Bush supporters' aftermath thread

Telling the truth about Sheehan is as important as her speaking what she considers the truth.

Hypocrites and Liars
By Cindy Sheehan
t r u t h o u t | Letter

Saturday 20 August 2005

The media are wrong. The people who have come out to Camp Casey to help
coordinate the press and events with me are not putting words in my
mouth,
they are taking words out of my mouth. I have been known for sometime
as
a
person who speaks the truth and speaks it strongly. I have always
called
a
liar a liar and a hypocrite a hypocrite. Now I am urged to use softer
language to appeal to a wider audience. Why do my friends at Camp Casey
think they are there? Why did such a big movement occur from such a
small
action on August 6, 2005?

I haven't had much time to analyze the Camp Casey phenomena. I just
read
that I gave 250 interviews in less than a week's time. I believe it. I
would
go to bed with a raw throat every night. I got pretty tired of
answering
some questions, like: "What do you want to say to the President?" and
"Do
you really think he will meet with you?" However, since my mom has been
sick
I have had a chance to step back and ponder the flood gates that I
opened in
Crawford, Tx.

I just read an article posted today on LewRockwell.com by artist Robert
Shetterly who painted my portrait. The article reminded me of something
I
said at the Veteran's for Peace Convention the night before I set out
to
Bush's ranch in my probable futile quest for the truth. This is what I
said:

I got an email the other day and it said, "Cindy if you didn't use so
much
profanity ... there's people on the fence that get offended.

And you know what I said? "You know what? You know what, god damn it?
How in
the world is anybody still sitting on that fence?

If you fall on the side that is pro-George and pro-war, you get your
ass
over to Iraq, and take the place of somebody who wants to come home.
And
if
you fall on the side that is against this war and against George Bush,
stand
up and speak out.

This is what the Camp Casey miracle is all about. American citizens who
oppose the war but never had a conduit for their disgust and dismay are
dropping everything and traveling to Crawford to stand in solidarity
with us
who have made a commitment to sit outside of George's ranch for the
duration
of the miserable Texan August. If they can't come to Texas, they are
attending vigils, writing letters to their elected officials and to
their
local newspapers; they are setting up Camp Casey branches in their
hometowns; they are sending flowers, cards, letters, gifts, and
donations
here to us at Camp Casey. We are so grateful for all of the support,
but
I
think pro-peace Americans are grateful for something to do, finally.

One thing I haven't noticed or become aware of though is an increased
number of pro-war, pro-Bush people on the other side of the fence
enlisting
to go and fight George Bush's war for imperialism and insatiable greed.
The
pro-peace side has gotten off their apathetic butts to be warriors for
peace
and justice. Where are the pro-war people? Everyday at Camp Casey we
have a
couple of anti-peace people on the other side of the road holding up
signs
that remind me that "Freedom isn't Free" but I don't see them putting
their
money where their mouths are. I don't think they are willing to pay
even
a
small down payment for freedom by sacrificing their own blood or the
flesh
of their children. I still challenge them to go to Iraq and let another
soldier come home. Perhaps a soldier that is on his/her third tour of
duty,
or one that has been stop-lossed after serving his/her country nobly
and
selflessly, only to be held hostage in Iraq by power mad hypocrites who
have
a long history of avoiding putting their own skin in the game.

Contrary to what the main stream media thinks, I did not just fall off
a
pumpkin truck in Crawford, Tx. on that scorchingly hot day two weeks
ago. I
have been writing, speaking, testifying in front of Congressional
committees, lobbying Congress, and doing interviews for over a year
now.
I
have been pretty well known in the progressive, peace community and I
had
many, many supporters before I even left California. The people who
supported me did so because they know that I uncompromisingly tell the
truth
about this war. I have stood up and said: "My son died for NOTHING, and
George Bush and his evil cabal and their reckless policies killed him.
My
son was sent to fight in a war that had no basis in reality and was
killed
for it." I have never said "pretty please" or "thank you." I have never
said
anything wishy-washy like he uses "Patriotic Rhetoric." I say my son
died
for LIES. George Bush LIED to us and he knew he was LYING. The Downing
Street Memos dated 23 July, 2002 prove that he knew that Saddam didn't
have
WMD's or any ties to Al Qaeda. I believe that George lied and he knew
he
was
lying. He didn't use patriotic rhetoric. He lied and made us afraid of
ghosts that weren't there. Now he is using patriotic rhetoric to keep
the US
military presence in Iraq: Patriotic rhetoric that is based on greed
and
nothing else.

Now I am being vilified and dragged through the mud by the righties and
so-called "fair and balanced" main stream media who are afraid of the
truth
and can't face someone who tells it by telling any truth of their own.
Now
they have to twist, distort, lie, and scrutinize anything I have ever
said
when they never scrutinize anything that George Bush said or is saying.
Instead of asking George or Scotty McClellan if he will meet with me,
why
aren't they asking the questions they should have been asking all
along:
"Why are our young people fighting, dying, and killing in Iraq? What is
this
noble cause you are sending our young people to Iraq for? What do you
hope
to accomplish there? Why did you tell us there were WMD's and ties to
Al
Qaeda when you knew there weren't? Why did you lie to us? Why did you
lie to
the American people? Why did you lie to the world? Why are our nation's
children still in harm's way and dying everyday when we all know you
lied?
Why do you continually say we have to "complete the mission" when you
know
damn well you have no idea what that mission is and you can change it
at
will like you change your cowboy shirts?"

