*****The DU Mother's Day Truce*****

[MethuenProgressive]

I propose that on this Mother's Day, in honor of Julia Ward Howe's woderful effort after the Civil War to unite women against war, that we here on DU stop making posts and comments *against* Democratic candidates for the whole day. Spend the day making postive comments about your guy or your gal, and if you can't say something nice about someone else's guy or gal - then say nothing at all. You know, just like your Mom taught you.

Sometimes, I think we forget that we're all on the same side.

[Duer 157099]

1. And Hearts! More hearts!

Or is it too early for another one yet?

[salin]

23. or little flowers - in honor of Mother's Day

[laststeamtrain]

2. My mother's a nazi. n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Don't you remember Will Roger's comment?

"I belong to no organized political party. I am a Democrat."

But I think you have a fine idea and I'll try to say only positive things about candidates-or will say nothing at all.

[Mojambo]

4. Barbara Bush is a mother.

I'm boycotting Mother's Day.

[monmouth]

5. After watching the Republic debates, I am so grateful for the

plethora of smart, articulate, good-looking candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. I would vote for any one of them who gets the nomination. My likes and dislikes change all of the time. I hear Hillary say something and a new awareness and respect of her comes to light, Obama never disappoints, Joe Biden's knowledge of foreign policy is made crystal clear and so on and on. We should encourage each other, best man win and all that. No one will be disappointed here, they're all great.

[Monkeyman]

6. For All The Mothers with troops in combat

May They Come Home Safe To You

[waiting for hope]

7. Well said Monkeyman....

That should be at the forefront for Mother's Day this year. Thanks! :thumbsup:

[MethuenProgressive]

9. Amen, monkeyman

[Clark2008]

26. Now THAT I can get behind.

[Staph]

8. The first Mother's Day in America

was in what is now West Virginia, before the Civil War, by Anna Marie Reeves Jarvis. Allow me to quote from "The Mother of Mothers Day" (http://www.rootsweb.com/~wvtaylor/mother.htm):

"After eight years of marriage, at the age of twenty-six, the young housewife and mother sprang into action to combat these conditions and called on all women in Webster, Philippi, Pruntytown, Fetterman and Grafton to meet at at local churches where she organized clubs, known as Mothers Day Work Clubs. She called on her brother, Dr. James Edmund Reeves and Dr. Amos Payne of Pruntytown to advise and lecture her organizations. These two eminent physicians charted the tasks for the clubs to undertake. Members were assigned certain duties to perform in a certain length of time, and their work was inspected by the two doctors and nurses from surrounding communities. The clubs furnished women to care for families with tubercular mothers, medicine was provided for the indigent, and milk for children was inspected. The clubs were honored for successfully carrying out their plans and solving a local community problem.

"In 1861, another need for the Mothers Day Work Clubs was pending. After both Lee and McClellan gave orders to hold the Grafton railroad terminus at all costs, much of Taylor County, including the community of Webster, soon became an armed camp of both Union and Confederates. Mrs. Jarvis quickly sensed possible disruption in the clubs and called an urgent meeting, The group heard Mrs. Jarvis objectives: "To make a sworn-to agreement between members that friendship and good will should obtain in the clubs for the duration and aftermath of the war. That all efforts to divide the churches and lodges should not only be frowned upon but prevented."

"When an epidemic of typhoid fever and measles broke out among the military personnel, Mrs. Jarvis and her Mothers Day Work Clubs were called upon for help. Her answer was "You shall have it. .. No mistreatment of any of our members. We are composed of both the Blue and the Gray." The clubs subsequently received the highest commendations from officers and soldiers for the magnificent services rendered the sick soldiers.

"After the Civil War, public officials sought a way to alleviate post-war strife, and once more Mrs. Jarvis was called upon to help. She rallied the members of her clubs to meet at the Pruntytown Courthouse, and there they planned a "Mothers Friendship Day" to be held in Pruntytown, the county seat. The members were to invite all soldiers, Blue and Gray, and their families. An immense crowd arrived on the designated day. When the program started, Mrs. Jarvis appeared dressed in gray, and another women appeared dressed in blue. Two teenage girls assembled with the Pruntytown band on the courthouse porch, and a bugler called the crowd to assemble. Mrs. Jarvis explained the purpose of Mothers Friendship Day and asked the band to lead them in singing Way Down South in Dixie. The lady in blue then asked the band to lead her and the audience in singing The Star Spangled Banner. Cheering and laughter followed, the two young girls took the hands of Mrs. Jarvis and the lady in blue and asked them to shake hands and hug each other. They then called on the crowd to do the same thing while band played Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot. By the time the song was over, it seemed that everyone began to weep and shake hands."

