Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Council allows memorial despite reference to 'God'
"BRUNSWICK — Brunswick firefighters will be allowed to erect a memorial that features a poem with a reference to God and language that some viewed as sexist." -
Portland Press Herald
A Fireman's Prayer
When I'm called to duty, God,
wherever flames may rage.
Give me strength to save a life
whatever be its age.
Help me to embrace a little child
before it is too late
Or save an older person from
the horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert
to hear the weakest shout
And quickly and efficiently
to put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling and
to give the best in me.
To guard my every neighbor
and protect their property.
And if according to Your will
I have to lose my life,
Please bless with Your protecting hand
my children and my wife.
by A. W. "Smokey" Linn of Wichita, Kansas, 1959
*sigh* My pagan, feminist side is warring with my First Amendment, writer side on this one. And I really think that common sense should prevail this time. This poem was written by a man in 1959 deep in the heart of the bible belt. Yes, it's sexist and yes it's speaking to a strictly xtian god. And as much as those two points rankle me, I have to go with the writer's intentions rather than the wording involved. Asking god for strength to do your job the best you can, whether it be a prayer to yaweh or a spell cast in a circle is a deeply spiritual thing to do. And in a job such as this, fighting fires, it is even more so because every time you do this job you can literally die. Or watch helplessly as somoeone else dies. That has to affect your spirit. And if you have a family, this risk is their risk as well. At the time this was written the societal realities were different, but the sentiment is timeless. So I think in this case, a waiver can be given.
I also think that putting this out in the public as is can be a valuable teaching tool for the next generation. They have to know that this kind of attitude existed in the past but we as a society learned that it was wrong and changed. As Maya Angelou said, "You did then what you knew how to do and when you knew better... you did better!" As one of the councillors pointed out:
""I have to answer to a higher authority in my life, my eight-year-old daughter," Sartoris said. Sartoris said her daughter wondered why the poem implied that only men could serve as firefighters."
But they have to know this part of our history to learn where we came from and where we're going. That whole if you don't learn from history you're doomed to repeat it thing. Ignoring it won't make it any less real or part of who we are as a society today.
Now to the more practical reasons why I'm not kicking up as much of a rukus as I did about the 2000 pound 10 Commandments Monument in the south. It really boils down to this:
"In 2002, members of the Brunswick Professional Firefighters Union, Local 1718, completed a $12,000 fundraising campaign to build a memorial that honored town firefighters.
Firefighters selected "A Fireman's Prayer," which is already used on the national and state firefighters memorials, to appear on the Brunswick monument. It will be erected next spring next to a new fire substation at Cook's Corner."
It's not being funded by government money, and it's not going to be placed on public government property. AND, this is a copywrited piece of work. The guy who wrote it just died last year. Some other municipalities who have granted permission to firefighter unions to place the poem on a monument have required changes in wording to make it more PC. I'm not all about PC, I'm about respect for everyone. They're not asking to put it in a park or a courthouse, they're asking to put it at a fire station. So as much as I would like to get all miffed about it, I can't find the justification. Darn it!
posted by Unknown
at 10:01 AM ::
~#~
(3) comments
3 Comments:
Blessed Be! Happy Thanksgiving!
I am Penny McGlachlin, the granddaughter of Smokey Linn and the one that stood in front of Brunswick's finest in honor as we celebrated the rising of a new home/facility for them, the Firefighters. I'm slightly intriged by your comments and would simply like to express my gratitude toward you perspective. In light of the fact that you can be "pissed" and "for peace" at the same time, that would explain the difference between you and me. As a Christian 24/7 I have peace even when I am disabled and without a home of my own. When I lose my loved ones before I think they should leave, I know that it's not my call to begin with. The mere fact that you accept my Grandfather's relationship with the One True God as spiritual proves that there may be hope for you after all. May God bless you in your search for spirituality as He doesn't want any of his children to be lost.
Penny McGlachlin
ROFL!! Well, bless your heart. As I've said to many closed minded individuals such as yourself. I hereby absolve you of your responsibility of Saving me or feeling sorry for me because, really, I'm not lost. I've found my path and am most content on it. The fact that you are content on yours is wonderful for you and should really be kept to yourself.
I completely disagree with everything your religion stands for, but I will defend to the death your right to practice it. In your own space, thank you very much.
