What exactly is a Security Mom?

Note: This article originally appeared in the Jan. 20, 2010 edition of Family Security Matters.

If you want to know what’s forefront in the minds of Americans, post a question on a social networking site:

“I’m working on a story and want to know if you’re a Security Mom. If so, why? If not, why not?”

One of the first responses I received came from a National Guardsman friend: “Beth. Explain Security Mom.” Although he went on to presume he wouldn’t qualify, he was curious nonetheless.

I was equally curious to know how he envisioned a Security Mom, and suspected it entailed a he-man woman in combat boots, gun strapped to her side, night vision goggles cocked on top of her head, sporting a wristwatch walkie-talkie with a button that doubled as a car starter and automatic lock for every door in the house.

My perception wasn’t necessarily without warrant, because Security Moms aren’t always painted with flattering colors. While they’ve received some positive recognition from people such as Michelle Malkin, they’re often labeled as white conservative mothers – right-wing radicals.

In fact, one of the most recent articles I found had belabored the point that “real women” were more concerned about finding a job or putting food on the table. Another story referred to Security Moms as a myth, bogus.

It was probably the latter characterization more than anything that led me to revisit my own thoughts on what it means to be a Security Mom in today’s America.

To be fair, the most accurate assessment I can offer for a Security Mom comes from my own point of view, which prompts me to acknowledge that a Security Mom doesn’t necessarily stick out like a sore thumb (although I suspected that those with no knowledge of the term might beg to differ).

She’s just like you and me – she is me. She accomplishes all the day-to-day tasks that supposedly make up the “modern mother.” She just takes it one step further.

She is tuned in to the security of her nation, state, community, family. She knows the safety protocol at her kids’ school. She knows the nearest exits at malls, and watches for strange behavior when in public, be it at a college football game or a Christmas parade.

A security mom doesn’t think twice about reporting an abandoned piece of luggage at the airport, nor would she hesitate to profile a passenger for suspicious behavior.

Her safety, as well as that of her family, just happens to be a part of who she is, and what she deems important – vital – to survival in an age of terrorism.

When all is said and done, Security Mom isn’t a label, but a way of life.

After offering this assessment to my friend, he wasted no time reminding me that only one percent of Americans have answered the call to protect and defend, while 99 percent are left with a choice: leave security and all it entails to the one percent, or be involved.

Which is where the Security Mom comes into play. By taking responsibility for her family’s safekeeping, and engaging in the security of her community, state and nation, she becomes the foundation from which that one percent stands to grow exponentially.

Her influence has the capacity to reach far beyond the walls of her home, from her place of work and social activities to the office-holders in American government. Consider that 66 percent of women voted in the 2008 election, compared with 62 percent of men – a statistic in line with the 2004 elections as well. When the Security Mom uses her voice – and her vote – she stands to move the nation.

The unanswered question is whether America’s mothers will choose to acknowledge their own power to shape the future of America and its security, or buy into the myth that they really don’t exist.