Former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, are launching a new gun control initiative, specifically to counter the insidious efforts of the “ideological fringe” pro-gun lobby. Here’s their op-ed in USA Today: Giffords and Kelly: Fighting Gun Violence.

In response to a horrific series of shootings that has sown terror in our communities, victimized tens of thousands of Americans, and left one of its own bleeding and near death in a Tucson parking lot, Congress has done something quite extraordinary — nothing at all.

I was shot in the head while meeting with constituents two years ago today. Since then, my extensive rehabilitation has brought excitement and gratitude to our family. But time and time again, our joy has been diminished by new, all too familiar images of death on television: the breaking news alert, stunned witnesses blinking away tears over unspeakable carnage, another community in mourning. America has seen an astounding 11 mass shootings since a madman used a semiautomatic pistol with an extended ammunition clip to shoot me and kill six others. Gun violence kills more than 30,000 Americans annually.

This country is known for using its determination and ingenuity to solve problems, big and small. Wise policy has conquered disease, protected us from dangerous products and substances, and made transportation safer. But when it comes to protecting our communities from gun violence, we’re not even trying — and for the worst of reasons.

Read the whole thing.

And here’s the website Giffords and Kelly are launching today: Americans for Responsible Solutions.

It’s going to be interesting to see if the right wing attacks Giffords as viciously as usual, or if they’ll be embarrassed at all by the fact that her gun control positions derive from her personal experience as a victim of gun violence.

I predict the former. They’re going to be incredibly vicious. The American right wing has no shame about things like this.

And in fact, the attacks are already under way in the right wing blogosphere. If your stomach can handle it, check out the vile, sickening comments at wingnut site Weasel Zippers.

US Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was nearly killed in Tucson by deranged anti-immigrant, anti-government gunman Jared Lee Loughner, announced today that she’ll be resigning to focus on her recovery. Here’s the video she posted with her moving statement.

Tucson shooting victim Eric Fuller apologized today for his threat to Tea Party leader Trent Humphries.

Tucson, Arizona (CNN) — Arizona shooting victim James Eric Fuller sent his apologies Monday for telling a Tea Party leader, “you are dead.”

Dorothy DeRuyter, a companion of Fuller’s, provided CNN with a statement.

“I would like to tender my sincerest apologies to Mr. (Trent) Humphries for my misplaced outrage on Saturday at the St. Odelia’s town meeting,” Fuller said in the statement. “It was not in the spirit of our allegiance and warm feelings to each other as citizens of our great country.”

Fuller, 63, was involuntarily committed to a county mental health facility after he photographed Tucson Tea Party founder Humphries and said, “You are dead” when Humphries began speaking at the event.

Fuller “is apologetic and very sad” about his outburst, DeRuyter said. “He wishes he could go back and do things differently,” she said.

Humphries said Fuller’s comment came when the town hall discussion turned to gun control.

Eric Fuller, the Arizona shooting victim who came out yesterday and said he blamed Sarah Palin, Glenn Beck, and Sharron Angle for the crime, will be charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly making a death threat against Tucson Tea Party spokesman Trent Humphries.

Yikes. Arizona’s turning into the Wild West.