From
Mary Babic, WAND Communications Director |
I love that
sentence. The idea that mothers all over the globe share a common interest
in our children's lives. That a son in another country matters as much as
a son in my own country. The idea that children belong to all of us, that
we live a common life on this small planet.
Howe wrote
those words while wars raged -- first the Civil War, then the Franco-Prussian
War. She called for women to oppose war; and more, to act -- to convene
and to promote peace. She believed women had to assert some authority
over our fates, or we would face perpetual war.
How devastating
that so little has changed. How disturbing that our country continues
to choose to go to war before exhausting every other possible
action.
Now we find
our country in another senseless, bloody, protracted war -- and we find
her words resounding more loudly than ever. It may be that women, mothers
or not, need to be the ones to end this war, and to protect children of
every country.
WAND has
long celebrated Mother's Day in its original spirit: as a day for Peace.
This year, that spirit is more vital and poignant than ever.
We welcome
you to celebrate Mother's Peace Day with us. Not with flowers, candy,
gewgaws, or brunch. But with signs and rallies and messages to Congress.
We have to take this upon ourselves -- we have to honor the lives of all
children, all women, all human beings.
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When
I opened the file with the photo of the Iraqi children on their
way to school, I gasped. Not that they looked so joyful, even in
the midst of war; not that the sun continued to shine, even with
the dust of bombs settling every day; not that regular people continued
to go about the daily business of living, even in the midst of so
much destruction and blood. But that these are the faces
of my children.
My
kids look just like this every morning. They sling their pink backpacks
over their shoulders, their shiny hair catches the sun, they jostle
into their friends. They run across the pavement and into the building,
shouting and stumbling. |
These kids
are not my enemies. They are my kids. And I feel the compulsion to protect
them.
I will find
it hard to celebrate this Mother's Day. But I won't find it hard to march,
to chant, and to send a message to our government.
It is time.
It is time to end this war, and to find another way.
(For
words from someone still living in Iraq, visit
our blog. Thanks.)
Here
are some links to some great resources. Please explore, enjoy -- and take
action! Thanks.
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NATIONAL ACTION
Washington, DC ROCK the Capitol on Mother's Day with CODEPINK
Thursday-Friday,
May 10-11
Join CODEPINK and many others in Washington,
DC for Mother's Day 2007. www.codepink4peace.org
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Arkansas
WAND Mother's Day Luncheon
Thursday,
May 10 | 11:30 am
Little Rock Club, 4th & Broadway, Little Rock
Contact Anncha Briggs 501-663-1016 |
anncha1@aol.com |
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Atlanta WAND
Mother’s
Day for Peace
Thursday,
May 10th | 6pm to 8:30pm
Academy of Medicine 875
W Peachtree St NW Atlanta
Guest Speaker Melissa Fay Greene: author of Praying for Sheetrock
(1991),
The Temple Bombing (1996), and Last Man Out (2003). |
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SE
Michigan WAND Mother's Peace Day Breakfast
Friday, May 11 | 7:15 - 8:45am
Glen
Oaks County Golf Course, 30500 W 13 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills
Contact: ccolman@comcast.net or 248-644-0208
Guest speaker is Diane Wilson, cofounder of CODEPINK and the author
of An Unreasonable Woman. |
Oregon
WAND March Against Gun Violence
Sunday,
May 13 | 2:30pm
EWEB Fountain Plaza, 500 E. 4th, Eugene |
Boulder,
CO Mother's Day Parade
Sunday,
May 13
11:30 am:
Tricycle, stroller, wagon decorating at the Boulder Public Library
1:00 pm:
Parade starts at the Boulder Public Library Auditorium (9th and Canyon)
to the Courthouse. |
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