MILLION MOM MARCH FOUNDER COMES TO ENGLEWOOD

At a meeting on Wednesday, December 3, 2014, hosted by Carole Benson, Donna Dees-Thomases, founder of the grassroots movement known as The Million Mom March came to inspire and galvanize 30 concerned people from NCJW BCS and members of the Bergen County Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence.

Donna opened her talk by telling us how she became involved. After she was devastated by broadcast coverage of the Los Angeles Jewish Community Center shooting in Granada Hills, California in October 1999, she and several other activists held a news conference in Manhattan, where they announced their intent to march on Washington, DC. The march, held on May 14, 2000 to coincide with Mother’s Day, was a tremendous success, with a turnout of approximately 750,000 supporters, “one million” being a metaphor, she confessed. Under Donna’s leadership, the organization became chapter-based and merged with the victim-led anti-gun violence group Bell Campaign. In 2002 the Million Mom March organization merged with the Brady Campaign, now numbering 68 chapters.

Donna is the author of a book entitled Looking for a Few Good Moms: How One Mother Rallied a Million Others Against the Gun Lobby. She has recently received a grant which enables her to visit, advise and assist grassroots movements like NCJW BCS and the Bergen County Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, which is why she traveled from her home in Manhattan to speak to us.

Her main message was to concentrate on turning Congress people who are not gun violence prevention supporters and be relentless. Go to their offices and speak to their legislative aides, chief of staff or press secretary. Be consistent; bring five people, preferably women, including someone who really knows policy. Even if they never change, you’ll raise awareness and improve the chance of defeating them in 2016.

She told of a success in Louisiana where two women from the United Way got a domestic violence law passed, by turning around a pro-gun legislator.

She said it’s easy to become a chapter of the Brady Campaign. Advantages: they are very well funded; they can handle insurance for event venues; they do accounting/fundraising and they love to sue. They are currently running a Bad Apple campaign and suing sellers who openly sell to straw purchasers (people who purchase goods or services for someone else to use.)

She recommended reaching out to Junior League, PTA, teacher’s union and League of Women Voters, all groups that helped with her Million Mom March. She raised $2.9 million to do the march, mostly from corporate sponsors. She thinks an event at Madison Square Garden, Prudential Center or other large venue would be better than a march, especially as this would avoid the need to provide bathroom facilities.

Nationally, she expects background checks to be the next effort and possibly domestic violence.

A lively and informed Q&A ensued, indicating that many attendees were ready and willing to join together to make their voices heard.

Carole Benson, Chair, NCJW BCS Gun Violence Prevention Committee

L-R: Carole Benson, Ed Gross, Chair Bergen County Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence, Donna Dees-Thomases, Founder Million Mom March