Rating: 
Summary: Stay away!
Review: Brady ignores the statistics and the US Constitution (except her own first amendment rights)in her lockstep quest to rid the world of guns. She apparently believes that the opposing side is not allowed their first amendment rights (let alone their second amendment rights) while she should be able to fully exercise hers.
Avoid this book at all costs.
Rating:
Summary: Stay away!
Review: For the willfully ignorant and intellectually dishonest, this is great reading and of course Warren Berger, appointed to the Supreme Court by King Richard of Watergate fame, who thought that we had too much individual freedom ,gives his simplistic and unfounded opinion. Anyone could sympathize with Brady over the wounding of her husband, but she ignores any scholarly studies that differ from her point of view.Using Brady's rationale, we would still be under British rule, as the minuteman had no right to bear arms.Her statistics are not in line with those of the FBI or National Safety Council. Like all zealots, she creates her own statistics, oblivious to history or serious research.If you believe Brady, the murder capital of the United States would be the safest place to live, because it has the most restrictive gun laws.As for that tired myth that the 2nd ammendment pertains to the National Guard, The National Guard did not come into being until after the passage of the Dick Act, about 120 years after the ratification of the Bill of Rights.
Rating:
Summary: Good Reading for the Naive and Dishonest
Review: For the willfully ignorant and intellectually dishonest, this is great reading and of course Warren Berger, appointed to the Supreme Court by King Richard of Watergate fame, who thought that we had too much individual freedom ,gives his simplistic and unfounded opinion. Anyone could sympathize with Brady over the wounding of her husband, but she ignores any scholarly studies that differ from her point of view.Using Brady's rationale, we would still be under British rule, as the minuteman had no right to bear arms.Her statistics are not in line with those of the FBI or National Safety Council. Like all zealots, she creates her own statistics, oblivious to history or serious research.If you believe Brady, the murder capital of the United States would be the safest place to live, because it has the most restrictive gun laws.As for that tired myth that the 2nd ammendment pertains to the National Guard, The National Guard did not come into being until after the passage of the Dick Act, about 120 years after the ratification of the Bill of Rights.
Rating: 
Summary: Great and honest story
Review: Great book. The NRA folks need to come to the realization that there is no 2nd amendment right for individuals to own guns. Only one Appeals Court has said that there may be such a right and it has limited jurisdiction. The 2nd amendment is protecting the right of militias to own weapons. And guess what...there isn't a need for militias in this day and time. The amendment is now essentially useless. Thanks, Ms. Brady, for a wonderful story that brings a common sense message to the debate. Get this book today!
Rating:
Summary: A great Mother's Day gift !
Review: I borrowed this book from the library and read it in a day and a half. (I work two jobs, so I consider this to be a major accomplisment!) I liked "A Good Fight" so much that I then purchased a copy for my mom for mother's day. There is a lot to admire about Sarah Brady: the strength with which she faced and continues to face an adversary like the NRA; her courage in dealing with her husband's disability and her own cancer; her brutal honesty with which she addresses and discusses her ongoing battle with a cigarette addiction. The list goes on. Sarah faces every challenge in life with strength and determination and she is an inpiration to anyone who wants to make a difference and live their lives fully. There are many "good fights" in this inspiring and uplifting book. Kudos to Sarah Brady.
Rating:
Summary: The definition of grace under pressure
Review: I don't know what it is about guns that makes people react with such hatred and anger. This book is a powerful story of an intelligent, tough woman who has taken tragedy and turned it into a powerful crusade. She turned the tragic shooting of her husband, Jim, into an effort that has kept guns out of the hands of criminals only to find out that she's been stricken with cancer. And, again, she chose to fight - this time against the disease within. It's a powerful story, well told. Whether you agree with her policies or not, it's impossible not to admire her strength of character and conviction.
