Considering the fact that May in this part of the world brings the return of flowers and sunny warm days, it’s a little ironic that the major May holidays are devoted to glorifying war. Although Cinco De Mayo has evolved into a sort of “Mexican St. Patrick’s Day” (i.e., celebrating Mexican culture in general while Mexicans themselves barely observe the holiday) it was in fact originally in celebration of kicking the asses of the French out of Mexico. Which, given the general predilection of English-speaking countries toward France-bashing, might explain its continued popularity in the states. Later in the month, we have Armed Forces Day and Memorial Day, which try to make you uncomfortable about protesting murder by making you feel like an unpatriotic twit who hates our sons and daughters who died protecting the politicians who sent them to die in the first place our way of life. Which brings us to an oft-overlooked aspect of Mother’s Day, which these days feels like another Hallmark Holiday: it was originally a proclamation against war. As is so often the case, it takes a woman to have the insight, intelligence and humanity to present things like this clearly. If you can read the Mother’s Day Proclamation without shedding a tear, I know a couple of guys you might like. Here are a few of the opening lines, if you’ve never read it:

“…We will not have great questions decided 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…”

Go Mom!