By Mae A.
Houston, TX – Nothing says family like Halloween and autumn festivals, and Bay Area moms joined the Clear Lake City Community’s fall/monster bash Saturday to pass out candy to costumed tots and tykes – and to raise awareness about protecting families from gun violence.
The ladies, who represented the Bay Area chapter of Mom’s Demand Action, took part in the festival’s “trunk or treating,” or car trunks that participants accessorize with Halloween decorations and where the children went to fill their trick-or-treat bags.
Hundreds attended the Fall Festival/Halloween Fest, which is an annual community event held in Clear Lake at the CLCC’s recreation center and Exploration Green park on Diana Lane.
Moms Demand Action is a national grass-roots movement that campaigns for legislation they believe will effectively curb gun violence like universal background checks, and promote gun safety practices like how to store guns securely.
Although their mission was serious, it wasn’t lost on the Bay Area moms that this event was all about the children. With one car trunk draped with a “Moms Demand Action” banner and another trunk decorated with a giant, mama kitty protecting her kittens, the ladies greeted the children with chocolate bars, gummies, licorice, caramels, hard candies, jellies, and sours. Many children posed in front of Mama Kitty and her babies.
In a parallel move, the MDA reps passed out flyers to the kids’ grownups that described the MDA’s actions and goals. The reps sought to dispel those ghoulish fears that preventing gun violence is tantamount to dismantling 2nd Amendment rights. They also gave out MDA paraphernalia including buttons, wristbands, and stickers.
The MDA’s efforts were well-received; most of the adults engaged with the moms and asked questions about the group’s mission. Other adults thanked the moms for promoting gun safety. “I have two grandchildren in elementary school,” one cat-eared gran said, as she glanced over the flyer.
“The parents were very receptive to receiving the flyers,” said Vicki Price who spearheaded the MDA presence at the festival.
MDA has chapters nationwide and the Bay Area chapter is one of many in Texas; it represents SE Houston.
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