Jackson Free Press

Here is the original, pre-Hallmark, Mother's Day Proclamation, penned in Boston by Julia Ward Howe in 1870:

Arise all women who have hearts,
Whether your baptism be that of water or of tears
Say firmly:

"We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant
agencies,
Our husbands shall not come to us reeking of 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 out 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 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 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.

Previous Comments

ID

85053

Comment

Nothing is safe from political agendas.

Author

jimjam

Date

2004-05-09T12:53:57-06:00

ID

85054

Comment

... or from the taint of being co-opted to sell cards. ;-) Lucky for us, we have the record of history so that we can understand the actual roots of some of our most sacred traditions. Personally, I don't find the hope for peace and charity "political." It strikes me that cynically calling such goals "political" is missing the point, and kind of sad. I think it is very touching and inspiring that Mother's Day has such a powerful history, and grew out of such a noble cause. Here's to our fore-moms.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2004-05-09T13:51:09-06:00

ID

85055

Comment

I agree. It is sad that some will use anything to pound their ideas, philosophy, politcal beliefs, etc., down others' throats. There is a time and place for everything, but Mother's Day??? BTW, memorial day and father's day are right around the bend.

Author

jimjam

Date

2004-05-09T14:14:29-06:00

ID

85056

Comment

Jimjam, it sounds like you are equating expressing ideas and thoughts to "pounding" something down anyone's throat. That's a leap: all you have to do is to proverbially close your mouth--that is, stop reading. I read the New York Times this morning, and The Clarion-Ledger. I didn't agree with everything I read; does that mean that something was being rammed down my throat just because I didn't agree with it? Of course not. If I didn't want to think about world or local news on a particular day, I would simply ignore the messingers for a day or two. Choosing to read diverse news and opinion, and then complaining that something you find is somehow "pounding" seems illogical to me. You wouldn't be looking for something to be cynical about on this fine Mother's Day, would you? As for celebrating those who want peace and less death and destruction in the world, I think Mother's Day is just as good a day as any for heralding such wonderful ideals (especially since the day apparently grew out of such ideals, as the above words show!). Personally, I have known many mothers, including my own dear mama, who believed strongly in such ideals and, I don't believe, would be offended that such ideas should surface on a day dedicated to celebrating their strength. And it is also Sunday -- a day that many people consider a day for both celebration and contemplation of humanity, charity and life. You'll also find similar mentions of the thoughts of Ms. Howe in texts that many people routinely read on Sundays, including Mother's Day. Many people, including myself, simply believe that praying (and calling) for peace transcends politics, no matter what day of the year it is. Consider that sad if you must.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2004-05-09T14:37:06-06:00

ID

85057

Comment

That's an awesome piece. I wish that was what Mother's Day were about. It speaks to the immense power of love, and of Mothers. Motherhood has always been political, as far as I can tell. Everyone's got opinions on who should do it, when, and how and why. At least that Mother's Day proclamation assumes that Mothers are a force to be reckoned with - not just a bunch of consumers.

Author

kate

Date

2004-05-09T15:00:14-06:00

ID

85058

Comment

This poem is exceptional, and certainly more appropriate to Mother's Day than any flowery card or token gift. My own mother was hardly a feminist in any sense of the term. She worked as a school teacher in one of the most destitute communities I have ever seen, ran a very tight and efficient household (including cooking and cleaning), and even managed to help civilize me and my brother (and, when he needed it, my father, too). It was my mother who taught me the art of cooking, beyond the simple heating of canned or boxed goods, to satisfy body and soul alike. It was she who forced me to use proper grammar and manners, so that other human beings could understand and respect me far more than they might be otherwise inclined to. It was she who stressed cleanliness, of house, of body, and of spirit, and to avoid laziness or excess. I did not always get along with her, and still don't; she and I are very different people, and we do not agree on many things. But without her influence, I may not have turned out as good of a man, as I am told I have been by many of my friends. Perhaps she was trying to help me to be a part of a rare (possibly dying) breed: the Southern gentility. Mother's Day has always been a time for me to show this appreciation, but no technological wonder, nor the most attentive resturant, can possibly convey all the thanks I could give to her for making me what I am. Happy Mother's Day...

Author

Eindrachen

Date

2004-05-09T22:42:23-06:00

ID

85059

Comment

Speaking of Mother's Day and politics ... Carrying homemade signs and photographs of loved ones killed by gunfire, gun control advocates used a Mother's Day rally on Sunday to begin a campaign to lobby for renewal of a ban on assault weapons. The rally, the Million Mom March, attracted about 2,500 people, its organizers said. It focused on supporting legislation to renew the 1994 ban on semiautomatic assault rifles, which is to expire in September. Advertisement The legislation is unlikely to move forward in the Republican-controlled Congress, and gun control advocates hope to make it an election year issue. They plan to travel to swing states and elsewhere to lobby, hold rallies and try to enlist local elected officials and police chiefs in calling attention to the bill, which focuses on guns like the AK-47, Uzi, Tec-9 and Street Sweeper. "I think we've got a real chance to change the politics on this," said Michael D. Barnes, a former Maryland representative who is now president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "We know we are in for a real struggle, but it's winnable." The battle pits the Brady Campaign, which has merged with the Million Mom March, against the National Rifle Association. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/10/national/10MOMS.html

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2004-05-10T14:48:43-06:00

ID

85060

Comment

This is such a great tradition that I've decided to start doing it myself. You folks rock. Seriously. I argue with y'all because that's what blog comment fields are for, but I'm proud to say that when push comes to shove, I'm pretty sure Donna and I are on the same page. Cheers, TH

Author

Tom Head

Date

2005-05-07T17:25:10-06:00

ID

85061

Comment

Some very nice sentiments from Rebecca Ephraim from over at Alternet: Julia Ward Howe is probably best known for writing the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Yet, like Marla Ruzicka, Howe witnessed first-hand the carnage and suffering of war -- for her, the Civil War, taking place on our own shores. She was shocked by the staggering deaths, injuries and disease among the soldiers, the devastating toll it took upon the widows and orphans she worked with and the ensuing economic crises that followed the war. It was from this seminal experience that in 1870, Howe composed a Mother's Day Proclamation calling on women to rise up and "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." This Mother's Day, why not follow in the tradition that Julia Ward Howe set and Marla Ruzicka exemplified. Both embraced the great human family, drawing no distinctions between "them" and "us." Let's honor the valued women in our lives by making peace a priority, whether it's making peace at home or a half a world away. Even better, as you sit with your family this Mother's Day, read Howe's original Proclamation aloud knowing that we all can't soar with eagles -- but we can carve the turkey and aspire to doing a little more to make the world a better place.

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2005-05-08T19:05:55-06:00