Saturday, May 10, 2003

Mother's Day Weekend QUOTE OF THE DAY "I don't know why everyone makes such a fuss about Fred Astaire's dancing. I did all the same steps, only backwards. & in heels!" - - Ginger Rogers MAY 10th IN HISTORY 1872 -- Victoria Woodhull begins her US presidential campaign, with Frederick Douglas as running mate. Woodhull & her sister, Tennessee Claflin, already invaded male territory as Wall Street brokers & publishers of the political journal, "Woodhull & Claflin's Weekly". The journal published the first English translation of The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx & Friedrich Engel. Woodhull & Clafin speak for free love, abortion, divorce, legalized prostitution & women's voting rights. On election day, Woodhull is in jail, charged with sending obscene literature through the mail. The offensive material is an article congratulating popular preacher Henry Ward Beecher for his relationship with a married woman, but chiding him for failing to openly advocate the free love he clearly practiced. MAY 11th IN HISTORY 1981 - - In Miami's Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, reggae star Bob Marley, 36, dies. Succumbs to a brain tumor that ended his career in October 1980. Regarded a hero both in Jamaica & abroad. Will be given a state funeral & buried near his birthplace in St. Ann's Parish, Jamaica. http://www.bobmarley.com/ JOKE OF THE WEEK: Attorney General Ashcroft is visiting an elementary school. After the typical civics presentation, he announces, "Alright, boys and girls, you can all ask me questions now." A young boy named Bobby raises his hand and says, "I have three questions: 1. How did Bush win the election with fewer votes than Gore? 2. Why are you using the USA Patriot Act to limit Americans' civil liberties? 3. Why hasn't the U.S. caught Osama Bin Laden yet?" Just then the bell sounds and all the kids run out to the playground. Fifteen minutes later, the kids come back in class and again. Ashcroft says, "I'm sorry we were interrupted by the bell. Now, you can all ask me questions." A young girl raises her hand and says, "I have five questions: 1. How did Bush win the election with fewer votes than Gore? 2. Why are you using the USA Patriot Act to limit Americans' civil liberties? 3. Why hasn't the U.S. caught Osama Bin Laden yet?" 4. Why did the bell go off 20 minutes early? 5. Where's Bobby?" HEADS UP: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MOTHERS DAY EVENT FOR PEACE On MOTHER'S DAY, Sunday, May 11th, 2:00 - 4:00 pm PEACE ON THE BEACH and CODEPINK will bring together thousands of mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, mothers to be, their families and friends - to reclaim Mother's Day from commercialism and platitudes, to celebrate women's political engagement in society, and to continue the call for an International Movement of Women for Peace. We remind the world with our peaceful presence -- Mother knows best! Commentator, author and activist, ARIANNA HUFFINGTON, and Ohio Representative, Democratic Presidential Candidate, and author of the initiative for the Department of Peace, DENNIS KUCINICH, will kick off the event at 2:00 pm, followed by other special guests and musical performances. http://www.peaceonthebeach.com NATIONAL CODE PINK MOTHERS DAY ACTIONS POSTED AT: http://www.codepinkalert.org/ RHINO HERE: A wise man once said, "If it's not one thing, it's your Mother!" Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there. And a special one for my Mom, just in case she's actually reading her email today. In the spirit of the day, I've collected up a few articles, web sites, event announcements, etc, all on the themes of Mother's Day, peace and activism. After all activism is what Mother's Day is all about. Right? You didn't know that? All the more reason to read today's blog. Mother's Day: History of the Celebration Find resources on the different stories of the history of Mother's Day: Anna Jarvis, Julia Ward Howe, and other versions. From a day for peace to a sentimental and commercial holiday. http://womenshistory.about.com/cs/mothersday/ Mother's Day - What You Need to Know The basic facts behind Mother's Day -- from several perspectives. Famous Moms, Ma's and Mothers. Plus some ideas for celebrating Mother's Day in the spirit of the original. http://womenshistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa020506a.htm Mother's Day Promise for Peace I hear Julia Ward Howe's call and commit to continue to build a strong and vocal international movement of women for peace. http://www.codepinkalert.org/Get_Involved!_Mothers_Day_Pledge.shtml The Gift of Peace for Mother's Day By Medea Benjamin It's true. Mothers Day was NOT invented by Hallmark. Or by 1-800-FLOWERS or even Sees Candies. In fact, the woman credited with initiating Mothers Day would have been appalled by its crass commercialism. Were she alive today, she probably would have told her kids to dispense with the roses and instead join her in an anti-war protest. Yes, Julia Ward Howe was a peacenik... IT'S ALL AT: http://www.codepinkalert.org/Get_Involved!_Medea_Mothers_Day_Essay.shtml Mother's Day for Peace by Ruth Rosen, professor of history at UC Davis. Honor Mother with Rallies in the Streets.The holiday began in activism; it needs rescuing from commercialism and platitudes. Every year, people snipe at the shallow commercialism of Mother's Day. But to ignore your mother on this holy holiday is unthinkable. And if you are a mother, you're supposed to be devastated if your ingrates fail to honor you at least one day of the year. Mother's Day wasn't always like this. The women who conceived Mother's Day would be bewildered by the ubiquitous ads that hound us to find that "perfect gift for Mom." They would expect women to be marching in the streets, not eating with their families in restaurants. This is because Mother's Day began as a holiday that commemorated women's public activism, not as a celebration of a mother's devotion to her family..... READ IT ALL AT: http://csf.colorado.edu/mail/pfvs/may98/0186.html 8:58:25 AM    comment

RHINO'S BOTTOM LINE - Mother's Day Proclamation - 1870 Mother's Day Proclamation - 1870 by 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 voice 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. THIS IS POSTED AT: http://womenshistory.about.com/library/etext/bl_howe_mother.htm "RHINO'S BLOG" is the responsibility of Gary Rhine. (rhino@kifaru.com) Feedback, and requests to be added or deleted from the list are encouraged. SEARCH BLOG ARCHIVES / SURF RHINO'S LINKS, AT: http://www.rhinosblog.info RHINO'S OTHER WEB SITES: http://www.dreamcatchers.org (INDIGENOUS ASSISTANCE & INTERCULTURAL DIALOG) http://www.kifaru.com (NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES) Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law. http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html All copyrights belong to original publisher. 8:16:43 AM    comment

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