May 2001

Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC.

Respect Everyone Who is Suffering through this Ordeal

Bud Welch lost his 23-year-old daughter, Julie Marie Welch, in the Oklahoma City bombing. He offers the following to fellow activists and the media:

To my friends and fellow abolitionists who will be in Terre Haute for the state sanctioned killing of Timothy McVeigh, or at other protests around the country, I want you to know that my prayers are with you. I believe that a statement should be made.

I ask you to be my voice on May 15 and 16, 2001. I urge you to send a clear message to our Government--and to the people of this nation--that what we are embarking on on May 16 is just plain wrong. Our society should not tolerate a government with the power to kill its own citizens. Send that message in whatever way you feel is appropriate, with compassion, with nonviolence, and in peace.

When my daughter, Julie, was killed, I joined a "club" that I wish had no members: The price of admission is too high. I know the pain of losing a loved one because of a senseless act of violence. On May 16, 2001, I will stand with other families who have lost loved ones to unnecessary violence, and I will be with Tim McVeigh's family in spirit as they prepare to be victimized in a political event, staged by the Government of these United States.

The execution of Timothy McVeigh will not bring back Julie or her colleagues, nor will it end the grieving for any one of the victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. Revenge and hate are the reasons 168 people died that day in 1995. I oppose the death penalty absolutely, in all cases, because in all cases it is an act of revenge and hatred. The killing of Timothy McVeigh, who has halted all his appeals, will be an assisted suicide. It will also make him a martyr in the eyes of those who share his beliefs. We should not be surprised if one or more of his supporters tries to avenge our killing McVeigh. We should ask ourselves: How much killing and how much revenge are we prepared to live through?

I fear for our country. We need social change on the death penalty--just as we needed social change in the 1800s with slavery. We moved from abolishing slavery, to granting women the right to vote, to passing civil rights laws. We finally made these necessary social changes and we must take the next step with the death penalty.

To the media, I implore you: Respect everyone who is suffering through this ordeal. Please be fair and accurate in your reporting. And please respect me, the other victims families, the survivors, and Tim's family.

--Bud Welch, March 12, 2001

From a March to a Movement

Greta Hardina is a mother and an organizer who helped launch the Million Mom March in 2000.

On Mother's Day 2000, over 750,000 mothers and others gathered on the Mall in Washington DC for the largest rally ever for gun control in the United States. It was called the Million Mom March and was started by a New Jersey mother who, after the Columbine shooting in which fourteen students and one teacher were killed, decided to take action. She booked the Mall in Washington and asked her friends to help. The response was unimaginable and mothers all over the country from all walks of life worked endless hours organizing and mobilizing their communities.

The Million Mom March proved to be an empowering experience for all who attended. Our message to Congress was loud and clear: It is time to protect our children instead of the gun industry and we will be holding you accountable on Election Day. Speaker after speaker talked of the tragedies of gun violence in their lives. There was a memorial wall with the names of more than 40,000 people killed by guns in the United States since the one-year anniversary of the Columbine shooting.

As participants of the march, we felt that if we united our efforts, we could take on any powerful special interest group. But our work had just begun. We went back to our communities and kept on working for reasonable gun laws inspired by our slogan: From a March to a Movement. The Million Mom March currently has over 250 chapters in 47 states, educating, advocating, and lobbying for sensible gun laws. The Million Mom March has proven to be a powerful force.

This Mothers Day we are ready to do it all over again! This year we will be focusing on local events. There will be simultaneous rallies in cities and towns all over the country from Honolulu to Boston. In Massachusetts, we will host a rally on the Boston Common on Mother's Day, May 13, at 1 pm (see "Pieces").

Unfortunately, the election of president Bush put a huge obstacle in our way; the National Rifle Association spent 25 million dollars on the election. Some political analysts believe that the gun control movement has been 'snuffed out,' but poll after poll shows that the majority of Americans believe in reasonable gun control measures. That is why it is so important that on this year's Mothers Day, we rejuvenate our efforts and let our elected officials hear from us again.

Remember it was outraged Americans and not powerful special interests who led the civil rights movement, and recently, outraged Americans broke the strength of the tobacco lobby. We'll see you on Mother's Day!

Middlesex County Million Mom March, POB 862, Natick MA 01760; 508/655-9724; <mmmarchers@yahoo.com>

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