By Brendan Miniter, a Commentary page editor, The Washington Times.
When gun-control bills die in Congress, Bill Clinton and other Democrats quickly blame the National Rifle Association. Their rhetoric is clear: Honest Americans should hate this faceless gun lobby, the NRA. On Mother's Day, Washington met hundreds of gun-control advocates, but leaders in the nation's capital should also have learned that the gun lobby is not faceless: It is made up of millions of ordinary Americans, many of whom are mothers interested in protecting their children.
As many as 4,000 ordinary faces from around the nation turned out on behalf of gun rights -- a successful rally that was the brainchild of five women from several states who met over the Internet. These five women learned that the Democrats planned to use Mother's Day to push for gun control with their Million Mom March, so they decided to hold a rally of their own. They formed a group they called the Second Amendment Sisters in December and eventually recruited more than 120 volunteers, with 45 state chairmen, to help organize.
The event was a real grassroots effort, not staged by an organization like the NRA. A lot of pro-gun people feel their voices are not heard on this issue, co-founder Dianne Sawyer of South Carolina explained minutes before stepping up to the podium. "We had to come because the [Million Mom Marchers] didn't speak for us," she said. Many women, as well as men, believe in the right of self-defense and want to be trained by professionals on proper gun-safety techniques. "We found a lot of people who tell us they want to be heard. We had to tell Congress."
Many people there wanted to tell Congress that the Million Mom March didn't speak for average Americans. They were there to say, "Concerned moms protect their kids with guns," as one sign read. Or, in the words of another: "We can protect our kids. Can you?" Still other signs indicated that some Americans see guns as something that can equalize society. One sign read, "Gun control is racist." Another read, "Guns: The ultimate in feminine protection."
One theme of the rally was "setting the record straight" on violence statistics. The Million Mom March organizers claimed 12 children were killed "by guns" every day. That statistic was "The Big Lie," according to many at the Second Amendment rally. The number is actually closer to 1.7, they said, once you factor out those children older than 14 who are involved in gang-related crime. One sentiment often repeated in the crowd was, "It's not very ladylike to lie" about the numbers.
These protesters amounted to the real gun lobby. "I don't like guns," explained Elaine Blackert, who took a bus from Pittsburgh with her daughter Jennifer. "But if bad guys get them, I should too." To her, gun ownership is a civil right. "I may not like guns, but I sure don't like the government telling me I can't have one." Her daughter explained that "it's the parents' responsibility to make sure guns are used properly." The rally was full of people who simply wanted to defend themselves against crime. Many held signs that read, "I wasn't assaulted I was armed."
The libertarian candidate for the first congressional district in Virginia said, "All we want to do is defend ourselves." Sharon Wood said from the podium that she has been interviewed by a lot of reporters, but not one has ever owned a gun. None of them could understand self-defense, she said. "They tell me 'guns are too scary' to own," she said. "One reporter told me, she has a toy gun in the house in case a criminal breaks in. Unfortunately, it won't be a toy criminal," she said as the crowd laughed.
To many at this rally, guns are a litmus test for politicians. "You're not ever going to find a politician who agrees with you 100 percent," explained Frank Schnare, a retired corrections officer from Greene County, New York. "But if they are okay on guns they are going to be with you 75, 80 percent. And that's okay."
Mrs. Wood, although a libertarian, is one politician who would pass this litmus test. In addition to protecting gun rights, the former prosecutor wants to dramatically roll back the tax burden on average Americans. Payroll deductions, adding money to phone bills and various other "painless" techniques have allowed the federal government to dramatically increase taxes, she said in an interview. And contrary to the prevailing wisdom, voters in her district are very receptive to cutting taxes, she said.
At this rally, gun rights were obviously important. To many the issue was so important they couldn't see themselves voting for a politician who didn't support gun ownership The issue was much larger than guns; it struck at the heart of the Constitution and moral governance. It was an issue that would stir them into political action. "I'm not an activist," said Vicki Bretterton from Georgia. "This is the first time I've been to a rally. I never thought of myself as someone who would go. But it's time we stand up." Guns are worth fighting for, she said, because gun control is ultimately a statement that the people cannot be trusted with self-governance. "We are lucky not to have lived through the horrors of not having freedom. I knew that if I loved my children, freedom was the only way."
Protecting the right to keep and bear arms is pivotal to upholding the Constitution. "A right delayed is a right denied," read one sign, referring to the waiting period required to purchase guns in some states. The prevailing sentiment was that the Constitution doesn't allow the government to choose the rights it will protect. "We've proven the Constitution works," Mrs. Sawyer said. "Tweaking it [with more gun laws] crumbles the Constitution."
Although the rally was not affiliated with any political party, it was clear most of the participants were not Democrats -- which is one reason the party of the left often likes to beat up on guns. "If Juanita Broaddrick had a gun she would not have been raped," read a sign, referring to the woman who said Bill Clinton raped her when he was attorney general of Arkansas. Other signs were equally hostile to the administration. "We can't afford four more of Gore," one read. When Bill Clinton drove by, the crowd booed him.
Nearly everyone wore buttons that read "Clinton sucks." A lot of people had a picture of Hillary, with a red line running across her face, on their lapels. Over the weekend and on Monday, Democrats, such as Sen. Edward Kennedy, used this opportunity to hold hands with their friends from the Million Mom March and attack the NRA. But the thousands of people who stood with the Second Amendment Sisters showed why the NRA has more than 3 million members, and lots of support.
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