Several members of the Bay Area contingent of Moms Demand Action flew together to D.C. from SFO. Here are Amanda Mortimer of Ross, Sarit Schube of Palo Alto, Sara Smirin of Los Altos, Christine Tachner of Mountain View, Hilary Weisfeld of Los Altos, Jennifer DiBrienza of Palo Alto, Tricia Herrick of Palo Alto, and Erika Drazan of Menlo Park Credit L.A.Chung
On Wednesday Bay Area women spearhead national efforts to lobby lawmakers and change attitudes about gun laws and gun violence.
By L.A. Chung, mountainview.patch.com
With two of four gun control bills clearing the Senate Judiciary Committee this week, a contingent of Bay Area mothers has converged on Washington D.C., joining about 180 others intent on getting the ear of their legislators.
They are part of Moms Demand Action for Gunsense in America, a group that went viral when Indiana mother Shannon Watts watched the carnage at Sandy Hook School unfold in Newtown, CT—and then launched a Facebook page at her kitchen table.
The singular message: Enough. Enough gun violence. Enough excuses. Moms say, “Enough.” She called it One Million Moms For Gun Control initially, and then changed it to its current name. But its purpose is the same.
Can they do what Mothers Against Drunk Drivers did and lead changes in attitudes and legislation?
“Hopefully all of us moms together—and dads, and grandparents—can do this,” said Kim Samek, of Los Altos Hills. “The time for debating is over. We want action.”
Wednesday they deploy their “Moms Take the Hill” campaign, meeting with some 50 representatives and senators from 33 states. In the afternoon they will participate in a news conference joined by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, whose assault weapon ban bill faces the steepest of odds in the Judiciary Committee on Thursday. Also scheduled to be in attendance are Sen. Barbara Boxer, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Carolyn McCarthy of New York, and Rep. Rosa DeLauro and Rep. Elizabeth Esty, both of Connecticut, attending.
Los Altos and Los Altos Hills women have been in the forefront, with Samek volunteering as general counsel, and Sara Smirin as Chief Operating Officer.
