Here’s the latest installment from Mary Liegh (BLECH!) (She’s dropped that hyphen from her signature. Hmm….). Again, don’t read this on a full stomach. BTW-Each paragraph on the site is now separated with iddy-biddy lavender hearts. REVOLTING. Here’s the offensive update:

Hello Mothers and Others,
It?s the 14th of July, and I wish a huge and happy two-month anniversary of our historic March to all of you. A lot has happened since our last newsletter as the Million Moms march on….

Prepare to be shocked. Our number of chapters is growing like a grassroots wildfire. More than one-hundred additional chapters have begun organizing since our last newsletter. We now have more than 230 chapters in formation across the country. Wow.

For information about joining a chapter (or starting your own) click here: http://info.millionmommarch.com:81/um/t.asp?a101.687.8.1.582

More good news on the chapter front. Our Regional Offices are starting to see the National Policy Surveys pour in! Keep them coming as they are needed for the endorsement process and our strategic planning. So put on your t-shirts and go survey your congressional candidates in person. It?s a lot like helping the kids with their homework, except the MMM questions are probably a lot easier!

Such a deal we have! If you?d like to make a contribution to our cause, right now is a great time. During the month of July, Working Assets will match your gift dollar for dollar through their new WorkingForChange website. To double your gift for gun control by July 31st, click here: http://info.millionmommarch.com:81/um/t.asp?a101.687.8.2.582

Speaking of money, we have a movement to fund! As you know, the opposition is pouring major dollars into defeating our efforts and we need to raise lots of money to keep marching forward. We are conducting national mail and telephone campaigns to reach out to as many people as possible and ask them to support our cause. Also, we want to thank our major donors to the March ev ent, including the Richard & Rhoda Goldman Fund, Irene Diamond at the Funders Collaborative, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, the Overbrook Foundation, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, CIBC World Markets, Dannon Yogurt and others.

Million Mom leaders and organizers met in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta and just outside Washington, DC last month to learn advocacy training and the art of grassroots chapter organizing. One mom described her session as a ?combination college course in lobbying and management, reunion and therapy session.? Congratulations to all you ?graduates.?

A Million Mom March: What Next? workshop was set up by Mayor Marc Morial of New Orleans for the moms who attended the march in Washington. Donna Dees-Thomases and Jaquie Algee, MMM Southeast Regional Director, attended the workshop with a dozen or so local moms who shared their stories and photos from the Mother?s Day event. Since Louisiana has one of the highest rates of death by gunfire (and the second poorest state laws, next to Maine), these women are very eager to set up Million Mom March chapters across the state. You Go Girls!

The Million Mom March Board of Directors met last week and proudly and happily nominated Donna Dees-Thomases to be Chair of the Board.

And while we?re bragging, this Republican was honored to represent all of you in testifying before the 2000 Democratic National Convention Platform Hearing last week. You can read my testimony on our website.

We outta be in pictures! The official Million Mom March video, a powerful and moving overview of the Washington March and several other rallies around the country, is almost complete. The best place to get your copies is our website. Go to http://www.millionmommarch.com the week of July 24th for more information and to order your videos.

Many of you have asked for more information about gun policy and ways to explain to your friends and co-workers why we really need licensing and registration. We have some info that will help you. Just click here: http://info.millionmommarch.com:81/um/t.asp?a101.687.8.3.582

There have been several major court and legislative victories since our last newsletter. Here are some highlights:

There was a huge defeat for the gun lobby in California. The State Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of its assault weapons ban, one of the strongest gun control measures in America.

Colorado?s Supreme Court also dismissed challenges by the gun lobby and cleared the way for those who want sensible gun laws. The ruling allows proponents to collect enough signatures to put a measure on the ballot in November that would close the gun show loophole. Our Colorado moms have been working hard to gather petition signatures.