Camp Casey has grown and prospered and survived all attacks and
challenges because America is sick and tired of liars and hypocrites
and
we
want the answers to the tough questions that I was the first to dare
ask.
THIS is George Bush's accountability moment and he is failing ...
miserably.
George Bush and his advisers seriously "misunderestimated" me when they
thought they could intimidate me into leaving before I had the answers,
or
before the end of August. I can take anything they throw at me, or Camp
Casey. If it shortens the war by a minute or saves one life, it is
worth
it.
I think they seriously "misunderestimated" all mothers. I wonder if any
of
them had authentic mother-child relationships and if they are surprised
that
there are so many mothers in this country who are bear-like when it
comes to
wanting the truth and who want to make meaning of their child's
needless
and
seemingly meaningless deaths?

The Camp Casey movement will not die until we have a genuine accounting
of the truth and until our troops are brought home. Get used to it
George,
we are not going away.

Eloquent and powerful.

Self-serving and pathetic.

She takes the focus off of her son and his dignity and grabs it for herself with her disgusting profane narcissism.

She never inhabited the same space with eloquence.

People that support Bush and Cheney don't understand anything about "self-serving." Halliburton gets all those million dollar government contracts without competitive bidding.

The "self-serving" of Ms Sheehan seems to have found a voice with many people in the US, and there are more at Camp Casey in support for her "self-serving" voice compared to support for this war and Bushco.

As a matter of fact, all the latest polls show Bushco's performance rating on the war below forty percent. That sounds pretty loud and clear to this observer - and that's the American People talking. I guess some of you are ready to sink with the Bushco boat.

It is abundantly clear that Casey Sheehan IS the focus of this whole thing. How that escapes the Right never fails to amaze.

kw, You can say that again.

Seems the more I read about her the less sympathy I have for her.

He chose to enlist...twice.

He volunteered for the mission that ended in his death.

He was a quiet, church oriented young man, who loved his country and offered his service to it.

His mother hates this country.

She has no right to speak for him.

Out of curiosity: Is Ms Sheenan claiming to speak for her son, or is she speaking for herself? As in: "I suffered a loss, and I want to know what for." Since we're at it, I want to clarify an earlier remark I have made:


While I stand by my statement in the hypothetical form I wrote it in, I did not mean to imply that Ms. Sheenan is one of the "egocentric, dishonest fools" I was talking about. I currently have no opinion on that latter point.

My quarrel with Cindy Sheehan is not who she is mad at or allied with. My quarrel with her is that she, enabled by the media, is providing hours of footage and sound bites for the terrorists to use to further their own propaganda and morale and thereby putting all our troops at great risk.

You cannot condemn the commander in chief, the mission, the process of the action, and support the troops.

Personally, I think the whole thing in Iraq would be far more stablized and far closer to being concluded if the American people were providing a united front that we have the back of our troops, including their leader(s). That will break the spirit and determination of the terrorists much more quickly than mere mortar shells and bullets. When the media makes it look like the whole country is protesting, they have much more incentive to keep up the pressure on us and are likely to (accurately) believe they can make us fold up like a cheap suit.

My grandfather, an opponent of Hitler and a captain in the German army during World War II, would disagree. I think you have fallen for an age-old propaganda lie here. It's called a "stab-in-the-back legend".

The issue here -- and I see no further need to continue waltzing away from it -- is whether Momma Sheehan knows the feelings of her son better than anyone else. Someone (c.i. I think) proffered that because she's the mommy, she did. I responded by saying that is a generalized statement that cannot be backed up, for the reasons I've argued, and the reasons you have as well. After all, some mommies are bigger than the daddies. It is quite possible that Casey's dad knew his feelings better than his mom did. Let's not forget that Casey enlisted and reupped. Probably had more of his dad in him than mom will let on.



This lady's protest will do no damage to anything, other than private property down in Crawford, Texas. Your side has ridden the PR train that this lady brought, but unfortunately for you she brought a lot of excess baggage along for the ride. She's obviously very anti-American and anti-Israel. She is the darling of the Communist Party, the pro-Palestine/anti-Israel groups, and the anti-Iraq War liberals. I imagine the terrorists love her to pieces.

The one question the MSM will never ask Cindy Sheehan, no matter how many interviews she gives them:

"Do you think Casey would be proud of you?"

Interesting how conservatives squeal when the shoe is on the other foot. Sheehan seems to be speaking from her heart and conscence, as it seems we all may be. As a mother I can identify with her grief and wish to do something about it. It's understandable. At least she's not fighting in the courts to keep her son alive artificially against his will.

Here's an article which may have already been posted (I didn't read back.......I've been busy). Finally, finally the progressives are getting it together. I'll point out, in my humble way, that this is exactly what I've been advocating for some time now. OK, Thomas........give me my well deserved recognition, if you please. Sunny days are in the future.(Sorry about the arrogance, folks, but this is a personal thing between Thomas and I.......isn't it Thomas?)

Salon article

Isn't that predictable.

Foxfyre
Foxfyre wrote "My quarrel with Cindy Sheehan is not who she is mad at or allied with. My quarrel with her is that she, enabled by the media, is providing hours of footage and sound bites for the terrorists to use to further their own propaganda and morale and thereby putting all our troops at great risk.

You cannot condemn the commander in chief, the mission, the process of the action, and support the troops."

Foxfyre, you have a compulsion to post illogical opinions, but this latest takes the cake.

I love my country and I support the troops. I despise the Commander in Chief and the insane mission he created and the inept process of action that Rumsfeld imposed on the troops. The troops did their job well in Afghanistan, an action I approved of. The troops did their job well in the initial invasion of Iraq, an action I strongly disapproved of. Our troops are the victims of the insanity and ineptness of Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Wolfowitz, et al.

I am not unpatriotic and aiding the enemy. Bush et al is doing more than anyone else to aid the enemy by not having enough brains to not fall into their traps. Osama bin Laden is thrilled at the good luck that George W. Bush created for him in pursuing his jihad.

BBB

Isn't that predictable.