- Feb 9, 2007
- 1,841
- 25
Historical Footnotes:
*From The Ramparts*
Junious Ricardo Stanton
*The Origins of US Mother’s Day*
/“ The ‘Mother's Day’ antiwar observances founded by Julia Ward Howe in
1872[3]
Julia Ward Howe is sometimes claimed as the ‘founder of Mother's Day,’
implying that Julia Ward Howe's June 2nd occasion and Anna Jarvis'
second-Sunday- in-May event are the same thing. It is even suggested that
an antiwar and feminist holiday was co-opted by the forces of
sentimentality, tradition, and Hallmark. But although Mother's Day was
celebrated in eighteen cities in 1873, it did not take root. It
continued in Boston for about ten years under Howe's personal financial
sponsorship, then died out. Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day, celebrated on
June 2nd, was first proclaimed around 1870 by Julia Ward Howe's Mother's
Day Proclamation, and Howe called for it to be observed each year
nationally in 1872. As originally envisioned, Howe's "Mother's Day" was a
call for pacifism and disarmament by women.” /
http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Mother%27s_ Day_%28United_ States%29
Most people in the US would find it ironic that one of the founder’s of
the “Mother’s Day” was a pacifist who wanted a national day of peace.
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe was an activist in her day something very unusual
for the time. She wrote the /*Battle Hymn of The Republic*/ but also
wrote anti-war poems and lectured widely against war. She was not only a
lecturer she worked with widows and orphans on both sides of the US Civil
War (an oxymoron is there ever was one, how can devastation and death be
considered “civil”?). Howe decided peace was one of the most important
causes in the world especially given the cultural proclivities of
Europeans who fought and died at the drop of a hat. In 1870 Howe
organized women to massively protest war and promote peace. Julia Ward
Howe was unsuccessful in rising a corps of feminist pacifists but she did
have an impact on her time. “In 1870, Julia Ward Howe took on a new issue
and a new cause. Distressed by her experience of the realities of war,
determined that peace was one of the two most important causes of the
world (the other being equality in its many forms) and seeing war arise
again in the world in the Franco-Prussian War, she called in 1870 for
women to rise up and oppose war in all its forms. She wanted women to
come together across national lines, to recognize what we hold in common
above what divides us, and commit to finding peaceful resolutions to
conflicts. She issued a Declaration, hoping to gather together women in a
congress of action.
She failed in her attempt to get formal recognition of a Mother's Day for
Peace. Her idea was influenced by Anna Jarvis, a young Appalachian
homemaker who had attempted starting in 1858 to improve sanitation
through what she called Mothers' Work Days. She organized women
throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both
sides, and in 1868 she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate
neighbors.” http://womenshistor y.about.com/ library/weekly/ aa013100d. htm
I find it interesting to learn the origin of Mother’s Day centered around
peace and equality. By today’s customs and advertising campaigns you
would never know there were some serious pacifist feminists who spoke out
and attempted to enshrine the notion of peace on the US public
consciousness. If Julia Ward Howe were around today she would probably be
denounced by the Bu$hites and NeoCons as giving aid and comfort to
“terrorists” and the enemy, such is the twisted mentality of the
warmongers and fascists who currently rule AmeriKKKa. This weekend the
AmeriKKKan economy will get a much needed boost with all the money spent
on flowers, dinners, gifts and presents that will be given, more often
out of guilt or custom than real love. Meanwhile the real reason for
Mother’s Day, peace, has been flushed down the collective consciousness
memory hole.
Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis saw the horrors and devastation of the US
Civil War and were moved to act. They acted out of a true sense of
humanity, something unusual for white women to do especially during those
times. Today the US corporate media keeps the images of
AmeriKKKa’s numerous wars suppressed and as sanitized as possible so Joe
and Jane Sixpack will not make the connection between the death, carnage
and chaos US imperialism is causing around the world and their tax
dollars. What if millions of AmeriKKKan women decided to act on their
conscience and conviction for peace like Julia Ward Howe, Congresswoman
Barbara Lee the only Congress critter with the wisdom and courage to buck
the White House and vote against Bu$h’s War on Terrorism or Cindy Sheehan
who lost her son Casey in Iraq to renounce war and killing? What impact
do you think this would have on AmeriKKKan policy? Do you think the
corporate mind control apparatus could suppress such a movement? Do you
think warmongering fascists like **** Cheney, Richard Perle, Charles
Krauthammer or Hillary Rodham Clinton could overpower the conviction and
passion of motherhood at its’ best? Do you think AmeriKKKa could remain
asleep and apathetic to the harm and horror this nation is causing around
the world if everyday ordinary mothers galvanized themselves in a
movement of extraordinary passion and fervor for peace?
As you scramble to spend and celebrate Mother’s Day 2007 stop for a
minute, reflect on the original Mother’s Day, the non-commercial and
corporate co-option of Julia Ward Howe’s and Anna Jarvis’ idea of peace.
Stop and think about how powerful the idea of peace is. Ask yourself if
we actually thought enough of ourselves and loved ourselves enough to
believe peace is a practical possibility, what would it take to make
peace a reality. Julia Ward Howe and Ann Jarvis saw the devastation and
suffering of war. Unlike them, we have turned a deaf ear to the cries of
humanity. Unlike them we keep mindlessly running the rat race, oblivious
to the carnage and suffering our government is causing. By our cowardice
we are allowing the warmongers and fascists to wreck havoc on our planet.
What would happen if we decided to be like Anna Jarvis and Julia War Howe
and actively press for peace, make peace a priority and our reality? Food
for thought on this Mother’s Day 2007.
