The Million Mom March was a political gathering of people in favor of
gun control. It took place on
Mother's Day,
May 14, 2000, in
Washington DC.
The name "Million Mom March" builds upon the pattern established by the Nation of Islam in sponsoring the Million Man March and the Million Woman March. The organizations are not otherwise connected.
MillionMomMarch.com estimates that 750,000 people attended the event. Their demands, according to the site, are:
License Handgun Owners
and Register All Handguns
We call on Congress to
require all handgun owners to be licensed and that they be required to register
their weapons with the proper authorities. It makes sense.
Sensible "Cooling Off"
Periods and Background Checks
We believe that it is only
common sense that sensible "cooling off" periods and extensive background checks
be required of any individual who wants to purchase from any person or place
weapons intended only for killing or injuring humans.
Safety Locks for All
Handguns
Guns, unlike every other
consumer product sold in America, don't have to meet minimum safety standards.
Gun manufacturers should have to design guns with locks built in, and with other
common-sense devices like loaded-chamber indicators and child-proofing.
Limit Purchases to
one-handgun-per-month
We believe that it is only
common sense to end straw purchase transactions where individual who may legally
purchase a firearm is hired to purchase firearms for Gun traffickers. These guns
are sold on the illegal market and eventually wind up on our nation's streets,
killing our kids.
No-Nonsense Enforcement
of Gun Laws
We call on all officers of
the law to assume a no-nonsense approach in enforcing existing gun laws and to
join us in our mutual crusade for stronger legislation.
Enlistment of Help from
Corporate America
We call on all
child-friendly, nonviolent stores, companies, and corporations to sponsor us in
these pursuits by advertising our message that guns -- in the wrong hands - is
simply unacceptable. We call on the like minded to work with community law
enforcement agencies to offer swaps of meaningful goods and services for guns.
And that the guns be destroyed by the proper authorities. In turn, we, the
mothers, will patronize all child-friendly, nonviolent sponsors who join us in
this mission.
Counter-demonstrations, as Asamoth noted, were also held.