Page 183 - Information and American Democracy Technology in the Evolution of Political Power

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Political Organizations
mothers in a political effort. 144 Adapting the name of the Million Man
March,arallyin1995sponsoredbytheNationofIslam,Dees-Thomases’s
first political action was to register “Million Mom March” as an Internet
domain name. Her second was to obtain a permit for a march on the
Capitol Mall. Symbolic of the speed of political action in the new in-
formation environment, she notes wryly that securing the domain name
that would serve as the Internet “location” of the mobilization effort took
just one day, while obtaining permission for the physical location at the
Mall required a week of effort.
Dees-Thomases’s original intent was to initiate the march and then
hand off the organization building and management of the event to
acquaintances in Washington familiar with political advocacy. She could
find no takers for her brainchild, however. Left largely on her own, she
recruited volunteers among friends, formed a steering committee, and
then organized a set of state coordinators who in turn recruited more
volunteers. 145 She and the volunteer network framed their efforts as a
mothers’ issue, adopting the slogan “We’re Looking for a Few Good
Moms” and featuring a “Mom’s Apple Pie Award” for officials who sup-
portedtougherguncontrollawsaswellasa“TimeOutChair”forpro-gun
officials – a designation monopolized by Majority Whip Tom Delay. In
their public rhetoric, march organizers used phrases such as: “Getting
some lawmakers to act reasonably is about as difficult as getting our
kids to clean their rooms. If we’ve told them once, we’ve told them a
hundred times.” 146 March organizers also pointed out that Mother’sDay,
the date of the march, originated during the Civil War to remind women
to care for each other’s wounded sons. 147 At a press conference on Labor
Day, Dees-Thomases pointed out that it was nine months until Mother’s
Day, saying, “If we mothers can make babies in nine months ... surely
that’s enough time for Congress to make tougher gun laws to protect
them.” 148 March organizers sought mandatory safety locks, a limit of

144 Million Mom March, press kit, May 8, 2000, http://www.millionmommarch.com;
George James, “Mothers Hope They’re One in a Million,” New York Times,Oct.31,
1999, p. A8.
145 Maria Newman, “March for Gun Control Starts with One Worried Mother,” New
York Times, March 27, 2000, p. B5.
146
Home Page, Million Mom March, May 26, 2000, http://www.millionmommarch.
com.
147
Million Mom March, “Million Mom March Held in Washington, DC on Mothers
Day: Mothers across the Country Call for Gun Licensing and Registration,” press
release, March 1, 2000, http://www.millionmommarch.com.
148
Quoted in James, “Mothers Hope They’re One in a Million.”
166