Those of us who were on Long Island back in 1993 have a special empathy for Rep. Carolyn McCarthy who is running for re-election to Congress against a well-funded NRA-supported opponent. Probably you remember her as well: that year, a man opened fire on a crowded commuter train, and killed her husband and seriously wounded her son. In pain, anger and frustration with her local officials who refused to fight for tougher gun regulation, she decided to run for Congress.
So when her letter arrived today asking for help, I was interested to see what the sixth-term congresswoman would say. She digs right into the McCain/Palin team’s pro-gun regardless of consequences ideology:
As someone who lost her husband to gun violence and helped her son recover from near fatal wounds, I can tell you there is no greater threat to family life than the guns-at-any cost mentality trotted out by Governor Palin and her backers from the NRA
UPDATE: here's a link to more info about McCarthy, courtesy of LNK in the comments below.
Her opponent, Mineola Mayor Jack Martins, is catching up to her in funds raised, and partly, she says, because of NRA support.
She’s asking for help in her fight for sensible gun legislation:
Every dollar you give helps me fend off attacks from the gun lobby and its radical supporters, who call me "the most notorious anti-gunner in Congress.
And every dollar that you donate gives me the power to expose the extreme ideology of our opponents. It’s an ideology that opposes tougher laws to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and terrorists. It’s an ideology that sees no problem in allowing the sale of powerful machine guns that can shoot down a commercial airliner.
And it’s an ideology that will sacrifice the safety of our families to protect the profits and power of the gun lobby and the gun industry.
McCarthy has kept a low profile on other issues, and some characterize her as a bit of a one-trick pony. But given the political power of the gun lobby, she’s taken a brave and noble stand to fight to allow localities to craft sensible policy on arms control in their neighborhoods, and to push for national data-sharing to prevent gun sales to criminal or mentally incompetent buyers. It makes sense to me.
Her seat is in the heart of Nassau County, which tends to vote Republican, but her personal appeal has carried her through six elections. This year, though, she's running against a popular mayor with outside support. I decided to send $20 to support her campaign. If you feel strongly about electing a sensible pro-gun-control Congress this fall, you can donate to McCarthy's campaign here.