The true purpose of Mother's Day

[Amy6627]

MOTHERS' DAY FOR PEACE (1870)
Influenced by Ann Jarvis and reeling from the carnage left over from the American Civil War, the prominent Boston writer, abolitionist, and suffragist Julia Ward Howe issued a Mothers' Day Proclamation in 1870, calling on women around the world to unite to end war. She saw mothers as being uniquely invested in stopping the killing of each others sons, and worked to have a Mothers' Day for Peace recognized on June 2. Though it never really caught on, in recent years Mother's Day has been reclaimed by the peace movement in actions to end the Iraq War.


Read the entire story here:

http://ezine.hellocoolworld.com/index.cfm?issue_num=3&page_id=

[Ilsa]

1. That's right! It was intended for mothers to also have

a day off and away from family to do other community or social work that they felt emotionally invested in.

I read about it in a book by a sociologist from the NW, Stephanie Coontz: The Way We Never Were: American Families and the Nostalgia Trap

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465090974

[Amy6627]

3. Thanks for the link for that book, it sounds great! n/t

[Ilsa]

5. She covers alot of the right-wing lines, like

"Pulling yourself up by your bootstraps". Talked about all the govt-sponsored education my ex-senator Phil Gramm, etc.

Good stuff.

[fight4my3sons]

2. Mothers Acting Up

http://www.mothersactingup.org/

Mothers Acting Up was created by four friends who – while raising their children together – became increasingly disturbed by the choices their government was making, and how those choices were impacting the lives and future of every child on the planet.

They knew the grim statistics about children’s wellbeing around the world; it was clear that children needed many more voices speaking out on their behalf. They believed that mothers – the primary caretakers of children around the world – were potentially an incredibly powerful lobby for children, BUT often didn’t see themselves as political, or hadn’t yet seen it as their role, their job, their honor to speak out for children. Mothers Acting Up was created to invite mothers to stretch our traditional mother roles to include publicly and passionately advocating for the world’s children.

The Mother’s Acting Up movement was officially launched on Mother's Day 2002, reclaiming it as the day Julia Ward Howe originally envisioned in 1870: a day set aside for mothers to unite for the wellbeing of our global family. After purchasing all the hot glue guns in town, the first Reclaiming Mother's Day parade was held with banners, flags and truly over-the-top hats & costumes. Over 100 people, some walking on stilts, celebrated mothers as a powerful political force to protect the rights and wellbeing of children all over the world.

Since 2002, MAU has developed 5 Principles and 4 programs all intended to inspire, educate and engage a growing movement of mothers (and others). MAU has active members in 49 states (North Dakota eludes MAU) and 23 countries who have held 60+ Mother’s Day events across the country; taken monthly actions and annual collective actions; and advocated for the world’s children through personal choices, community forums and in the offices of decision makers. MAU intends to engage a million mothers (or as many as it takes) in advocating for the world’s children, until children’s wellbeing is front-page news and our public & corporate policies are measured by how they impact children wherever they live on earth.

And the rest is history...that you, that we, are making.

[RB TexLa]

4. I thought it was to sell flowers