"ARISE ALL WOMEN WHO HAVE
        HEARTS"

        There was a lot going on last Sunday as America divided its time between horror at the torture of Iraqi prisoners and the commercial celebration of Mother^Òs Day. The contrast between the two events was stark.

        Just as the contrast with what MOTHER'S DAY is supposed to be about and what it really is. Here is the original goal (our emphasis.)


        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

        This is what Mother's Day has been turned into by commercialism and a gutless, heartless humanity:

        "Toscano café: Mother's Day Brunch 9am-2pm."

        "Red Square: Happy Day to all you badass muthas!
        Come in for a cold one after you ditch the kids."

              "Junior's pizza: show mom the love."

        "The Windjammer restaurant:
        C'mon, it's your mom. Make her feel special."

            "Gardner's: Free flowers for mom."

                  "Champlain chocolates:
                  Mother's day made easy."

        "Designers' Circle Jewelers:
        Mother's day rocks."

        In Iraqi prisons, torture, dehumanizing, cruelty and depravity originating from an administration that has even refused to honor the arrival home of its battle-dead.

        All of this horror is softened by a media that increasingly calls the events at Iraqi prisons, "mistreatment," carefully avoiding the "T word."

        Remember when the so-called "conservatives" called for impeachment of Clinton when they were embarrassed by a sex scandal? Try explaining these Iraqi prison pictures to your children.

        Now high administration officials and rychus congressmen tell us that anything this country and its military does is O.K. because of 9/11. Bull! It was al Quida Saudi that caused the carnage on 9/11 - NOT IRAQI.

        This situation cries out for the intercession of women with hearts because now so many are clearly seeing what man's allegiance to his God-of-War has led to over and over again.

        And most especially, women are strongly feeling that their allegiance to man's values has led them to enable his corruption.

        twanda@sover.net

        2004-020

        Copyright 2004 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@sover.net.

        G e n d e r G a p p e r s   T M