Rating:
Summary: An Inspirational Story
Review: I read two autobiographies back-to-back: one by Katherine Graham, and the other by Sarah Brady. These are two different women in Washington's inner political circle, from two different walks of life. Both women had life-altering experiences due to their husbands being shot. Graham's husband committed suicide; Brady's husband was permanently disabled during an assassination attempt on President Reagan. I found Brady's story about her life to be completely unpretentious and honest. It is a compelling story that reads easily. Brady wants to tell us about the episodes of her life, but the real inspiration lies in the way she addresses each of those episodes. Feel free to agree or disagree with her political preferences, or her beliefs about gun control. But don't for one minute question her authenticity. This is a book that entertains, while also making readers analyze their own values.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring Personal Journey
Review: Sarah Brady describes herself as a college goof-off, never quite the prettiest girl, and a happy housewife. She was delighted in 1981 when Ronald Reagan selected her husband, Jim Brady, as his Press Secretary. But she admits she was in over her head, wearing the wrong clothes and star-gazing at Washington's elite. Within three months, the dream was over. Jim Brady was gravely injured during the March 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan. Sarah Brady's life changed and she became a passionate advocate for sensible gun laws. Her hard work and name were instrumental in passing two laws over the objections of the NRA: the Brady Law that mandated a waiting period for handgun purchases, and the Assault Rifle Ban. For those interested in the give-and-take of the firearms battles in Washington, the book may drift a bit too often into asides about Jim's medical difficulties or the doings of a family maid or longtime friend, while not revealing all you might wish to know about the legislative tussles. Fair enough, you can flip ahead. In the end, the personal material reveals Mrs. Brady as a compassionate, strong woman who struggles with family, trauma, and self-doubt, and earns her every victory. She's not quite a hero, in some ways she's more interesting than that. An every-Jane who outworks her opponents. Brady was a dedicated Republican who felt the firearms issue need not be partisan, but rather one of common sense. While she has become something of a bogeywoman for the right-wing gun fans (just read some of the other reviews on this page), she states her position clearly, "I believe that law-abiding citizens should be able to buy and keep firearms. And I believe there are sensible standards that we can and should insist upon when it comes to gun ownership." (p.104). Her long years of work in Washington as a director of Handgun Control Inc., give her insights into the corridors of power. Thus her unflattering portraits of Charlton Heston ("phony") and Dick Cheney, who unconscionably was on the losing side of a 413-4 House vote in 1988 to ban plastic handguns that terrorists could use to sneak through metal detectors. One wonders if 9-11 has made Cheney revisit his position. Brady's greatest legacy may not be the two key bills that she shepherded into law. It may be that she showed the country that the majority of Americans who favor sensible gun regulations can be heard, and that their wishes can overcome extremist views. She showed us that one hard-working housewife can make a difference. This is a story of American democracy, how one brave citizen can change the law.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring Personal Journey
Review: Sarah Brady describes herself as a college goof-off, never quite the prettiest girl, and a happy housewife. She was delighted in 1981 when Ronald Reagan selected her husband, Jim Brady, as his Press Secretary. But she admits she was in over her head, wearing the wrong clothes and star-gazing at Washington's elite. Within three months, the dream was over. Jim Brady was gravely injured during the March 1981 assassination attempt on Reagan. Sarah Brady's life changed and she became a passionate advocate for sensible gun laws. Her hard work and common sense were instrumental in passing two laws over the objections of the NRA: the Brady Law that mandated a waiting period for handgun purchases, and the Assault Rifle Ban. For those interested in the give-and-take of the firearms battles in Washington, the book may drift a bit too often into asides about Jim's medical difficulties or the doings of a family maid or longtime friend, while not revealing all you might wish to know about the legislative battles. Fair enough, you can flip ahead. In the end, the personal material reveals Mrs. Brady as a compassionate, strong woman who struggles with family, trauma, and self-doubt, and earns her every victory. She's not quite a hero, in some ways she's more interesting than that. An every-Jane who outworks her opponents. Brady was a dedicated Republican who felt the firearms issue need not be partisan, but rather one of common sense. While she has become something of a bogeywoman for the right-wing gun nuts (just read some of the other reviews on this page), she states her position clearly, "I believe that law-abiding citizens should be able to buy and keep firearms. And I believe there are sensible standards that we can and should insist upon when it comes to gun ownership." (p.104). Her long years of work in Washington, as a director of Handgun Control Inc., give her access and insights into the corridors of power. Thus her unflattering portraits of Charlton Heston ("phony") and Dick Cheney, who unconscionably was on the losing side of a 413-4 House vote in 1988 to ban plastic handguns that terrorists could use to sneak through metal detectors. One wonders if 9-11 has made Cheney revisit his position. Brady's greatest legacy may not be the two key bills that she shepherded into law. It may be that she showed the country that the majority of Americans who favor sensible gun regulations can be heard, and that their wishes need not be trampled by the extremists who have hijacked the NRA. She showed us that one hard-working housewife can make a difference. This is a story of American democracy, how one brave citizen can change the law.
Rating:
Summary: A great Mother's Day gift !
Review: Sarah Brady has written from the heart. She lays out her personal life for all to read. Her reaction to Jim's shooting
is profound and she has done wonderful work in trying to counteract the profligate use of hand guns. I salute her.
|
