Battle Hymn for Mothers - Mother's Day 2009

Strange as it sounds, Mother’s Day wasn’t supposed to be celebrated with flowers and dinner for mom. The first Mother’s Day proclamation was introduced by Julia Ward Howe in 1870. It was only later that presidents trivialized her call for women to be heard.

Howe, a feminist who was best known for writing the lyrics for “Battle Hyman of the Republic,” was a strong-willed wife of a military hero. She witnessed the pain of mothers losing their sons in the Civil War and, in a proclamation she circulated in 1870, stated her opposition to all wars and called on all women to join her. The proclamation read, in part:

 

Arise, then, women of this day!...

We will not have great questions decided 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….

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 at 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.”

 

Perhaps in order to pacify such a movement, President Wilson signed a joint Resolution 263. It called for the second Sunday in May of each year to be designated as Mother’s Day for the expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country. This happened May 8th, 1914.

 

In April of 1934 President Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized a new Senate Resolution 218 which states “there are throughout our land today an unprecedented large number of mothers and dependent children who, because of unemployment or loss of their bread-earners, are lacking many of the necessities of life. Now, therefore, I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, do hereby call upon our citizens to express on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13, 1934, our love and reverence for motherhood: By the customary display of the United States flag on all Government buildings, homes, and other suitable places; By the usual tokens and messages of affection to our mothers; and By doing all that we can through our churches, fraternal and welfare agencies for the relief and welfare of mothers and children who may be in need of the necessities of life.

 

Howe’s proclamation on basic women’s freedom to choose a women’s congress had been turned into a day of motherhood celebration, removing the battle cry for a woman’s say in policy. The voice of the woman was stifled by buying her off with flowers, perfume and words of affection. What was supposed to be a day of recognizing a woman’s intellect became diffused and self-serving for the man.

 

Women, by accepting tokens, lost the chance to make their voices heard on crucial issues or war and peace and equal rights.

 

The message in proclaiming a special day for special people has been translated into a bonanza for Hallmark cards and florists. We now see stores advertising Mother’s Day sales.
 

By setting aside one day a year to honor mothers, do we ignore the other 364 days? Not only should we honor out mothers, but our fathers, too, every moment of our lives, as the Fifth Commandment reminds us.

Howe would have been pleased to see the political and social power women have today. America came close to having a woman nominee for president, Hillary Clinton, who now travels the world seeking peace. Women have become CEOs of major corporations and leaders in every branch of government. 

 

Yes, we should honor our mothers today, and we should be doubly grateful for the fulfillment of Howe’s dream.