Thursday, May 10, 2007

The Battle Her of the Republic

As you may know, Julia Ward Howe wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic as well as making the proclamation for a Mother's Day where women might get together to take counsel from each other so that we might have our sons (& daughters) no longer kill each other that we all now know simply as Mother's Day.

Here is a reworked version of the Battle Hymn of the Republic that is followed Julia Ward Howe's original Mother's Day Proclamation.


The Battle Her of the Republic

Originally written as The Battle Hymn of the Republic by Julia Ward Howe
Rewritten by Beth Osnes

Mine eyes have seen the need
for love and giving to grow strong
I have seen our hungry children
turned away for far too long
Mother‚s when will we assert what
we find right and we find wrong
Our truth has lost its way

Mine eyes have seen our virtues
blinded to us by our greed
We have bought and sold and scavenged
way beyond our real need
Now the poorest just grow poorer
while the richest just succeed
Our truth must find its way
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Sing loud our truth today!
(Refrain)

Not a gal standing before you
wants a war to solve our strife
We have seen the waste and bloodshed
from the workings of the knife
When vengeance is our path
then only hatred will be rife
Our truth can find its way

From our hands to corporations
Governments been bought and sold
We see the power transferred and
Can’t say we’ve not been told
But now its time for people over profit
People! Young and old!
Our truth will find its way
(Refrain)

I see a new tomorrow where the
seeds of hope grow strong
Where our voices sing out loud and
guide the struggle hard and long
But our joy will be the bounty of
well kids who all belong
Our truth is here to stay

Imagine food, health, safety for
our children one and all
Education, dignity in winter,
summer, spring and fall
Rise up you sleeping giant, Motherhood!
You’ve heard your call
Sing loud our truth today!
(Refrain ˆ 2 times!)





Julia Ward Howe's Mother's Day Proclamation - 1870

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 bosom 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 out 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.

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