Watch Gabby Giffords Speak at the Democratic National Convention

On Wednesday, August 19, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords led the evening of primetime programming in support of Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris at the Democratic National Convention. This was an important speech for Gabby and one she spent countless hours working on.

Almost 10 years after she was shot, Gabby is still recovering. Her aphasia makes it difficult for her to speak, but still she uses her voice to speak out for gun safety. When it came time to support her friend Joe in his campaign for president, Gabby knew she couldn’t sit this one out.

“Words once came easily, today I struggle to speak, 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,” Gabby says.

Gabby also highlighted how both she and Joe Biden have both turned personal tragedy into purpose. She gave us a glimpse into her ongoing recovery, including her work with a speech therapist and her efforts to relearn the instrument she played as a child: the french horn.

This is Gabby’s longest speech since she was shot in 2011. The powerful narration in the beginning was delivered by actress Regina King. “It was an honor to help share Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ story of perseverance and courage as part of the Democratic National Convention,” Regina said. “Her determination to never stay silent, against all odds, should be inspiration to us all.”

Earlier this week, we shared gun safety advocate Fred Guttenberg’s story of his friendship with Joe Biden and how Joe helped him move forward after his daughter was murdered at Parkland. Joe Biden’s compassion, leadership, and strong record on gun safety are among the many reasons why Gabby and our organization endorsed him this March. Joe is the Gun Safety President that our country needs and deserves.

Below is the full text of Gabby’s speech:

Confronted by despair, I’ve summoned hope. Confronted by paralysis and aphasia, I responded with grit and determination. I put one foot in front of another. I found one word, and then I found another. My recovery is a daily fight, but fighting makes me stronger. Words once came easily, but today I struggle to speak. 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. 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!