Mother's Day - A look into women's history (May/08/2007 )

Although Anna Jarvis of West Virginia is recognized as the force behind the official establishment of Mother’s Day in the US in 1912, many believed that Julia Ward Howe ( the author of the Battle Hymn of the Republic) initiated the movement when she issued a declaration and campaigned for a formal recognition of a Mother’s Day for Peace in 1870.

She has seen the devastation of the Civil War thereafter she called for all women to rise up and oppose war in all its form. I’m quoting the declaration in its entirety first off, because it’s beautifully written and very poignant. Secondly, it’s even more relevant today as it was a century and a half ago. And lastly (the most important reason), I have failed in my several attempts to link the site.

Mother's Day Proclamation - 1870
by Julia Ward Howe

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.

PS
To all our Moms, the Moms here at Bioforum (you know who you are ) and the Moms of the world:

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

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whow!
...and I thought mothers day was invented by the flower sellers union to increase sales volumes.

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What a typical male chauvinist or communist response..take your pick hobglobin ! But at least I got a 'sympathy' reply from you (and you're not even a Mom) . But I guess it's my fault, I should have spent a little more time identifying who are the Moms in this forum so I can give them my best wishes. It's just that at times I make mistakes starting with the gender but I will try:

for sure Kathy is a mom...happy mother's day o-kaachan
et à vous aussi Missele (not so sure about the timing though)
Spanish flower, married but I'm not sure if she has kids
Ligation....married but no kids
Damsweet, Chicken, Goldie and Aimikins, engaged but for sure no kids
Krumel, Strawberry and Calvin, anybody's guess unless I missed some of the posts that gave a hint about their relationships
Vetticus, no kids there too
Scolix, Genehunter, DNA factory not sure but may be none
Bioforum, not sure if he's a Mom or a Dad (not even if he's a guy or a girl)..I've been baiting him/her for a long time now but he's a tough customer
Swanny's wife is definitely a superMom (having to put up with him all these years)

Did I miss out on anybody? The roll call is now finished.. please correct me if I'm wrong with my guesses. And to reiterate:
To all the Moms out there (not so many after all in Bioforum), where will we be without you? Happy Mother's Day!!!

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Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers/science freaks. What an unique combination!

and yea casandra, you forgot about me. Just joking. No offence yea...

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Whoa, that's a little harsh don't you think? I'll admit, I am pretty ignorant of the origins of the day too, and I am neither male, chauvinist, nor communist and at most hobgoblin might belong to that first category (you betray a little of your bias there too, I think). I'm sure he/she meant no harm by the comment. To be fair, Mother's Day has unfortunately become (like most things) highly commercialized an a money grab opportunity for many companies.

On a lighter note, Happy Mother's Day y'all. One of the hardest gigs in the world. *gives respect knuckles*

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Hmmm...Timjim if I remember correctly (and I have an almost photographic memory) you prefer long haired blondes ..shallowly (your words) And you're what ..22 or 23, what's the probability that you're married with kids? Hence I can't praise your wife and wish her Happy Mother's Day?

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Yeah you're right, that was a bit harsh of me but we like dissing each other he can take it...he's not the only victim here. But that is no excuse I know . Behave yourself next time Dr. hobglobin

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Thankx caandra
yes i am a mother of 2 lovely girls and yesterday we went to the park , my elder girl gave me a bunch of flowers she picked from the park, all blue my favorite.

thankx again and happy mother's day to all the mums.

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thank you so much casandra and everyone! have to admit i even did not know it is mothers day in lebanon mothers day is march 21......

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I'm used to it, expected it, and I pay back sometimes in spades. Nevertheless besides this growing commercial background I don't like, in germany "mothers day" has also a unpleasant "taste" from the near history. During the time of nazism it was abused as honour day for the female heroes that were encouraged to "produce" as much kids as possible for war, increasing the numbers of the "aryan race", and similar trash
So I don't like it very much and don't need a special day to celebrate & love my mum (hopefully she knows this ).

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