"Moms" Pulled Out All the Stops to Prevent SAFER Event

Organizing a rally in Washington, DC is never an easy task, and the job becomes more difficult when those who attack our Second Amendment rights use every means at their disposal to silence the people who support owning firearms for lawful purposes.

Planning a rally starts a year in advance. The first step is to reserve a site and a date, which is done through the United States Park Police (USPP).  The Washington, DC Police Department (DCPD) is also involved if streets need to be closed for the event. We initially tried to return to the site of our successful 2004 rally by the Washington Monument, but that area was unavailable due to ongoing renovations, and the whole Mall area had already been reserved by the Brady Bunch. So, we secured Freedom Plaza for Mother’s Day, 2004 back in the spring of 2003, which put us close to the White House and was easily accessible, but there would be a few blocks separating us from the gun-grabbers and their planned march route.

Once that was settled we started advertising the event and working out the logistics, including contracts for sound and stage, comfort tents, and other “facilities”. We also lined up our speakers for the day.

Just a few weeks before Mother’s Day we were contacted (by the Washington, DC PD) and told that we would have to either move our event or cancel it altogether. Why? Because the Brady Bunch wanted to change their march route to go right by our rally, and the resulting street closings would have blocked access to Freedom Plaza. Naturally this was unacceptable! To their credit, the USPP stood firm and refused to amend the Brady Bunch’s permit, so their blatant attempt to shut us down failed. Shortly afterward we learned that the Brady Bunch had scaled back their permit to a maximum of 5000 people, and they had released most of the Mall. By then, of course, it was way too late for any pro-gun group to have organized a counter-protest on a section of the Mall adjacent to their event.

Silencing the opposition is not a new strategy. This year, the gun-grabbers simply couldn't generate the same energy and interest that they did in 2000, and they knew that they were in trouble. So, they used a desperation tactic - if your event is going to be a flop, then sabotage the other side's event so that they are forced to cancel.

Why would gun-grabbers refuse to engage in open and honest debate? Perhaps it’s because they know that the nationwide trend toward shall-issue concealed carry has made our streets safer, especially for women. Maybe they have learned that women who submit to an attack are more than twice as likely to be injured or killed than those who resist by using a firearm.  Or finally, perhaps it’s because they realize that women comprise the fastest-growing group of gun owners because they are learning about the benefits of owning a firearm for self-defense, and this scares them to their core.

Silencing the opposition is the only way the Brady Bunch can win in the court of public opinion because the facts - that guns save lives, and that women benefit greatly from lawful gun ownership - are all against them. They prefer to spread their agenda that leaves women disarmed and vulnerable to attack.

Ladies - do not let the enemies of freedom silence your voice! I have spoken personally with my elected officials in both Congress and my state's General Assembly, and they have verified that gun owners are contacting them in droves. We must keep up the pressure, both to ensure that the Clinton Gun Ban sunsets and is never renewed by Congress, and to improve and expand the shall-issue concealed carry laws that have surged across the states. If you have called or written your elected officials, I thank you. If you haven't yet, please do so. They need to hear from you.

-- Melinda Meador, SAS Press Coordinator