According to Wikipedia (granted, it's a somewhat dubious source), Ann Jarvis was actually an influence on Julia Ward Howe's idea of a Mother's Day for Peace.

[MethuenProgressive]

10. Thanks Staph, I learned something new today!

And, as my gram would say, that makes this a good day!

[Staph]

13. Every West Virginia eighth grader

must take a year (or maybe just a semester) of West Virginia history. Those of us who grew up in the state are founts of useless trivia about our home state. We're proud ... but a lot quieter than the braggarts of Texas.

[MethuenProgressive]

16. We Mainers had to memorize the County song, and read Kenneth Roberts

Each state punishes its kids is some cruel way!

[Rhythm]

19. I live here now, and try to learn about my adopted home...

thanks for sharing this... that make my 'new thing for the day'!

[dweller]

12. Mother's Peace Day (your article's ref)

Mother's Day Proclamation of 1870
Julia Ward Howe

Arise then...women of this day!
Arise, all women who have hearts!
Whether your baptism be of water or of tears!
Say firmly:
"We will not have questions answered by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will 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, the 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 bosum of a 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 plough 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 solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace...
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God -
In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality,
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And 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.



it's not too late.
dp

[KharmaTrain]

11. Be Kind To Your Web-Footed Friends

Here's to all the moms and those who rely on them (meaning the rest of us) :toast:

Now think about Mothers Day in Freeperville...

They start the day hopping in the pick-up for the 10am drive-through service at the mega church. Then brunch at Wal Mart followed by an exciting afternoon of shooting cans (MexiCans, AfriCans, Puerto RiCans) and then back into the cellar for another year.

:rofl:

(no way this will make the Duzys...ROFL)

[omega minimo]

14. Good idea. Let's honor women (candidates) by not calling them "gals"

:kick: :bounce: :patriot:

[MethuenProgressive]

15. "your guy or gal" isn't PC? I'll remember that on Mother's Day

when all the old gals (as they call themselves) will be going to the baseball game together.
English is an interesting language, omega.

[omega minimo]

18. I dunno bout PC but no woman (candidate) prefers to be reduced to "gal"

[MethuenProgressive]

20. I know a ex-State rep and elected town official who don't mind

...and they're going to a baseball game on Mother's Day together.
Honestly though, if this bothers you personally so much I'll advoid using that particular term of endearment here in the future. Have a great day!

[Xenotime]

17. What side are you on?

[MethuenProgressive]

21. I'm on the Democratic Party's side.

:dem:

[LWolf]

22. That's the problem, imo.

I'm not on the side of the party.

I'm on the side of civil liberties, of peace, of universal, not-for-profit health care, of the environment, of the planet and all of her species, of fair trade, of free and open education pre-school through college or trade school, of a living wage, of the constitution, of public services, of a broad, thriving network of social support for all, of affordable housing, of sustainable, clean, safe, alternative energy sources...I could go on.

I think the party ought to be on the side of those things, and to demonstrate that with decisive positions and actions. The party and I are on the same side whenever they do that.

I'm on the side of individual politicians who do that, regardless of party. It's my fond hope that the Democratic Party will be there, since I know the Rs won't.

I am firmly AGAINST NCLB and high stakes testing, war, NAFTA/CAFTA/WTO, corporate government, privatization of most sorts, and votes counted by machines on corporate-owned and controlled software.

I could go on, but I hope you see the difference.

I am on the side of the issues, not the party. The party, and fellow Democrats, are on my side when they drop the party power-mongering and work for the issues.

[MethuenProgressive]

24. You've declared you won't vote for "Clinton, Obama, Edwards, or Biden" in Nov '08?

That's interesting. I plan on voting for the Democratic candidate, no matter who she/he is.
Different strokes. Your opinion sounds well thought out and sincere, thanks for sharing it with us.

[LWolf]

27. You are welcome.

Yes; I declared that around the time the exploratory committees began. Those decisions are based on their records on issues I'm committed to.

[Clark2008]

25. I'm a mother - and about to be again, quite possible ON

Mother's Day as I'm having contraction now.

But, I don't know if I can cotton to this idea because some of our "Democratic" canidates quite simply aren't worth the effort. Sorry, but if you have to fall lock-step behind someone because they have a "D" after their name, you're not THINKING. And THINKING is the best attribute of most Democrats.

[MethuenProgressive]

28. "THINKING is the best attribute of most Democrats." - Absolutely!!

Congrats on the new baby!
I agree whole-heartedly that some of our guys aren't worthy of universal support.
I'm just saying that on Mother's Day, let's post positive stuff about our own guy, and leave the attacks on the guys we don't like for another day. I'm just sayin'....

[BuyingThyme]

29. The best thing about Dennis Kucinich is that he's

nothing like Hillary Clinton.

Preemptive sorry.