Million Mom Marchers in New York stood vigil with New Yorkers Against Gun Violence and helped encourage passage of an historic bill that will greatly help the effort to end gun violence. Among other things, the bill raises the legal age for purchasing handguns and requires background checks on buyers at all gun shows in the state.

And a special congrats to the Oregon moms, led by Lisa Laursen-Thirkill, for their great work in helping get enough signatures to put a ?close the gun show loophole? initiative on the November ballot.

For details of current gun legislation, you can visit: http://www.gunfree.org

Mom is watching! To find out how your lawmakers have voted on gun issues check out our Legislative Action Center. You can search by zip code for your federal and local reps, join an action e-list, search by zip code for local media contacts, follow Election 2000 and keep on marching. The Legislative Action Center is just a click away from the MMM home page.

They say you?ve finally arrived when you?re a clue in a crossword puzzle. The puzzle in the June 16th Wall Street Journal had this clue: 58 Down “Million Mom March target”. The answer is three letters.

And perhaps even more importantly, we were also a question on (lights and music, please) Who Wants To Be A Millionaire! ?The Million Mom March marched for ________.? Is that your final answer?

Congratulations to the Kentucky moms who marched in the 4th of July parade in Lexington. The moms report they were cheered along the entire parade route and even had Kentucky’s Lieutenant Governor who was marching just in front of our moms pledging support for our cause.

Also in Kentucky, moms are buying teddy bears and dressing them in t-shirts that say “no child’s life should end with a bang.” The bears also carry an ear-tag saying teddy bears have to undergo more stringent consumer testing in this country than guns. The Kentucky moms will sell the bears as a fundraising activity and also give them to legislators.

And some Maryland moms and daughters who marched in the Longfellow Parade say their reception was hugely gratifying. ?Lots and lots of recognition and applause, lots of thumbs-up. But the best was a young Boy Scout who saw our sign and said, ?Isn’t that the moms who marched for smarter gun laws?? He was about 8-9 years old and he GOT IT.? Great news.

Thanks to everyone from Michigan for updating our information on their local marches. If anyone else has updated march information, please let us know. In the meantime, you might want to visit Michigan?s MMM website: http://www.gonow.to/mimmm/

And if you have a MMM website you?d like to share, let us know.

There?s a new website designed to allow anyone to trace the history of a particular gun. The site allows ordinary citizens as well as law enforcement officers to report stolen weapons. The site is free for searches, but there is a $5.00 fee to post serial numbers of stolen guns. http://www.IsThisGunStolen.com

A collection of recent editorial cartoons on the NRA is available at: http://cagle.slate.msn.com/news/nra/

And, a collection of editorial cartoons on school shootings can be found at: http://cagle.slate.msn.com/news/schoolshooting/

Two Harvard students have founded a web journal that will publish stories from survivors of gun violence as well as stories from people who want to speak out against gun trauma. Stories can assume any art form from poetry to photographs. A special “Memorial” will list names of those who have been lost to or wounded by gun violence. If you?d like to participate, please send submissions by August 1, 2000 via mail to Artnotguns, PO Box 380689, Cambridge, MA 02238 or email them at [email protected] http://www.artnotguns.org

SOME DATES TO REMEMBER…

July 18 — ABC?s Good Morning America will feature a Million Mom marcher to talk about how she turned a mother’s grief and anger into changing New York state law. Be sure to tune in!.

July 29 — Silent March at the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. Thirty thousand pairs of shoes will be displayed to represent the 30,000 Americans who die every year from gun violence. Mary Leigh Blek, your Million Mom March President, will speak at 8am. For more information on the Silent March activites at the GOP Convention please visit: http://www.silentmarch.org

July 30 — ?SLAM the NRA? concert in Philadelphia co-sponsored by HCI and SLAM Records.

July 31-August 3 — The Republican Convention in Philadelphia. We?ll be there.

