Duty and Honor
On this day of remembrance, Veteran’s Day, let us not merely intone the clichéd “Thank you for your service,” as if that evens up the debt we owe.
war
Honoring the Mothers Everywhere
I invite my sisters and Mothers in every land: The Pax Materna — A permanent declaration of peace That transcends our ideological differences.
In Memoriam
It’s the Memorial Day holiday weekend, generally considered the “unofficial start” of the Summer vacation season. But let us not forget its origins.
Armed Forces Day
When I was a little girl, Armed Forces Day (always the third Saturday in May) was a Very Big Deal. My dad was a career officer in the U.S. Army Airborne Rangers, and since we were usually living on one post or another, this was a huge holiday. It featured lots of special events for … Read more
The Real Meaning of Mother’s Day
Once upon a time, Mother’s Day was not just another retail event. Its creation was never aimed at selling stuff like flowers and greeting cards, perfume, or jewelry. It came from a much more urgent and universal longing. I love that this is a day set aside to honor the world’s most important people – … Read more
On Eleven-Eleven-Eleven
How better to honor our war Veterans than to resolve to end the millennia of wars and violence? Here is another powerful, beautiful post from Riyana, who is at Occupy Oakland. (Remember the Occupy movement? Despite mainstream media having mostly moved on to other things (as we knew they would!), Occupy is still growing and … Read more
The Mother’s Peace Day Proclamation
Blessed Are The Mothers In 1870, author, suffragist, and pacifist Julia Ward Howe campaigned for Mother’s Peace Day, the forerunner of Mother’s Day (which was also created thanks to the vision of a mother and daughter, both named Anna Jarvis). In her Mother’s Peace Day Proclamation, Howe, the author of “Battle Hymn of the Republic” … Read more
The End of Winter and a Tragic Anniversary
The human race is challenged more than ever before to demonstrate our mastery – not over nature but of ourselves. — Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring Today marks the end of Winter, and seven years since the U.S. invaded Iraq for excuses based on lies and greed. Rather than pouring our economic well-being and … Read more
In Memorium
On Sept. 11, in memory of all innocents who have died as a result of nationalist arrogance and religious intolerance.
Brighid’s Charge
Brigid © Lisa IrisThe opposite of war is not peace, it’s creation.— Jonathon Larson, Rent There is no doubt that we are moving through times of tremendous socio-economic stress. Our new president, Barack Obama, has encouraged Americans to respond by making service to our country and to one another a priority. This may take many … Read more