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Suggestion for Laura Bush - When Cindy delivers her letter to you today, the answer is here...
university's poetry site re "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and its author ^ | Aug 18, 2005 | summer / Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910)

Posted on 08/18/2005 9:59:43 AM PDT by summer

To FR, from summer:

According to one of Cindy's web sites, today, August 18th, Cindy will be delivering a letter to First Lady Laura Bush:

On Thursday, August 18, women who have been sitting with Cindy Sheehan at the vigil in Crawford, Texas, will be writing and attempting to hand-deliver letters to Laura Bush. As part of a woman-to-woman, mother-to-mother appeal, Cindy's supporters will ask the First Lady to urge her husband to take time from his vacation to answer the questions of a grieving mother. Cindy's supporters, led by her sister Dede Miller, will then conduct a three-mile march from Camp Casey to the gate of George Bush's ranch. Join them by writing a letter to Laura Bush that will be delivered by the marchers.

Now, obviously Laura Bush is a smart woman who can figure out what to do, but, here is my polite suggestion for our First Lady --

Remind Cindy that another mother in American history -- a liberal, born of a conservative father -- named Julia Ward Howe, has already answered Cindy's question.

Julia did so when she wrote one of our nation's most beloved hymns in the midst of the Civil War: "Battle Hymn of the Republic." The words are linked here, with one verse below:

           ... 17 In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea,

            18 With a glory in his bosom that transfigures you and me:

            19 As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,

            20    While God is marching on.


Below is an excerpt of what Julia wrote about her inspiration for this hymn.

Howe describes her composition of this hymn in her Reminiscences (pp. 273-75) as follows:

I distinctly remember that a feeling of discouragement came over me as I drew near the city of Washington .... I thought of the women of my acquaintance whose sons or husbands were fighting our great battle; the women themselves serving in the hospitals, or busying themselves with the work of the Sanitary Commission. My husband ... was beyond the age of military service, my eldest son but a stripling; my youngest was a child of not more than two years. I could not leave my nursery to follow the march of our armies, neither had I the practical deftness which the preparing and packing of sanitary stores demanded. Something seemed to say to me, `You would be glad to serve, but you cannot help any one; you have nothing to give, and there is nothing for you to do.' Yet, because of my sincere desire, a word was given me to say, which did strengthen the hearts of those who fought in the field and of those who languished in the prison...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; US: California; US: District of Columbia; US: Massachusetts; US: New York; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: cindysheehan; civilwar; juliawardhowe; laurabush
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Well, again, that's just my polite suggestion for a first lady I have always liked.

What do you think? It seems to me this hymn is actually a very good response, especially from one mom to another.
1 posted on 08/18/2005 9:59:47 AM PDT by summer
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To: All
BTW, Julia Ward Howe, as I am sure FR posters know, was also the founder of Mother's Day in this country, and intended the holiday to be a holiday celebrating mothers' desire for peace everywhere...

But, she, a liberal mom, also wrote a hymn beloved by soldiers everywhere, honoring their service.
2 posted on 08/18/2005 10:00:14 AM PDT by summer
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To: summer

Please, no picture of DeDe. She's a whole herd.


3 posted on 08/18/2005 10:02:27 AM PDT by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
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To: summer

"Liberal" meant something different back then.

But I know you knew that!

:-)


4 posted on 08/18/2005 10:03:26 AM PDT by tiamat ("If some guy named Marduk calls, tell him I'm not home! ")
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To: ncountylee

I actually meant to post photos of Laura Bush and Julia Ward Howe. To come..


5 posted on 08/18/2005 10:03:29 AM PDT by summer
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To: tiamat

Yes, it really did. :)


6 posted on 08/18/2005 10:03:52 AM PDT by summer
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To: summer

I think when the commies come to their door to deliver their little crayon scribble, the First Lady should:

1. Turn on the sprinklers
2. Release the hounds (hopefully ones bigger and more viscious than Barney.)
3. Open the door. Roll her eyes and say, "For once I wish there were Jehova's Witnesses at the door."
4. Deck em.


7 posted on 08/18/2005 10:03:53 AM PDT by exile (Exile - Helen Thomas tried to lure me into her Gingerbread House.)
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To: summer

I always found that song very inspirational.

I think the proper response to Cindy Sheehan's letter should come from the mother who called Rush Limbaugh yesterday who said Sheehan was dishonoring HER dead son. Sheehan should also receive responses from mothers of soldiers still in Iraq, telling her how her protest plays into the hands of the enemy. Add some letters from moms of Iraqis tortured and killed by Saddam Hussein, and tell Sheehan how misguided and harmful she is.

Didn't she say there's nothing in America worth dying for?


8 posted on 08/18/2005 10:04:13 AM PDT by cvq3842
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To: exile

But, if that doesn't work, maybe my idea could then be considered... :)


9 posted on 08/18/2005 10:04:21 AM PDT by summer
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To: exile

I like the way you think..


10 posted on 08/18/2005 10:05:51 AM PDT by mystery-ak (Home of the free, because of the Brave.....do you understand that Cindy?)
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To: cvq3842
I always found that song very inspirational.

Thanks. I feel the same.

I also love that it was sung by soldiers in both the North and South during the Civil War.
11 posted on 08/18/2005 10:05:52 AM PDT by summer
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To: exile

I know what you mean. I have lost any sympathy I had for this woman. See my post earlier on this thread.

Just curious about another thing. Has any liberal group EVER staged a protest of the terrorists beheading people and blowing up civilians? Or is ALL their anger and sense of injustice directed at the US?


12 posted on 08/18/2005 10:05:53 AM PDT by cvq3842
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To: summer

those loons don't want the Laura stare....


13 posted on 08/18/2005 10:08:51 AM PDT by WoodstockCat (Gitmo? Let them eat Pork!)
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To: summer
"I also love that it was sung by soldiers in both the North and South during the Civil War."

Yeah, and so was "Dixie"
</sarcasm>

14 posted on 08/18/2005 10:09:13 AM PDT by Redbob
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To: exile

or she could go to hand them candy, then pull back and say "Wait. It isn't Halloween, and why would a kid dress up like a smelly hippy? No. This is all wrong." Then slam the door.


15 posted on 08/18/2005 10:10:20 AM PDT by exile (Exile - Helen Thomas tried to lure me into her Gingerbread House.)
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To: summer

What a terrible, bloody moment in US history. I remember looking up the casualty figures, and the total US population, at the time. the casualty rate would be the equivalent of maybe 5 million or so Americans today. (This is from memory, but not terribly far off.)


16 posted on 08/18/2005 10:10:28 AM PDT by cvq3842
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To: summer

I think Mrs. Bush should give them her "professional teacher" smile and say, "Bless your hearts, ladies - thank you so much!"


17 posted on 08/18/2005 10:10:29 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Officially around the bend, at least for now.)
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To: summer
As part of a woman-to-woman, mother-to-mother appeal

The kind of mother-to-mother appeal in which one mother tells another that her daughters are useless party animals who should be singled out among all Americans to be forcibly conscripted?

OK.

18 posted on 08/18/2005 10:12:25 AM PDT by wideawake (God bless our brave troops and their Commander in Chief)
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To: cvq3842

RE your post #16 - Yes, I recall the same facts and feelings as you do.


19 posted on 08/18/2005 10:12:52 AM PDT by summer
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To: exile

Two words: bear traps.


20 posted on 08/18/2005 10:13:00 AM PDT by Rastus (How come you're so wrong, my sweet DemonRAT?)
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