In the past 30 days, we’ve celebrated Earth Day and then Mother’s Day. Both holidays pay homage to the being who brought us into being, and both have interesting stories of how they were brought about.

Earth Day was founded by Environmentalist and Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson in 1970. Since then, Earth-conscious people worldwide have reaffirmed their love for Nature every April 22^nd. In cruel irony, April 22^nd 2010 also marked the day of the Deepwater Horizon oil platform explosion—an atrocity that continues to poison the ocean at an appalling and unprecedented rate. We can only hope that the flow of oil into our beautiful Gulf of Mexico can be stemmed as soon as possible. Once it is, we must all take a stand as human beings and residents of The Planet Earth against the ignorance and greed that led to this catastrophe and the tragic repercussions thereof. We must take the words of Senator Nelson to heart, “The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, not the other way around.”

This past April was further marred by the passing of SB 1070 in Arizona. The situation was discussed in the always thought-provoking blog of my friend Jeff Kelly Lowenstein. We’ll also have related stories in Issue 6 of LAH. I wonder if those in favor of this legislature understand that human beings have and often are mothers regardless of their citizenship. I know that we are all smart and compassionate enough to cooperate and solve problems without governments shattering families through imprisonment and deportation. Peace must be an all-inclusive process. If it’s not, then laws and borders and the force to enforce them is required to step on the people who are excluded. There will never be peace in a walled enclave while those outside are suffering. Seems like the kind of common-sense thing a mother would teach her children.

I was unaware of the origins of Mother’s Day, but delighted and grateful to learn from our friend Cheri Smith Damkoehler, who shared via our Facebook page the original original Mother’s Day Proclamation from 1870:

“Arise, then, women of this day! Arise all women who have hearts,

whether our baptism be that of water or of fears!

Say firmly: “We will not have great questions decided by

irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall 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 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 the 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 our dishonor nor violence indicate possession.

As men have often forsaken the plow 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 then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the

means whereby the great human family can live in peace, each

bearing after their own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,

but of God.

In the name of womanhood and of humanity, I earnestly ask that a

general congress of women without limit of nationality may be

appointed and held at some place deemed most convenient and at

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.”

-Julia Ward Howe

Boston

1870

We at Life After Hate are always proud to share the wisdom of mothers, and Issue 5 is no exception. I am humbled and honored to present perhaps the most powerful piece of writing to grace our pages so far: Nothing by Angie Aker. Also in this issue, Angie pays tribute to the true peaceful nature of Islamic faith and the mother of our resident artist Bashir Malik in On Sister Mubaraka and Islam.

Revisiting the case of Elian Gonzalez, Michelle Daniels expresses concern for the once-little boy and the propaganda piece the Cuban government has saddled him with in an op-ed entitled A Forgotten Dream.

Brilliantly completing our 5^th issue’s chorus of moms is an inspirational work by Katharina Hren addressing the critical dietary problems that plague modern humans. Fortunately, in Food Revolutionaries, Kat also provides guidance to start making your own healthy changes.

All this estrogen! Where’s the brutal skinhead-memoir stuff? While there will be plenty more of that to come in future editions of Life After Hate, in this issue I’m very happy to present the first of a 3-part interview I was fortunate enough to conduct with author Will Fellows, co-creator of The Shall Not Be Recognized Project.

Continuing the demonstration that us guys can throw down some basic human goodness right there with the ladies, we’re overjoyed to welcome Alan Heyn as our newest writer. In Brick by Brick, Alan chronicles the life of his friend Pamas Bhatti, a man who worked and willed his way up from India’s “Untouchable” caste.

Wrapping it all up is our Poetry Editor Doctori Sadisco, with a profound collection of poems examining the horror of war and the even more horrific tendency to become complacent to it.

On behalf of all the writers, poets, artists, and geeks who make LAH happen, I’d like wish everyone a happy belated Earth Day and Mother’s Day, and once again thank you for the time you spend here with us.

Love,

-arno

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