Glenn Beck does it again. By using his television show as a podium for the otherwise voiceless conservative, he has inspired the creation of a new network of seemingly unconquerable Americans with a mission of utmost importance. They call themselves, "The Sisterhood of the Mommy Patriots," and they are are a non-partisan group of women dedicated to saving their children and the future of America. On his book tour for Arguing with Idiots, Beck discovered a disproportionate number of moms reading his book, and in turn supporting the ideals he promotes in his work with the 9/12 Project. Within a few days, AsAMom.org was founded by Lori Parker, and within less than a week it had over 5,000 members. Lori appeared on Beck's show Friday night, and since then the site has been almost unable to sustain the colossal influx of new members.
This is brilliant. These women are literally the heart and soul of the American family, and an untapped resource as a voice for the everyday American. They are quite possibly the most self-sacrificing and hardest-working group of people in this country. They are the engine behind the American machine. And also worth noting, they're angry. They're angry that our President and his administration are robbing their children of the money that belongs to them; they're angry that elected officials are not acting as a voice for the very people they're paid to represent; and they're angry that their voices are going unheard. Although the Obama Administration loves to downplay the civil unrest in this country as a bunch of loony Fox-news-watching 'teabaggers,' it would be interesting to see them take a crack at this one; it's essentially impossible to demonize a network of mothers.
One, literally, could not portray a group of concerned mothers as "terrorists" or "war-mongers" or paint them to be the byproduct of a hate-filled astroturf movement. According to Frank Luntz, among the top four most trusted professions in America, mothers ranked number one. Mothers are trustworthy, and their feelings and concerns are genuine. So it's not surprising that when that emotional legitimacy is moved into organization, it's very effective. In spite of the media and social pressures on women to pursue careers outside the home (and downplaying the legitimacy of being a "stay at home mom" as a career in and of itself) lots of moms still find ways to organize socially. Mothers Against Drunk Driving or MADD, Mothers for Peace and other non-profit organizations are testaments to the power of organized moms. But even with the continued expectation of American moms to "do it all," juggling the demands of a career, keeping a home, being a wife, a tutor, a cook and essentially the CEO of the family, moms are still viewed as the nurturing, warm, safe place in the American family. I would argue that 'warm safe place' is going to prove a force to be reckoned with, in the national argument over expanding federal government.
The lives of women who choose to stay home and raise their children full time, exist largely within the four walls of their homes and so are often disconnected from other like-minded adults. Many moms, like Lori, express a feeling of "being alone" in their values, opinions, and concerns for the future of their children's America. By interacting with the same six or seven women in her weekly network for play dates, it's totally understandable that a woman would feel as though she were the odd ball out for not agreeing with the rest of the group ideologically. Because the media tries to instill fear in the hearts of vulnerable conservatives, it creates the illusion of ideological solitude. It tells you that the vast majority of Americans are as happy as pigs in mud to unquestionably trust the President, to have the government spend their money, control their healthcare, tax their paychecks away, and in the end, refuse to be held accountable for any of it. The American People are not really concerned, the media tells you, because Dancing with the Stars is on tonight! But with continual developments in social technology, the media can no longer keep the American mom stifled in her home.
The emergence of the blogosphere (accessible to any American with a computer) has suddenly made the world much, much smaller. Women now have access to other women, through interest groups and blogs, who share their concerns, validate each other's discontent and now have a means to organize and make their voices heard as a unit. Like geese flying in formation; the more geese you have flying, the less wind-resistance exists and the more efficiently you fly. If enough mothers get organized (and I believe and hope they will) through social networking sites or local community meetings and demand to be heard by the bureaucrats on Capitol Hill; our Senators, Congressmen, and the Obama Administration will be forced to stop poo-pooing the discontent of Americans, and listen to mom.
