Herbert and Sharon Bartling, Forest Lakes South, in Charlottesville, Virginia, participated in the Million Mom March on Mother's Day in Washington D.C.

Sharon had the following to say about the March:

Five hundred thousand women and men from all over this country -- all ages, cultures, sizes--united with one purpose: to end gun violence. The signs I like best read: "Arms are for Hugging, not Killing" and "We Vote."

Picture taken by Herbert and Sharon Bartling

Speakers told of their losses, of family members killed by guns. Donna Dees-Thomases, the founder, noted that the NRA routinely and automatically calls for enforcement of present laws instead of requiring licensing of all gun owners. She pointed out that we have traffic lights and stop signs that are not always obeyed but we still license all drivers and all cars. The simple truth is that the NRA doesn't want gun sales delayed. Another speaker acknowledged that the "well-appointed militia" mentioned in the Second Amendment used muskets, not hand guns. We learned that there is a need for national legislation because states vary so drastically on this subject; loopholes must be eliminated.

Marchers vowed to vote out of office those who fail to pass meaningful gun control legislation. We'll do our part!

(Herbert Bartling, electronic mail, May 17, 2000).

If you participated in the Million Mom March from the Charlottesville area and have observations and/or pictures which you would like share, please send them to george@loper.org and they will be posted with full attribution.

To date, comments have been received from Lynne E. Cooper.