Wonderland or Not » peace

Happy Birthday Declaration of Human Rights

cooper — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 19:37:05 +0000

On this the 60th anniversary of the The Universal Declaration of Human Rights I pass on “Human Rights… For Who?” . From Share the Worlds Resources.

Peace

a comments off “for your information” production

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There Is No Wrong in Standing Up For Peace.

cooper — Tue, 27 May 2008 22:40:43 +0000

I think the tradition of honoring servicemen is an important, more so considering how our government treats many of out returning veterans (abominably) when they return.

I don’t agree with waging political campaigns on those who have served on Memorial Day, but I do stand by the right of anyone who chooses to protest the policy of war on such a day.

I was reading through one of those blog newspapers, following a link from Lorelle ( whom I read all the time in order to keep my blog from becoming too much of a disaster – one of these days I may even follow her advice), when I came upon an article about how bloggers got it wrong on memorial day. They wouldn’t except my comment and considering I got a few emails expressing the same sentiment I’ll comment here.

It should be noted that Memorial Day was originally set aside, in 1950, by a joint act of Congress as a “Day to pray for Peace”. Prior to that there were a variety of days which honored soldiers, this specific holiday, though traditionally spend honoring the fallen, was not intended to be but a day of prayer for peace. Somewhere along the line the two sort of merged.

So, to all those who stood up for peace, or prayed for a policy peace, on this day, it is not only acceptable, it is quite appropriate.

Don’t Let anyone try to tell you otherwise.

We certainly should honor those who have fallen, the best way to do that from my point of view is to
stop it from happening again, and again, and again.

Far be it for me to suggest that it would be nice to have to honor fewer fallen.

addendum: John did a post on Giving to Our Veterans which I just caught as I wasn’t a scrolling too much this weekend.

Give often, give local.

Peace

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Happy Memorial Day

cooper — Mon, 26 May 2008 06:03:36 +0000

Oh how do you do, young Willy McBride
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside
And rest for a while in the warm summer sun
I’ve been walking all day, and I’m nearly done
And I see by your gravestone you were only nineteen
When you joined the great falling in 1916
Well I hope you died quick
And I hope you died clean
Or Willy McBride, was is it slow and obscene

Did they beat the drums slowly
Did they play the fife lowly
Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down
Did the band play the last post and chorus
Did the pipes play the flowers of the forest

And did you leave a wife or a sweetheart behind
In some loyal heart is your memory enshrined
And though you died back in 1916
To that loyal heart you’re forever nineteen
Or are you a stranger without even a name
Forever enshrined behind some old glass pane
In an old photograph torn, tattered, and stained
And faded to yellow in a brown leather frame

Did they beat the drums slowly
Did they play the fife lowly
Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down
Did the band play the last post and chorus
Did the pipes play the flowers of the forest

—

——

The sun shining down on these green fields of France
The warm wind blows gently and the red poppies dance
The trenches have vanished long under the plow
No gas, no barbed wire, no guns firing now
But here in this graveyard that’s still no mans land
The countless white crosses in mute witness stand
To man’s blind indifference to his fellow man
And a whole generation were butchered and damned

Did they beat the drums slowly
Did they play the fife lowly
Did they sound the death march as they lowered you down
Did the band play the last post and chorus
Did the pipes play the flowers of the forest

And I can’t help but wonder oh Willy McBride
Do all those who lie here know why they died
Did you really believe them when they told you the cause
Did you really believe that this war would end wars
Well the suffering, the sorrow, the glory, the shame
The killing and dying it was all done in vain
Oh Willy McBride it all happened again
And again, and again, and again, and again

original written by ERIC BOGLE

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