God's Politics - Jim Wallis blog, faith blog, religion, christian, christianity, politics, values

"Arise, then, women of this day!" goes the Mother's Day proclamation. But this is not your wake-up call to french toast and flowers. Instead, this phrase was the rallying cry for the first "Mother's Day of Peace" back in 1870—back before the day became laden with Hallmark and guilt. Julia Ward Howe, the creator of Mother's Day, pleaded with women to speak out against war, not only for the sake of their sons, but for the sons of mothers across the globe. Today, mothers must not only seek peace for their sons, but for themselves.

Studies are showing that warfare brings significantly increased incidents of rape and domestic violence. Soldiers are taught violence in war and that violence is then turned upon innocent civilians in the country of conflict, fellow soldiers during wartime, or it returns home in the form of spousal and child abuse. Think the war is taking place thousands of miles away? Think again. Wartime violence is happening in living rooms across the country.

Americans may remember the four women murdered by their military husbands within a six-week period at Fort Bragg army base in North Carolina near the beginning of the Afghanistan invasion. While this caught the media's eye for a brief time, the violence at the hands of military personnel continues to rise.

A 2003 study financed by the Department of Defense found that nearly one-third of female veterans who sought health care through the Veterans Affairs reported that during their military service they experienced rape or attempted rape. Another set of figures from 2004 and 2005 showed a 40% increase in the number of sexual assaults reported by female soldiers—which may mean women feel safer in reporting the attacks or that the numbers are on the rise.

60 Minutes did research in the 1990s that found that domestic violence was five times more common in U.S. military families than civilian families. And that was during "peace time." During war, the numbers become far more gruesome. During the Rwandan genocide, UNICEF estimates 150,000 women were raped in the 100 days of conflict. Today, the remnants of that violence have ventured into the Congo and 27,000 sexual assaults were reported there by the United Nations -- in just one year, in just one province.

So, arise, then, women of this day! Forget the french toast. Forget the flowers. Arise and speak out against war. Spend this Mother's Day writing letters, calling congress, or finding another way to help stop the war. It is just a few hours of your life. And you might just end up saving one.

Nicole Sotelo is author of Women Healing from Abuse: Meditations for Finding Peace (Paulist Press) and is a contributor to Weep Not for Your Children: Essays on Religion and Violence, edited by Rosemary Radford Ruether and Lisa Isherwood (forthcoming from Equinox Publishing). She holds a master's degree from Harvard Divinity School and does workshops and retreats for Christian women healing from abuse. To learn more, visit www.womenhealing.com

Comments

"back before the day became laden with Hallmark and guilt. Julia Ward Howe, the creator of Mother's Day, pleaded with women to speak out against war, not only for the sake of their sons, but for the sons of mothers across the globe. Today, mothers must not only seek peace for their sons, but for themselves."

This made me think back to last year or the one before (can't remember since this "war' has gone on a little longer than orignally projected) when that woman (can't remember her name) took her protest against the Iraq war all the way to Crawford Texas after losing a son and was made out to be unpatriotic vilian. Today you don't get a day set aside to memorialized your efforts, you get national ridicule.

The violence against female soldiers, and even the weaker male soliders unfortunately will never cease as long as the mindset is to cover up the unlawful actions of the ones that dish out the historically accepted punishment in the rank and file.

Good article, good history lesson, and a good and worthy stance!!!

Posted by: d.e.sharp | May 7, 2008 2:57 PM

Nicole...I was so glad to see that you're a contributor to Sojourners. Thanks for this piece, and thanks for all you do for the causes of justice :) Sarah Knapp Ellis

Posted by: Sarah | May 7, 2008 4:52 PM

Yes, most people don't realize how Mother's Day really began. Thank you for reminding us of that. It's true that speaking out against the war often brings labels of "unpatriotic" and "naive." Only as we begin at home and treat our neighbors as friends, don't succumb to road rage, do random acts of kindness and model respect and respectful language at home--will we begin to raise up children who can see those models bring about more change than fighting and wars and abuse. Great article!

Posted by: genie | May 7, 2008 7:25 PM

Thanks for the great article! I so hate how churches observe this day -- worshipping the state of motherhood--stating that moms are worth a couple hundred thousand a year-- without every really putting up the caveat of what makes a good mother.

Fighting for peace -- now that's a good criteria!

Posted by: frankie | May 8, 2008 10:38 AM

d.e. sharp: "This made me think back to last year or the one before (can't remember since this "war' has gone on a little longer than orignally projected) when that woman (can't remember her name) took her protest against the Iraq war all the way to Crawford Texas after losing a son and was made out to be unpatriotic vilian."

Her name is Cindy Sheehan. Bush's refusal to come out of his bunker, er ranch house, and talk to her personally was a striking display of moral cowardice.

Posted by: carl copas | May 8, 2008 11:46 AM

A thought-provoking piece. Thank you. It helps me to understand why our lectionary for "Mothering Sunday" (usually celebrated in quaint English contrariness on Lent 4) offers as alternative gospel readings Luke 2:33-35 and John 19:23-27. Both remind us of Mary's solidarity with all women who bear the pain of their children's suffering.

Posted by: Tony Dickinson | May 8, 2008 1:17 PM

Carl,
I'm certainly not here to defend Bush or his foreign policy, but you're leaving out an important part of the Sheehan/Bush drama.

Bush did meet with her in the White House after her son was killed. She then decided to start her protest campaign. I don't have a problem with her protest outside Bush's ranch. But based on her dishonesty about what transpired at her first meeting with Bush, I can understand Bush's desire to avoid future contact with her. Neither Sheehan nor Bush came away from the situation looking very good.

Posted by: Eric | May 8, 2008 2:25 PM

This is a wonderful article...Thank you

Posted by: Shaun Mazurek | May 8, 2008 2:34 PM

Eric: "Bush did meet with her in the White House after her son was killed."

I was not aware that Bush had met Sheehan in the White House. Thank you Eric.

I'm not sure that Sheehan came away not "looking very good." I will say that certain elements on the political left--and I'm a leftie--have tried to use her to further their own agenda.

Posted by: carl copas | May 8, 2008 2:57 PM

Carl,
Actually, I made an error. He didn't meet her at the White House. They met when he was out in Seattle for an event. He sat down with her and some other parents of soldiers.

Yeah, I'm not really sure whether she was used or she let herself be used or what... I can't imagine the grief she feels though. Awful.

Posted by: Eric | May 8, 2008 3:30 PM

This Mother's Day, Forget the French Toast (by Nicole Sotelo)

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