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Million Mom March, at Watsonville, CA

Watsonville was the scene of an outpouring of grief this Mother’s Day morning as hundreds of mothers, fathers and children gathered in The Town Plaza for a rally calling for safe kids and sensible gun laws. After a mile long march, passing the place where mother, De Ramirez last saw her son alive, emotional despair turned to empowerment, as the crowd returned to the Plaza charged and linked with the common cause, chanting “A million moms can’t be wrong! We can vote!” Maria Cortez, bereaved mother of two children, Jessica (9 years) and Jorge (16 years), wore a yellow ribbon in her lapel. She described how there would never be another happy day in her life since 1994 when she saw her two children lying in a pool of blood, fifteen minutes after being shot. Mother after mother gave testimony to the gun violence in this agricultural town, where for the last three years a Mother’s Day Peace March has occurred to remember the dead. Pastor of Watsonville Lutheran Church, en route to work, gave a rousing message of support. From the podium on the old bandstand, he told the crowd of a conversation he overheard this week in a local café, which spurred him to attend. Two men were discussing the march, “Those stupid moms want to take our guns away,” they said. The pastor blessed the crowd and affirmed the legitimacy of the cause, “You are not foolish!” he shouted. The wall of women on the bandstand stood bravely, their sisterhood perhaps giving them inner strength. Then the Mariachi Guadalajara Band struck up with “ Las Mananitas”, a traditional song honoring mothers. One by one their composure wavered. They broke into huddles, comforting one another. Mothers and grandmothers in the audience, pulled out their tissues and some looked away, not wanting to witness the pain. An organizer rushed on stage with thick wads of white paper napkins, pushing them into clenched fists. Around the bandstand, commemorative boards displayed photos of local victims, children glowing in their toddler years, young men in the prime of life. A table laden with white lilies carried photo albums and scrapbooks recording their lives. “Suddenly this is all too real,” said Lorraine Gabbert, a mom of two preschoolers from San Jose whose mother was attending the Washington D.C. march, “and I’m praying, please not my kids.” Solutions to the gun violence varied. Wheelchair bound Carol Alldis described the last moments of her son Richard’s life, before he was killed by a gun shot in 1992. “Put a musical instrument in kids’ hands,” she suggested, “then they won’t take up guns.” Diane Bridgeman, a psychologist from Santa Cruz was more emphatic. “We need gun control and it’s long overdue.” Just returned from a six-week trip to Europe, where there is strict gun control, she said, “It’s embarrassing to admit as an American, we’re wrong, they’re right. Europeans don’t feel their rights are violated.” Attached to her gun control banner was a U.S. flag. She explained, “I can still love my country and want change.” During the march, mothers sang and hummed, “We shall overcome some day”. Others carried placards saying, “Charlton Heston, your mother would be ashamed,” and “Start at home NO WAR TOYS.” “We can’t leave it to the next generation,” said veteran marcher and grandmother, Carly Stevens who works at Santa Cruz University Student Childcare Center. “This gun thing has got way out of control.” Sam Farr, Congressman for the Monterey Bay Area suggested that marches like this would change things. “Violence is the Vietnam of this era, it has touched everyone in this country.” He predicts gun violence will be a major issue in this November’s elections. Stay home mother, Lorraine Gabbert suggested why some people are still reluctant to get involved in the gun debate. “Talking gun control is like talking about wills with your mother. You just don’t want to go there.” At the end of the march, a young mother from San Jose, Natalina Barragan carried her 15-month-old son on her back and pushed her five year old in a stroller back into the Plaza. She spoke for many of the moms attending in Watsonville. “The reason I’m here is, I just don’t want to be one of these moms.” She nodded in the direction of the bereaved moms with yellow ribbons in their lapels, some still clutching the thick white napkins. © siliconmom.com For further information Website: www.millionmommarch.com

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