School Nursing

The Relentless School Nurse: This is What Moms Demand Action Wants for Mother’s Day 2023!

Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN

 

As Mother’s Day approaches, Moms Demand Action  is advocating for a different kind of celebration. Instead of flowers and chocolates, they are asking for action to prevent gun violence and keep our children safe.

Every day, an average of 100 Americans are killed by guns, and countless others are affected by the trauma of gun violence. As moms, we know that this is unacceptable. We want to see an end to this epidemic and a world where our children can grow up without fear of gun violence.

So, what do we want for Mother’s Day 2023? Here are some of the things that Moms Demand Action  is advocating for:

  1. Universal background checks: We believe that every gun sale should require a background check to prevent guns from falling into the wrong hands. We want to see legislation at the federal level that closes the background check loophole and requires background checks for all gun sales, including online and at gun shows.

  2. Red flag laws: We want to see states adopt red flag laws that allow law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from individuals who pose a threat to themselves or others. This can help prevent suicides, domestic violence, and other forms of gun violence.

  3. Safe storage laws: We believe that responsible gun ownership includes storing firearms securely to prevent unauthorized access. We want to see states adopt safe storage laws that require gun owners to securely store their firearms when not in use, especially if there are children in the home.

  4. Investment in community violence intervention programs: We want to see investment in community-based programs that can help prevent gun violence before it happens. These programs can include things like job training, mental health support, and conflict resolution programs.

  5. Stronger federal gun trafficking laws: We want to see stronger federal laws to prevent gun trafficking across state lines. This can help prevent the flow of guns into communities with strict gun laws and help reduce gun violence.

We believe that these common-sense measures can help reduce gun violence and make our communities safer for our children. So, instead of traditional Mother’s Day gifts, we ask that you join us in advocating for a world where every child can grow up without fear of gun violence.

Join Moms Demand Action, support the research, the advocacy and the grassroots organizing that has grown to almost 10 million strong over 10 years.
 
 
This Mother’s Day, we don’t want cards. We don’t want flowers. We want Congress to reinstate the assault weapons ban. Every day, 120 Americans are shot and killed and hundreds more are shot and wounded. Guns are the leading cause of death for children, teens and young adults, and mothers are fed up wondering if their kids will come home safely from a trip to the store, a walk in the park or a day at school. We’re tired of thoughts and prayers without action. Bereaved Mother’s Day is just one week before Mother’s Day and far too many mothers have had their hearts broken because their child is killed or wounded by a firearm. So this year, for Mother’s Day, we’re demanding lawmakers stand up to the gun industry and pass laws that save lives. – Moms Demand Action
Here are some things you can to today:
 
 
You don’t have to do anything alone. If you join Moms Demand in this Day of Action, you have a team 10 million strong because “Moms Are Everywhere.” Here are some steps to take, retrieved from Moms Demand Action website:
 

TOOLKIT Mother’s Day of Action 2023 Saturday, May 13, 2023

 

Campaign Overview

2023 has already been a deadly year. From Monterey Park to Nashville to Louisville, there have been more than 170 mass shootings so far, and they represent only 1 percent of gun deaths in America. Missing from the headlines are the 120 lives taken and hundreds more impacted by gun violence every day from devastating homicides, suicides, domestic violence incidents, police violence and unintentional shootings. Furthermore, this Mother’s Day marks one year since a white supremacist took the lives of 10 people and wounded three people in a grocery store in Buffalo, New York. And on May 24, we’ll mark one year since 19 children and two teachers were killed in an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Both shooters, armed with hate and a firearm, used an AR-15 to commit these heinous tragedies.

We’re tired of heartbreak, so we’re demanding solutions we know will help address this crisis. Volunteers in congressional districts across the country will come together on Saturday, May 13, 2023 to demand one immediate solution, that the US House of Representatives bring an Assault Weapons Ban to the floor of Congress. We will rally, hand out flyers, phonebank and march to demand a ban on assault weapons.

Planning Your Event

  1. All events should take place on Saturday, May 13, 2023. The time is up to you.
  2. Decide what type of event. Here are some ideas and links to more info:
  3. Pick a location: Locations can vary and you should pick one that is meaningful to your community. Please DO NOT gather outside of Congressional offices.
  4. Get prepared: We will be holding an open office hour twice a week to answer any question you might have and make sure you have all the answers you need and that you’re ready to go!. Additionally, we will hold a final prep call for event hosts on May 11, 2023 at 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT.

Creating Your Event

Create your event by submitting details at this link. By creating your event, it will be included in our national recruitment messages, and will be published on our Find an Event website and Demand Action App. This is the best way to have the biggest impact! We will also be able to follow up with you and the people who attend your event to keep you all involved in the gun violence prevention movement. After you create your event, we will send you instructions about how to see who has signed up and how to mark who attended your event, as well as additional resources.

Event Promotion: Get the Word Out!

