"Arise, then, women of this day!"

Friends,

Long before the holiday we know as Mother's Day was established, Julia Ward Howe wrote her Mother's Day Proclamation (in 1870), responding to the horrible carnage of the U.S. Civil War, in which so many women lost their sons and husbands.

Howe and so many other women of that time were committed to abolishing war, and in 1872 Howe proposed the establishment of an annual Mother's Day for Peace. Long since that time (the commercialized version of) Mother's Day has, for the most part, been sanitized to remove any trace of women's civil, political activism. And - Men (am I wrong???) continue to perpetuate the horrific trans-national violence and war that consumes our young, our treasure, our future.

Julia Ward Howe

Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation was an extraordinary statement declaring that women should not allow their children to be taken from them to learn to kill the children of the women of other nations, nor should they allow their husbands go to war. Howe's disdain for the warring actions of the men running the show was clear as she said that such "great questions" must not be "decided by irrelevant agencies."

The final paragraph of Howe's proclamation was a call to women to come together in a "general congress" for peace, which is conceptually a framework for what the United Nations might look like if the nations of the Security Council (including the United States) would honor its noble intentions.

So, "Arise, then, women of this day", just as many women did in response to Howe in 1870. Men have had their chance, and failed miserably. The world continues (paraphrasing Howe) "to reek with carnage." Women - Refuse to send your husbands, your sons and your daughters off to kill the children of others.

It is high time to create the conditions whereby (as Howe stated it), "the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God."

With great thanks to nurturing women everywhere,

Leonard

P.S. - This Saturday, May 10th, Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action will hold its annual Mother's Day weekend observance with a tea party (vigil and nonviolent direct action) at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, which houses the largest operational concentration of nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal. Learn more at gzcenter.org.  Join us for tea and cakes and much, much more.

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Mothers' Day Proclamation: Julia Ward Howe, Boston, 1870

Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of fears. 

Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.

We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says "Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice." 

Blood does not wipe our dishonor nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead. 

Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God. 

In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.

Julia Ward Howe, Boston, 1870

"Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of Justice."

Dear Friends,

Today is a day in which we tend to honor mothers; generally with cards, flowers and perhaps a nice meal.  Mother's Day, like many holidays, has become a routine and, in a very real sense, diluted in terms of its original meaning.  Yes, we need to honor our mothers, and all the women in our lives, who have nurtured us to fulfill our potential.  Yet, the original Mother's Day was something far different than a day of cards and flowers; it was a day intended to recognize that women create and nurture life, while men have, for the better part of human existence, destroyed that very potential that we all wish to fulfill.  It was meant to be a very real and powerful statement directed at those who perpetrated and perpetuated war.

When Julia Ward Howe wrote her Mother's Day Proclamation, she was responding to the horrible carnage of the U.S. Civil War, in which so many women lost their sons.  Howe and so many other women were committed to abolishing war, and in 1872 Howe proposed the establishment of an annual Mother's Day for Peace.  Long since that time (the commercialized version of) Mother's Day has, for the most part, been sanitized to remove any trace of women's civil, political activism.  And - Men continue to perpetuate the horrific trans-national violence and war that consumes our young, our treasure, our future.

Fortunately for our world, today's women have not forgotten the message and intent of Howe and all the other uppity women who came before them trying to make the world a more peaceful place where all children can grow up and realize their potential.  I am thankful for all those women who not only dream of a better world, but work to make it so.    
Peace and Thanks to Nurturing Women Everywhere,

Leonard

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Mothers' Day Proclamation: Julia Ward Howe, Boston, 1870

Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of fears!

Say firmly: "We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.

We women of one country will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says "Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."

Blood does not wipe our dishonor nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war, let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel. Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.

Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar, but of God.

In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a general congress of women without limit of nationality may be appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at the earliest period consistent with its objects, to promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.

Julia Ward Howe
Boston
1870

A Mother's Day Proclamation

Friends,

In 1870, Julia Ward Howe (who is widely known for having written "The Battle Hymn of the Republic") called for women to rise up and oppose all forms of war. Believing strongly that peace and equal rights for all people were crucial global issues, Julia hoped to inspire an international movement of women for peace with her Mother's Day Proclamation of 1870.

As peacemakers, Julia’s Mother’s Day Proclamation goes to the heart of our struggle in a violent world, and from a universal and timeless feminine perspective. During this year’s Mother’s Day weekend vigil and nonviolent action at the gates of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor (home port for eight Trident nuclear missile submarines and the largest storehouse of nuclear weapons in the United States) we will read this proclamation as we honor mothers and create hope for the children as we work for a nuclear weapons-free world.

Some people will scoff at the notion of a nuclear weapons-free world; to those I humbly request that they explain their position to the children who may suffer the consequences of the world's nuclear folly, should we fail in our task. Peacemaking (in every form and at every level) is not optional, and it must be universal. It must be our central focus in an increasingly violent world. And nuclear weapons are the ultimate violence.

The Psalmist writes, “Long enough have I been dwelling with those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for fighting” (Psalm 120:6-7). Long enough have we listened to the men in power who continue to tell us that they know what is best; just look at the results. Have they ever bothered to ask the women? Here is a woman’s voice speaking to us from well over a century past, but with a voice that is as true and clear today as it was then saying, “Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.

Peace,

Leonard

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MOTHER"S DAY PROCLAMATION - 1870

Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage,
For caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country,
Will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.
"From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with Our own.
It says: "Disarm! Disarm!
The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.
"Blood does not wipe our dishonor,
Nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil
At the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home
For a great and earnest day of counsel.
Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace...
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God -In the name of womanhood and humanity,
I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

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Note: Learn more about Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action's May 9th vigil and nonviolent action at http://gzcenter.org/.