The Million Mom March had its roots in August 1999, when Donna Dees-Thomases, a New Jersey mom, was horrified that a gunman shot at children in Granada Hills, California. Dees-Thomases decided a week later to apply for a permit to march on Washington and protest the lack of so-called "meaningful gun laws" in America. In September 1999, she was joined by 25 Tri-State mothers at a news conference in Manhattan, and announced that a grassroots movement of mothers called the Million Mom March would march on Washington on Mother's Day in May 2000. On Sunday, May 14, 2000, supporters claimed that 750,000 people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, DC to demand what they called sensible gun laws, and that an additional 150,000 to 200,000 people across the country also showed their support through holding sympathy marches. CBS News and other major network TV news organizations covered the march extensively. ^*

Donna Dees-Thomases, however, was also a professional publicist who was:

• a former Capitol Hill staff member for two Democratic Senators (Senator Bennett Johnston (D-LA) and Senator Russell Long (D-LA))
• a former Manager of Communications for CBS News in New York
• a former professional public relations specialist for Dan Rather at CBS News who oversaw his "Campaign '88" press coverage
• a sister-in-law of Susan Thomases, Hillary Clinton's political adviser and close friend

More on [ Million Mom March ]

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