Honoring the Meaning of Mother's Day

The Spirit of Julia Ward Howe
by Elizabeth Barger

As Mother's Day approaches next month, the violence in Iraq and the Middle
East continues unabated. More and more women in Tennessee are experiencing
the heart wrenching worry and pain and lack of economic resources that
violent conflict always brings with it. During the Civil War, Julia Ward
Howe, who wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic, worked with widows and
orphans of both sides. She felt directly the long-term devastation that
comes from war. These experiences caused her to issue her Declaration of
Mother's Day call for peace.


The present conflict in the Middle East has affected Tennesseans in more
ways than we may be aware of. For example, Tennessee has lost the use of
seven billion tax dollars as calculated from a percent of taxes removed
from the state to pay for the occupation in Iraq. All of our cities and
counties are poorer because of the cost of this invasion and occupation.

Tennessee families face the tragedy of family members and friends who are
sick and dying without proper medical care because they cannot afford
insurance or good health care. Schools suffer from lack of support from
pre-school on. Many students are denied higher education because of cuts
to Pell Grants and other student assistance. Even more tragic is the loss of
71 precious Tennessee soldiers and the terrible reality of the wounded in
body and soul who come home to the lack of proper medical and psychological
care.

Five years ago, a group of Tennessee women, led by founders of PeaceRoots
Alliance and More Than Warmth, came together with middle Tennessee women
to honor Julia Ward Howe, and remember that Mother's Day began as a call for
our children's future and a call for peace, asking "Why do not the mothers
of mankind interfere in these matters, to prevent the waste of that human
life of which they alone bear and know the cost?"

This awareness has grown as women across the nation have come together to
call for peace in the spirit of the woman who started it during the time
of our American Civil War. For example, the international Code Pink Women
for Peace has called thousands of women to, again, gather in our nation's
capital to celebrate the original meaning of Mother's Day.

This year on Mother's Day, May 13, in Nashville, Mothers Acting Up will
bring mothers and their children together with many of the same groups,
church groups, and a growing number of families. They will congregate in
Fannie Mae Dees (Dragon) Park for fun and The Second Annual Mother's Day
Peace Parade to honor the strength of mothers. "My hope is to fully embody
the inclusive message of peace for ALL," says organizer Paige La Grone
Babcock, also national outreach coordinator for MAU. "We, along with many
communities in cities across the country, will gather in celebration of
mother leadership and collectively kick off of a national postcard action
designed by MAU, endorsed and partnered by several organizations including
Code Pink, WAND, Global Action For Children, and more. The action will be
aimed at Speaker of the U.S. House Nancy Pelosi, appealing to her to use
her Mother Leadership to be an advocate for the Mother of all Agendas: to
Protect our Global Family by championing the Millennium Development Goals;
to Preserve our Planet by addressing global warming and the True Cost of
War by freezing U.S. military spending."

Tennesseans are intelligent and caring people. We know that war only makes
things worse. As we understand our power as citizens, we will arise and
take away the control that corporations have co-opted over the lives and
resources of our people. Julia reminds us that when it comes to the lives
of our loved ones, we must arise and make responsible decisions to promote
"the amicable settlement of international questions."

Mothers and Fathers of this state see the importance of the highest ideals
necessary to reach our full potential as thinking human beings. We care
about how our government treats our citizens and all the people of the
world. We teach our children to be brave, honest, kind, and fair. Across
the years, Julia Ward Howe's words speak as true today as they did then. She
calls out to women to understand that we can save our children and our
country. We feel the courage and determination it takes to bring peace.
Yes, we agree, "Arise all women who have hearts." let us "take counsel with
each other as to the means whereby the great human family can live in peace."

Honoring our mothers is a good thing. Honoring the strength and fortitude
of mothers who demand peace and stand for the protection of our children and
families is the true meaning of Mother's Day.