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Mothers today often say that they are concerned about what's happening to America. But most feel that they just can't afford the time or the child-care expense to ``get involved.''
Some are afraid they will shortchange their kids somehow, by taking them along on neighborhood canvasses or to nonprofit or political group meetings. But I ask mothers, ``How can you afford not to get involved?''
The situation today for children and mothers in America is urgent. Asthma and autism rates in some places are up 400 percent; one of every six American moms has unsafe levels of mercury in their bodies; 200 species become extinct every day; our water, food and air are becoming more neurotoxic and carcinogenic instead of less for the first time since 1968; and more children fall into homelessness each year than ever since the Great Depression.
Our children's future is bleak unless far more of us act now. Now more than ever is the time to get involved -- and get our children involved.
Getting kids involved with us develops their conscience and confidence in their own power to do good. I remember once when I had my 6-year-old, Angela, who's a registered nurse now, and we were at a picket line at the Safeway during the grape boycott. Here's this little kid standing in front of the store, passing out leaflets, telling people, ''Don't shop here, because the grapes have poison on them.'' She was turning away more people than the adults!
Like Angela, kids learn and enhance their self confidence and values by joining their moms in standing up for justice and working for good causes, than they do going to school.
Our nation is making a disastrous mistake thinking that we can have security from people: There is only security with people. Hate will always find a way around a ``security system.''
I know many mothers reading this are wondering how to do it if they can't afford baby sitters or just don't seem to have the time. Yet so many mothers spend so much time driving kids to sports practice or working to buy expensive things. (I have daughters myself who are soccer moms, and I think sports are great for kids.)
If your child was seriously ill, you would not think twice about giving up soccer. What is the difference between that and our child's society and planet being in critical condition? Political involvement is the medicine for curing a sick society and planet.
The tough truth is that using sports, schedule or income as reasons not to get involved is a failure of responsibility and imagination. Here are five ways to do it:
If the campaign or organization lacks child care, help them organize it. On-site baby sitters can be recruited from colleges or other parent volunteers.
If there is no child care, your child can come with you to meetings, phone banks, etc. You can keep most kids occupied for a couple of hours with crayons, books and stories on CDs.
Ask moms who aren't actively engaged if they would watch your kids while you campaign. These mothers can then feel they're making a contribution. If there's ever a time to ask for help, it's now.
Lower your homemaking standards. I used to say that for every bed I didn't make, some poor farm worker got a $1 per hour more.
If you're a single mother, find another mother with a child the age of yours or older, and your kids can keep busy together.
Putting it another way, there are good mothers and great mothers. The great mother is a good mother who, in addition, involves her kids with herself in the struggle to bring more health and justice into the world, not only for themselves, but for kids and mothers less fortunate than themselves.
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