Hell, I work with a couple of Republicans who can't stand Franken but agree he got a raw deal.

[Trumpocalypse]

7. Along with over 30 other Senators

including Harris, Warren, Booker and Sanders.

[customerserviceguy]

9. Which is why

they're near the bottom of my list of who to vote for in the primary.

[mtnsnake]

13. Harris, Warren, Booker and Sanders never cozied up to the NRA like Gillibrand once did.

Nor were any of those four you mentioned ever anti-immigration like Gillibrand was when she was in the House and represented NY's 20th District.

[Trumpocalypse]

18. True

But those are different issues.

[SMC22307]

24. "LED THE CHARGE."

[Politicub]

23. DRINK!

Or BINGO... whichever is your pleasure.

Spot five posts that can be reduced to “but what about Franken tho?” and win!

[SMC22307]

25. FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN

FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN FRANKEN...

Sufficiently sloshed yet?

[Politicub]

27. Are you trying to get me drunk?

Because I don't think I can keep up with this FRANKEN storm.

[SMC22307]

28. OK, let's move on to Big Tobacco and the NRA.

Lightweight.

[Politicub]

29. LOL - I give up! Uncle!

[wyldwolf]

33. And it amazingly happened around the same time she went from being a rep of a red district...

... to a Senator of a liberal state.

I'm fairly certain she was never really the gun nuts' friend.