Page 186 - Information and American Democracy Technology in the Evolution of Political Power

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Gun Control 18:0
emphasizing gun safety and children, attempting to direct some of the
potential energy of the march away from itself. It announced a $1 million
contribution to its “Eddie Eagle” program for children, and ran print
ads the Sunday before the march, which read, “Thisisoneweektoput
politics aside and put kids first. Because whatever our disagreement over
gun politics, we all want gun safety. We all want safe kids.” 157 The NRA
had been pulled from its standard Second Amendment position. Finally,
on the day of the march itself, the NRAfinally stopped pulling its punches
and returned to its traditional line of polemicism. NRA Executive Vice
President Wayne LaPierre appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press, claiming
that education of children and more aggressive prosecution of criminals
was the way to reduce gun violence among the young. “Setting fire to
freedom should never be the answer,” he said. 158
Aside from NRA rhetoric, the countermarch planned for the same
day was the only organized opposition to the march. Called the Armed
Informed Mothers’ March (AIMM), it was organized by a group first
calling itself Moms 4 Guns. Eventually renamed the more palatable
“Second Amendment Sisters,” the group advocated tougher sentencing
forviolentcriminals,the“absoluterighttoself-defense,”safetyeducation,
and more involved parenting. 159 The Sisters claimed to be independent
of other pro-gun organizations, in particular the NRA, from which it
claimed to accept no funds or endorsement. 160 Even more so than the
Million Mom March, the Second Amendment Sisters/AIMM event was
Internet-based. It was founded in January 2000 in an Internet chat room
by five women, each from a different state. The group organized partic-
ipants through a web site and toll-free number, and grew modestly as a
virtual organization throughout the winter and spring. The Sisters stated
their mission as follows: “ ... There is a group of women who want to
take away, or severely infringe on your right to protect yourself and your
family. They call their effort the Million Mom March. We need you to

157
Susan Levine, “Marching Moms Hope to Recast Gun Debate,” Washington Post,
May 10, 2000, p. A1.
158
Susan Levine, “Many Moms’ Voices Are Heard on Mall,” Washington Post, May 15,
2000, p. A1.
159
Rosenfeld, “A Force of Nurture Readies for Battle,” p. C1.
160 Melinda Gierisch, a member of Second Amendment Sisters, reported to Washington
Post journalist Megan Rosenfeld that both the NRA and the Gun Owners of
America had turned down their requests for underwriting. See ibid. Other or-
ganizers reported the same to Post writer Susan Levine. See Susan Levine, “Pro-
Gun Women to Counter ‘Million Mom’ Message,” Washington Post, May 9, 2000,
p. B1.

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