This is an editorial by Michael Warder of the Claremont Institute on the Million Mom March. As are so many pieces published by Claremont, it is well worth your time to read it.
Oscar
Million Mom March is a Bad Idea
By Michael Warder
This article will appear in the Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Examiner, and The Washington Times.
The drums are starting to beat louder and louder for Mothers all across America to leave their families this Mother’s Day on May 14 to journey to Washington, DC to be a face in the crowd for the cause of gun control. I can not think of a worse thing for the American family.
Mother’s Day is always something special in our house. Perhaps it was because my grandmother and my father were born and raised in Grafton, West Virginia, the home of Anna Jarvis, the person who founded Mother’s Day in 1908. They knew Miss Jarvis. Truth be told, she did not get along well with her Mother. When her Mother died, Miss Jarvis felt guilty that she did not show her love and respect while her Mother was alive. Hence, she thought that at least for one day a year every family ought to express love for their Mother while she was alive. The House and the Senate unanimously passed a joint resolution in 1914 that recognized the second Sunday of each May as “Mother’s Day.” There is no partisanship at all on Mother’s Day.
It is the one day of the year set aside when children and Fathers, regardless to which political party they belong, give Mom some special love and respect. Take her out to breakfast. Give her some flowers. Give her a break from cooking, cleaning, washing and all the things that Mothers do everyday and that everyone seems to take for granted. I know it sounds sexist. After all Fathers are, the acceptable term is, “service providers” too, right? Well, OK. But can we be honest about the matter? Nature has endowed women with nurturing abilities that men generally lack.
But if the organizer of the Million Mom March, Donna Dees-Thomases of New Jersey, has her way, Mothers will not be home this Mother’s Day to receive the love that is her due from those who love her most. The cause that will apparently take many Moms from their families on her day is not a non-partisan cause. Check out the website: www.millionmommarch.com. You will see that “Mom’s Apple Pie Award” goes to President Clinton, while there is a demeaning little cartoon of Republican Whip Tom Delay in a dunce cap sitting in a “Time Out” chair. Democrat Moms will feel at home in this March. Republican Moms will not in this presidential election year.
Not only does it turn out that the cause for which Mothers are to march is partisan, it is crudely so. There is no recognition that many Mothers, and their children, are alive today because they enjoy the right to self-defense. Our Constitution, not a partisan document, recognizes each citizen’s right to bear arms. Many women own guns and have defended themselves and their children this past year with guns. There are credible, peer-reviewed studies that show that more than 2,000,000 times a year a criminal flees from a law-abiding citizen who has a weapon. An increasing number of Mothers own weapons to defend themselves from would be murderers, rapists, and robbers. In fact, 45% of all the defensive uses of guns are by women.
While we can all be pleased that violent crime rates are down in recent years, the rates are still much too high. In some neighborhoods where violence is prevalent, not having a gun is downright stupid. In those neighborhoods, criminals are well armed. The police all too often arrive AFTER the crime is committed. And what happens if Dad is traveling and Mom is home alone with the kids? What happens if there is no Dad? It then falls to Mom to protect herself and her children from intruders.
So I have a proposal for families about what to do this May 14. Fix Mom a special breakfast and give her a gift that you know she will enjoy. Then visit the local shooting range for target practice. You will all feel great knowing that you are practicing together the safe and proper use of firearms and how to defend your family from harm. I can not think of a better thing for a family to do together on Mother’s Day. In fact, make it a family tradition.
Oscar
Million Mom March is a Bad Idea
By Michael Warder
This article will appear in the Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Examiner, and The Washington Times.
The drums are starting to beat louder and louder for Mothers all across America to leave their families this Mother’s Day on May 14 to journey to Washington, DC to be a face in the crowd for the cause of gun control. I can not think of a worse thing for the American family.
Mother’s Day is always something special in our house. Perhaps it was because my grandmother and my father were born and raised in Grafton, West Virginia, the home of Anna Jarvis, the person who founded Mother’s Day in 1908. They knew Miss Jarvis. Truth be told, she did not get along well with her Mother. When her Mother died, Miss Jarvis felt guilty that she did not show her love and respect while her Mother was alive. Hence, she thought that at least for one day a year every family ought to express love for their Mother while she was alive. The House and the Senate unanimously passed a joint resolution in 1914 that recognized the second Sunday of each May as “Mother’s Day.” There is no partisanship at all on Mother’s Day.
It is the one day of the year set aside when children and Fathers, regardless to which political party they belong, give Mom some special love and respect. Take her out to breakfast. Give her some flowers. Give her a break from cooking, cleaning, washing and all the things that Mothers do everyday and that everyone seems to take for granted. I know it sounds sexist. After all Fathers are, the acceptable term is, “service providers” too, right? Well, OK. But can we be honest about the matter? Nature has endowed women with nurturing abilities that men generally lack.
But if the organizer of the Million Mom March, Donna Dees-Thomases of New Jersey, has her way, Mothers will not be home this Mother’s Day to receive the love that is her due from those who love her most. The cause that will apparently take many Moms from their families on her day is not a non-partisan cause. Check out the website: www.millionmommarch.com. You will see that “Mom’s Apple Pie Award” goes to President Clinton, while there is a demeaning little cartoon of Republican Whip Tom Delay in a dunce cap sitting in a “Time Out” chair. Democrat Moms will feel at home in this March. Republican Moms will not in this presidential election year.
Not only does it turn out that the cause for which Mothers are to march is partisan, it is crudely so. There is no recognition that many Mothers, and their children, are alive today because they enjoy the right to self-defense. Our Constitution, not a partisan document, recognizes each citizen’s right to bear arms. Many women own guns and have defended themselves and their children this past year with guns. There are credible, peer-reviewed studies that show that more than 2,000,000 times a year a criminal flees from a law-abiding citizen who has a weapon. An increasing number of Mothers own weapons to defend themselves from would be murderers, rapists, and robbers. In fact, 45% of all the defensive uses of guns are by women.
While we can all be pleased that violent crime rates are down in recent years, the rates are still much too high. In some neighborhoods where violence is prevalent, not having a gun is downright stupid. In those neighborhoods, criminals are well armed. The police all too often arrive AFTER the crime is committed. And what happens if Dad is traveling and Mom is home alone with the kids? What happens if there is no Dad? It then falls to Mom to protect herself and her children from intruders.
So I have a proposal for families about what to do this May 14. Fix Mom a special breakfast and give her a gift that you know she will enjoy. Then visit the local shooting range for target practice. You will all feel great knowing that you are practicing together the safe and proper use of firearms and how to defend your family from harm. I can not think of a better thing for a family to do together on Mother’s Day. In fact, make it a family tradition.
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