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A subsidiary of Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America was founded on December 15, 2012, the day after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Created to demand legislators, both state and federal, to help establish updated gun reform, the organization was founded for mothers as a campaign of the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund. The group was founded by Shannon Watts in Indianapolis, Indiana and originally began as a grassroots Facebook group page titled “One Million Moms for Gun Control.”

Being a stay at home mother of five, Shannon took the terrible events that occurred in Newtown, Connecticut and created a nationwide force advocating for gun reform. The goal of Moms Demand Action is to draw public attention to the issue of gun violence and to promote legislative solutions to the problem. The group does this by redefining the issue of gun control as an issue that lies within the responsibility of mothers to protect their children from harm. Along with her work with Moms Demand Action, Shannon is a board member on the Emerge America and Rise for Run groups training woman to run for public office.[77]

Moms Demand Action is pro 2nd amendment. On their website they state, “we believe common-sense solutions can help decrease the escalating epidemic of gun violence that kills too many of our children and loved ones every day.” The group has cited the example of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) as a model for its establishment.[76][77][78][79]

Working with Corporations Moms Demand Action has lobbied members of Congress to expand background checks for individuals purchasing a firearm in Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Oregon, and Washington,[80] When dealing with multi-million dollar companies, Moms Demand Action has worked with corporations such as: Starbucks, Target, Chipotle, Sonic, Chili's, and Jack in the Box, to announce their gun policies out for the public to see.[76]

They have also worked with Facebook to end the buying and selling of firearms on their platform. In their efforts, Facebook announced in 2014 that they would now delete any gun ad that mentioned the words “no background check. With more progress being made, there have also been efforts to block all unlicensed guns sales across their platform. First dating back to 2013, with their first “victory” was on November fifth, Moms Demand Action has accumulated several other victories that are constantly working for the better of children around the United States. More of their victories can be found on their website.

Campaigns

With four active campaigns (Debunking Gun Myths at the Dinner Table, Educators Demand Action, Be SMART for Kids, and Mother’s Dream Quilt Project) the groups allow for individuals from all walks of life to be a part of their movement.

Debunking Gun Myths at the Dinner Table – Moms Demand Action are trying to dispel the myths put out by gun lobbyists. [#] By creating graphics to look like an empty plate of food at a dinner table, Moms Demand Action reminds those that, “This holiday season. Fork over the facts.” The nine myths that appear on their website are; 1.More guns = less crime. 2.Federal law prohibits ALL domestic abusers from having guns. 3.Strong gun laws don’t work. Look at Chicago. 4.A small child cannot pull a trigger. 5.“Concealed Carry Reciprocity” will create a national standard for who can carry concealed guns in public. 6.The NRA wants to deregulate gun silencers to protect sportsmen’s hearing. 7.Criminals will always find a way to get their hands on a gun. 8.Mass shooters target “gun-free zones.” 9.Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.

Educators Demand Action – With being inside of the classrooms and schools that have been directly affected by shootings over the years, Moms Demand Action offers this campaign to those educators, who were there during these horrid events, a platform to express their stories.

Be SMART for Kids – A program of Everytown for Gun Safety, this conversation pertains to the conversation about unintentional fatalities as well as teen suicides. Their online website gives update reports dealing with these deaths, while also providing helpful ways to prevent incidents like those from happening. SMART: (S) Secure guns in homes and vehicles. (M) Model responsible behavior. (A) Ask about unsecured guns in other homes. (R) Recognize the risks of teen suicide. (T)Tell your peers to be SMART.

Mother’s Dream Quilt Project - Symbolizing the tolls that gun violence has had on the United States, Moms Demand Action creates quilts using the “Mother’s Dream” quilting pattern. Quilted into each of the handwoven quilts, there is a piece of meaningful fabric from someone who has been a victim or survivor of gun violence. With each quilt made, for those who contribute fabric can submit their own statement of their Mother’s Dream.

Advertisements

Moms Demand Action is notorious for their advertisements depicting the flaws that current gun control policies have on the children in the United States. An ad campaign launched by the group compared laws concerning assault weapons with laws that have successfully banned other things in certain areas of the United States. Within every ad gives the statement; One child is holding something that’s been banned in America to protect them. Guess which one.

Kroger Logo

Chocolate Kinder Egg: With the scene being an ordinary classroom within a school, there are two children posed front and center. A Caucasian girl holding the AR-15 assault rifle alongside her fellow student who is holding a chocolate kinder egg. Being banned, due to the 1938 Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, kinder eggs were made illegal due to the confection hazard to children.

Kroger: Kroger is one of the few grocery chains that allows its customers to openly carry their guns in their stores. In efforts to change the carry policies within Kroger, Moms Demand Action created several advertisements to push for Kroger to look over their open carry policies. These advertisements show situations with such behaviors (eating ice cream, shopping shirtless, and skateboarding) that are not allowed in their stores. While also showing these behaviors, another model is placed in the same store holding an assault rifle.

Little Red Riding Hood: In 1990 two California schools located in Culver City and Empire Union counties banned the Hyman edition of Red Riding Hood. Portrayed in a school library, one student is holding the Hyman edition of Red Riding Hood while another is holding an assault rifle.

Dodgeball: Being a violent game, Dodgeball has been a controversial topic when discussing the safety of school children when playing on the playground. Moms Demand Action challenges the fact that schools around the country ban the game of dodgeball, yet assault rifles still are not made illegal within schools.