  1. Signs and Promotional Flyers: After you create your event, we’ll send you a packet with template flyers, or you can make homemade signs. 
  2. Coordinate with your local Moms Demand Action chapter. You can contact them by emailing [your state name]@momschapterleaders.org (ie newyork@momschapterleaders.org). If you’re a student, reach out to students@everytown.org to be connected to other local student groups.  Reach out to supportive Mayors and Congressional leaders to join, speak and get the word out about your event.
  3. Recruit: Moms Demand Action chapters and Students Demand Action local groups should use their normal recruitment tools like our phonebanking, peer-to-peer texting and emails tools, and inviting people in your own network. If you are not involved with a local chapter, be in touch with local leaders (see details under “coordinate” above), and they can help you with our tools. We will also have some national recruitment for all events via email and SMS. To make sure your events get included in this outreach, please get your events created ASAP. 
  4. Involve community partners in planning and promotion: Involve partners in planning and ask everyone to share the event with networks and on social media.
  5. Wear red! Whether it is an official Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action or Everytown Survivor Network shirt or just something else red, get everyone wearing our signature color and demanding action.

Messaging Guidance

Talking Points

We’ll share talking points to craft remarks and talk with the media directly with event hosts after your event is approved. We will have a media training on May 8, 2023 at 8:30pm ET open to everyone.

Homemade Signs

A red shirt selfie is always great, but a homemade sign would be amazing for a recruiting post and could also be held during the event. After you create your event we’ll send samples.

Social Media Guidance

Use your own social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.) to raise awareness about our demand to reinstate the bipartisan assault weapons ban and illustrate the power of the movement by reporting out what is going on at events. Be sure to include the call to action, text FED UP to 644-33.

Best Practices

  • Frame your posts using the messaging guidance found in this toolkit.
  • Your social media is most powerful when it reflects your own unique voice.
  • Include @MomsDemand and #FedUp, and #MothersDay of Action.
  • Include a photo of you in action. Red shirt selfies at events are great!
  • Visit https://bit.ly/mothers-day-of-action-social for more information.

Sample Social Media Post

As a [INSERT IDENTITY: mom, pastor, community member, firefighter, teacher, etc], I’m participating in the @MomsDemand #MothersDay of Action because I am #FedUp–it’s time for action!

I’m calling on Congress to reinstate the bipartisan assault weapons ban now, join me! Text FED UP to 644-33 to contact your lawmaker and demand they act!

Rallies, Marches, Vigils and Other Gatherings

Visible events like rallies, marches and vigils are a great option for the Mother’s Day of Action. They can be as big as 300 people or as small as a dozen. As long as your program is well thought out and prepared, your event will be a success. Rallies and marches often have a theme of demanding action while vigils are more reserved and solemn. Decide what you think is more important for your community and make a plan. Once you register your event, we will share more about the process to make it happen successfully.

Flyering, Tabling and Sign-Waving Events

Gun violence impacts every community in this country, and so should our events. A tabling event, flyering event or sign waving can be a great way to raise awareness, drive meaningful action, and show the strength, spread, and courage of our movement from literally everywhere. Tabling (setting up a folding table at a public space, and inviting people for a conversation), Flyering (handing out flyers with information on the issue and details on how to take action) and Sign-Waving (Standing on the sidewalk in high-traffic street corners, waving signs calling on Congress to take action) are all tactics a small group of activists can engage in. Once you register your event, we will share more about the process to make it happen successfully.

Phonebank Events

Not able to host an event near you?

You can still make an impact by gathering your team to join us for our Virtual Afternoon of Action on Saturday, May 13 from 3-6pm ET (12-3pm PT). During this time, we’ll call voters in key House districts about the need to reinstate a federal assault weapon ban and urge them to call their representative to speak out! No previous experience is needed — we’ll go over our action and run through a short phonebanking training. All you need is a phone, computer or tablet that connects to the internet.

Want to host your own phonebanking event on Saturday, May 13?

Create your event and tell us you’re phonebanking in the event description — we’ll be in touch with guidance on how your team can call into our national virtual phonebank on the 13th. Please note that the phonebank is only open between 12pm-9pm ET.

Published by Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN

Robin Cogan, MEd, RN, NCSN, FNASN, FAAN, is a Nationally Certified School Nurse (NCSN), currently in her 22nd year as a New Jersey school nurse in the Camden City School District. Robin is the Director for New Jersey to the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) Board. She is proud to be a Johnson & Johnson School Health Leadership Fellow and past Program Mentor. Robin is the honored recipient of multiple awards for her work in school nursing and population health. These awards include, 2019 and 2020 National Association of School Nurses President’s Award, 2018 NCSN School Nurse of the Year, 2017 Johnson & Johnson School Nurse of the Year, and the New Jersey Department of Health 2017 Population Health Hero Award. Robin serves as faculty in the School Nurse Certificate Program at Rutgers University-Camden School of Nursing, where she teaches the next generation of school nurses. She was presented the 2018 Rutgers University – Camden Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award for Part-time Faculty. Robin writes a weekly blog called The Relentless School Nurse. She also writes a monthly column in My American Nurse, the official journal of the American Nurses Association. Robin’s work is included as a case study in The Future of Nursing Report 2020-2030. You can follow Robin on Twitter at @RobinCogan.

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