*From The Ramparts*
Junious Ricardo Stanton
*The Origins of US Mother’s Day*
/“ The ‘Mother's Day’ antiwar observances founded by Julia Ward Howe in
1872[3]
Julia Ward Howe is sometimes claimed as the ‘founder of Mother's Day,’
implying that Julia Ward Howe's June 2nd occasion and Anna Jarvis'
second-Sunday- in-May event are the same thing. It is even suggested that
an antiwar and feminist holiday was co-opted by the forces of
sentimentality, tradition, and Hallmark. But although Mother's Day was
celebrated in eighteen cities in 1873, it did not take root. It
continued in Boston for about ten years under Howe's personal financial
sponsorship, then died out. Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day, celebrated on
June 2nd, was first proclaimed around 1870 by Julia Ward Howe's Mother's
Day Proclamation, and Howe called for it to be observed each year
nationally in 1872. As originally envisioned, Howe's "Mother's Day" was a
call for pacifism and disarmament by women.” /
http://en.wikipedia .org/wiki/ Mother%27s_ Day_%28United_ States%29
Most people in the US would find it ironic that one of the founder’s of
the “Mother’s Day” was a pacifist who wanted a national day of peace.
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe was an activist in her day something very unusual
for the time. She wrote the /*Battle Hymn of The Republic*/ but also
wrote anti-war poems and lectured widely against war. She was not only a
lecturer she worked with widows and orphans on both sides of the US Civil
War (an oxymoron is there ever was one, how can devastation and death be
considered “civil”?). Howe decided peace was one of the most important
causes in the world especially given the cultural proclivities of
Europeans who fought and died at the drop of a hat. In 1870 Howe
organized women to massively protest war and promote peace. Julia Ward
Howe was unsuccessful in rising a corps of feminist pacifists but she did
have an impact on her time. “In 1870, Julia Ward Howe took on a new issue
and a new cause. Distressed by her experience of the realities of war,
determined that peace was one of the two most important causes of the
world (the other being equality in its many forms) and seeing war arise
again in the world in the Franco-Prussian War, she called in 1870 for
women to rise up and oppose war in all its forms. She wanted women to
come together across national lines, to recognize what we hold in common
above what divides us, and commit to finding peaceful resolutions to
conflicts. She issued a Declaration, hoping to gather together women in a
congress of action.
She failed in her attempt to get formal recognition of a Mother's Day for
Peace. Her idea was influenced by Anna Jarvis, a young Appalachian
homemaker who had attempted starting in 1858 to improve sanitation
through what she called Mothers' Work Days. She organized women
throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both
sides, and in 1868 she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate
neighbors.” http://womenshistor y.about.com/ library/weekly/ aa013100d. htm
I find it interesting to learn the origin of Mother’s Day centered around
peace and equality. By today’s customs and advertising campaigns you
would never know there were some serious pacifist feminists who spoke out
and attempted to enshrine the notion of peace on the US public
consciousness. If Julia Ward Howe were around today she would probably be
denounced by the Bu$hites and NeoCons as giving aid and comfort to
“terrorists” and the enemy, such is the twisted mentality of the
warmongers and fascists who currently rule AmeriKKKa. This weekend the
AmeriKKKan economy will get a much needed boost with all the money spent
on flowers, dinners, gifts and presents that will be given, more often
out of guilt or custom than real love. Meanwhile the real reason for
Mother’s Day, peace, has been flushed down the collective consciousness
memory hole.
Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jarvis saw the horrors and devastation of the US
Civil War and were moved to act. They acted out of a true sense of
humanity, something unusual for white women to do especially during those
times. Today the US corporate media keeps the images of
AmeriKKKa’s numerous wars suppressed and as sanitized as possible so Joe
and Jane Sixpack will not make the connection between the death, carnage
and chaos US imperialism is causing around the world and their tax
dollars. What if millions of AmeriKKKan women decided to act on their
conscience and conviction for peace like Julia Ward Howe, Congresswoman
Barbara Lee the only Congress critter with the wisdom and courage to buck
the White House and vote against Bu$h’s War on Terrorism or Cindy Sheehan
who lost her son Casey in Iraq to renounce war and killing? What impact
do you think this would have on AmeriKKKan policy? Do you think the
corporate mind control apparatus could suppress such a movement? Do you
think warmongering fascists like **** Cheney, Richard Perle, Charles
Krauthammer or Hillary Rodham Clinton could overpower the conviction and
passion of motherhood at its’ best? Do you think AmeriKKKa could remain
asleep and apathetic to the harm and horror this nation is causing around
the world if everyday ordinary mothers galvanized themselves in a
movement of extraordinary passion and fervor for peace?
As you scramble to spend and celebrate Mother’s Day 2007 stop for a
minute, reflect on the original Mother’s Day, the non-commercial and
corporate co-option of Julia Ward Howe’s and Anna Jarvis’ idea of peace.
Stop and think about how powerful the idea of peace is. Ask yourself if
we actually thought enough of ourselves and loved ourselves enough to
believe peace is a practical possibility, what would it take to make
peace a reality. Julia Ward Howe and Ann Jarvis saw the devastation and
suffering of war. Unlike them, we have turned a deaf ear to the cries of
humanity. Unlike them we keep mindlessly running the rat race, oblivious
to the carnage and suffering our government is causing. By our cowardice
we are allowing the warmongers and fascists to wreck havoc on our planet.
What would happen if we decided to be like Anna Jarvis and Julia War Howe
and actively press for peace, make peace a priority and our reality? Food
for thought on this Mother’s Day 2007.