Peace activists here and elsewhere rejoiced when they saw the leaders of North and South Korea embrace recently. We can’t stop there. Many mothers in Western North Carolina are telling our families that all we want for Mother’s Day is peace in our community and world.
Following up on the power of the “Me Too” movement, moms are demanding our leaders make peace, that our police officers become peace officers, and that Reps. Patrick McHenry and Mark Meadows vote to invest our tax money on our schools, health care and roads, and not on constant war. If voting against war means putting local jobs at risk, have those employees make school desks instead of bombs, for example.
On Saturday, May 12, at 11 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial on the College Street side of Pack Square, a wide assortment of mothers and fathers will gather to hear the 1870 Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day peace proclamation, in which she urges mothers around the world to demand peace from their leaders. No mother wants to offer up her children to the war gods, and we must unite to stop violence that permeates our lives.
At our gathering, we’ll celebrate this original Mother’s Day from nearly 150 years ago. We will hear from one mother who lost a son to suicide following his military service, from a veteran mother who has struggled since her service and from a veteran father who hopes other fathers will join in efforts to say no to war for his children’s sake.
Sure, moms will accept gifts from the commercialized Mother’s Day. But it’s more important for us to keep our children alive in a community and world of peace. We congratulate leaders in North and South Korea. May we see more hugs from leaders elsewhere in the world, beginning here in Western North Carolina.
— Rachael Bliss
Asheville
Speaking of congratulating the North and South Korean leaders, does anyone believe that Kim Jong un would have come to the table, or even considered meeting with the President to discuss reducing his nuclear war threats if he was not the recipient of tough talk? And the tough talk from the President would be meaningless without the strength of our military.
So it becomes obvious that maintaining the military strength of our country reduces the possibility of war. N’est-ce pas?
LOL they think bribes upfront work.
I really don’t think Trump has anything to do with North and South Korea talking.
Wow, now that’s an interesting perspective! So Jason, you obviously believe in those rare coincidences that the universal powers present us with on occasion. For months, Kim Jong Un had insisted he would never be willing to talk about giving up his nukes. He’d also been testing their missile delivery systems frequently. But suddenly he was ready to meet the Trump team’s conditions. So what changed over the past year that previous president’s did not achieve? Well, Trump applied “maximum pressure”. he increased economic sanctions and threats of military action. He met with China’s leaders, telling them that they needed to rein in Kim, his increased ballistic missile tests, and his nuclear war posturing. China did that, and stopped warning the U. S. to not threaten North Korea with sanctions and worse. But hey, coincidences do happen.
Nothing against you personally Rachael…
but justice must happen before peace.
One gotta spill blood for both in the streets.
That is why the working poor French invented the guillotine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SN7Pko_jCM
but PS Bliss ain’t yo’ given last name I am willing to bet.
The mothers wanting peace need to teach their daughters how to take the reins politically. Everyone knows men haven’t done much besides destroy the planet and each other.
So true. Also their sons to not join the military.