Sheehan Back in Texas for War Protest By Angelea A. K. Brown The Associated Press
Friday 25 November 2005
The
fallen soldier's mother whose August vigil near President Bush's ranch
reinvigorated the anti-war movement returned to Texas to resume her
protest Thursday as the president celebrated Thanksgiving a few miles
away. "I
feel happy to be back here with all my friends ... but I'm heartbroken
that we have to be here again," Cindy Sheehan said as she arrived at an
airport in nearby Waco. "We will keep pressing and we won't give up
until our troops are brought home." Sheehan
was largely unknown when she set up camp outside Bush's ranch during
the president's August vacation. It became a 26-day vigil that drew
supporters from across the country and national attention. Sheehan,
who has continued encouraging anti-war demonstrations, asked protesters
to return to Crawford this week during Bush's family Thanksgiving
gathering. The
protesters' camp is on the same 1-acre private lot that a sympathetic
landowner let them use in August. For
the holiday Thursday, more than 100 war protesters ate a traditional
Iraqi meal - salmon, lentils and rice with almonds - saying they wanted
to call attention to the civilians killed in the war. More than 2,100
US soldiers have also died since the war began in March 2003. "It's
significant because the people of Iraq are suffering under our
occupation, and for people in America it's business as usual stuffing
themselves on fat turkeys," said Tammara Rosenleaf, whose husband is an
Army soldier to be deployed in a few weeks. "We in good conscience
cannot behave that way while our troops are over there." A
few miles away, a Bush supporter set up camp with a tent and signs
saying "A Noble Cause" showing pictures of smiling Iraqi children. "Perhaps
the troops, they feel like they don't get gratitude or a thank-you, and
I'll come and say 'Thank you' in my own way because it's Thanksgiving,"
said Akef Tayem, who lives in Dallas and has relatives in Jordan.
Open Letter to George By Cindy Sheehan t r u t h o u t | Letter
Thursday 24 November 2005
George,
My
family is spending our 2nd Thanksgiving without Casey, thanks to you
and your lies. I am spending the day crying on a plane on my way to
Crawford to again ask you for a meeting. I
had been to Crawford for three weeks in the summer and to DC several
times, asking for a meeting with you, and now I am returning to our
vacation home to once again try to meet with you. I don't know why you
like Crawford so much, but I love it, because of the Camp Casey Peace
Community that arose during August this year when you wouldn't meet
with me. When I arrived back here at the Peace House, I felt a sense of
coming home and belonging to something that is far greater than any of
us: a community that is filled with love, acceptance and peace. Is this
what you feel when you return frequently to Crawford? Also, the
beautiful Texas sunset stirred memories of our days at Camp Casey when
we would close our activities each day with ex-Marine Jeff Key playing
Taps among the crosses that honored our fallen. August was a miraculous
time. Since
August - when I wanted to ask you the question, for what noble cause
did you kill Casey and the others - over 200 more of our brave young
men and women have been killed in the charade of Iraq. We can only
guess how many innocent Iraqis have been slaughtered. You still have
not answered my question. Many people in our country who have had sons
or daughters killed, who have sons and daughters serving, and many
concerned Americans want to know that answer to that question, also. Also,
since August we have discovered that American forces are using chemical
weapons in Iraq ... The Army admitted that white phosphorous was used
as an offensive weapon against "enemy combatants." Oh really, George,
since when did a weapon fired from a distance distinguish between
enemies and innocents? Especially when it is so hard for soldiers on
the ground to differentiate between enemies and innocents? It is hard
for one to ignore if not look away from the grisly pictures of the
burned citizens of Fallujah. By
the way, George, isn't the use of chemical weapons prohibited? Don't
you always say that "Saddam is a bad man" for using chemical weapons on
his own people? So is it okay for you to use chemical weapons in Iraq
because the citizens of Iraq are not "your people?" Saddam should be on
trial for killing so many innocent people. Bombing cities where
innocent civilians live and using chemical weapons are war crimes. Does
that make you an alleged war criminal? Move over, Saddam. There is a
new bad guy in town. George,
for the sake of the Iraqi people, don't you think it is time to bring
our military forces home from Iraq? It is time to stop hypocritically
and callously killing them to spread your brand of freedom and
democracy. You know the kind of freedom and democracy you like? Where
no open dissent is allowed, where no one is able to petition the
government for redress of wrongs, where our emails can be read and our
library reading materials checked up on and analyzed. Your kind of
freedom and democracy smears brave patriots as cowards and traitors for
daring to speak out against your murderous policies. A majority of
Americans don't even want your brand of freedom and democracy. What
makes you think the Iraqi people want it? George,
also for the sake of our wonderful, brave, and very young people who
proudly wear the uniform of the USA: it is time to bring them home.
They have done everything you have asked of them. They have also done
things that make at least one quarter of them very sick in their hearts
and souls. Some of them have been so needlessly and avoidably killed,
and some of them are coming home with pieces of them missing. For what
George? What noble cause? George,
you had everything handed to you on a silver platter. I don't blame you
for using your family influence to get out of serving in Vietnam. I
don't blame anyone for trying to get out of that disastrous and totally
evil war. What I do blame you for is killing my son in another
disastrous and evil war. Casey had nothing handed to him on a silver
platter. He was willing to serve his country and to even die to save
his buddys' lives. You should be ashamed of yourself for exploiting
Casey's honor and the honor of everyone in our armed forces of which
the post of Commander in Chief was also handed to you on a silver
platter. Ask your Vice President if he thinks that Casey may have had
other "priorities" besides dying at 24. Ask you mama if her "beautiful
mind" is bothered yet. Mine is. Did
you have the sacred luxury of having your two daughters at home with
you today for Thanksgiving dinner? Did you proudly tease them during
the meal like my family used to do? Did you tell old funny family
stories and laugh about old times? Did you, George? Our family did
share a meal together and we tried to be merry, but you know what? It's
not the same with a very valuable family member gone forever. Casey's
premature death puts a damper on all of our days, but the holidays are
especially hard. Are
you and Laura going to hit the sack tonight and toss and turn or stare
out of the window worried that Jenna or Barbara may be killed in Iraq?
Are you going to jump at every single ringing of the telephone, will
your hearts beat wildly at every knock at the door, fearing the Angel
of Death in an Army uniform? I didn't think so. Two soldiers were
killed today in Iraq, George. I hope to God their families aren't just
sitting down to enjoy their meal when the grim reapers come to tell
them their holidays are ruined for ever. There is no good time for such
horrendous news. I ask you to again do the right thing.
Bring
our troops home from Iraq. Don't kill others because your murderous
policies have already killed so many. How many deaths do you think will
be enough before Casey's is "justified?" 58,000? One was too many. I
will tell you what noble cause Casey died for, George: true and lasting
peace. Please dignify all of the deaths by finally stopping the
barbaric killing before you ruin too many more holidays for way too
many more people. Cindy Sheehan
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