August 13-16 — The Youth Advisory Board of the Million Mom March holds its first retreat near San Jose. The members are 18-24 years old, and the majority are gunshot victims and survivors. This group of young people from diverse communities throughout California will help us develop training and materials. Stay tuned for more news on our youth programs later this fall.

August 14-17 — The Democratic Convention in Los Angeles. We?ll be there.

August 17 — Just one year ago today Donna Dees-Thomases submitted our first permit application to march on Washington for Mother?s Day, 2000. As usual, we only needed nine months to deliver the goods. Pat yourselves on the back, everyone.

August 24 — The 80th Anniversary of the Ratification of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote. Not having email, or a website, it took suffragettes 76 years to get the amendment ratified. In honor of the Internet, why not jump online today and register to vote. BeAVoter allows people in 46 states to complete an online form to vote in their particular state. Within ten days, a paper copy of the completed registration form arrives in the mail. Sign the form and mail it back in a pre-addressed envelope. Remember there are deadlines, so register today. And get a friend to register, too. http://www.beavoter.org

Speaking of voting, our Westchester County, NY moms have hooked up with their League of Women Voters to register people offline. All it takes is a card table and some registration forms. The League has the registration packets so give them a call, pick up your card table and march to your local grocery store or library or mall to help folks sign up to vote.

Labor Day — MARCH AGAIN WITH THE MILLION MOMS!!! On Monday, September 4, the Million Moms will march across the Mackinac Bridge as a demonstration of their support for common sense gun legislation. The March is part of the annual Governor’s Labor Day walk across the Mackinac Bridge which connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan.

Million Mom March organizations from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois are invited to join the Michigan Moms in this Midwest demonstration of support for common sense gun legislation. It is imperative that we illustrate to the citizens of our states and country that we mean business, and that we have no intention of forgetting the victims of gun violence. It is equally important to reaffirm our commitment in a very public fashion just two months before a presidential election that may very well be decided by the voters of the Midwest.

For more information please contact the East Metro Detroit Million Mom March at 313.821.5357 or email [email protected]

September 15-17 — From A March To A Movement. The first annual Million Mom March conference will be held in Denver.

October 2 — First Monday 2000: United to End Gun Violence is a national campaign promoting education and action geared toward reducing gun violence. Hundreds of events will occur on campuses and in communities on or near the first Monday of October. http://www.firstmonday2000.com/index.html

November 7 – Election Day. The New York City Chapter of the MMM has officially adopted for their chapter the slogans, “Million Mom March. . . to the polls!” & “Mama says, Vote!”

And some final thoughts…

Claudette Perry, who is forming our District of Columbia chapter, attended the First Monday 2000 Launch earlier this week. The launch previewed a new film, “Up in Arms,” produced by award-winning filmmakers Rory Kennedy and Liz Garbus which highlights the Mother?s Day March. Claudette reports that every single elected official at the First Monday launch mentioned the Million Mom March. A few, however, expressed some concern that the MMM’ers have been “too quiet” since the march. Here at the Million Mom March we prefer to categorize this post-march, pre-election time as our stealth-like stage. This chapter development time is really the calm before the storm.

Chapter Development (some of you, I suspect, already hate that phrase) is needed to keep building a unified movement so that when serious legislation is on the table, we will be able work as a formidable force to get it passed. Without chapter development, our efforts will be scattered and ineffective as a result. It is also the best way to spread the workload so that we do not burn out too quickly. Since our ultimate goal is a national licensing and registration program, we have a long way to go and we need to pace ourselves. Remember, this is the system that worked so successfully for Mothers Against Drunk Driving. And it will work for us.

I know many of you feel overwhelmed. This is a period of ?positive crisis? for us. Many emails, faxes and phone calls are not being answered promptly because of the incredible growth of our organization. We?re working on staffing and our ability to communicate with you more quickly. We?re making huge strides every day to get this baby up and walking. Keep the faith that we?re united in a great cause to save lives, and we will succeed.

Sincerely,
Mary Leigh