Cindy Sheehan (8/30/2005)

President Bush started his 5 –week vacation the beginning of August.  Soon after, Cindy Sheehan began her vigil near Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas.  Sheehan’s son, Casey, age 24, was killed in an ambush in Iraq on April 4, 2004.  He was an Army specialist, a Humvee mechanic.  Sheehan, age 48, wants to ask Bush “Why did my son die?” This grieving mother has vowed to stay through the month, in hopes of meeting with Bush.  So far, Bush has refused to meet with her.  She patiently sits on a lawn chair, in the hot sun, while the Bush motorcade speeds by in big black, air-conditioned SUVs on its way to multi-million-dollar political fundraisers.

Sheehan arrived with a few dozen supporters; but her vigil has grown, attracting other bereaved parents, hundreds of peace activists and the world press.  Bush did send a couple of staff people to talk with her, but personally continues to ignore her and her group.  Support for Sheehan continues to grow; on August 17, over a thousand peace vigils were held throughout the country; more and more peace activists have joined Sheehan in Crawford; crosses commemorating our slain troops were placed along the road.  Bush’s neighbors have reacted in various ways; one shot his gun in the air to frighten vigil supporters; another, with his truck and a chain, pulled down the memorials to our troops. Still, others have been sympathetic, offering this peaceful group the right to assemble on their private land.  The sympathetic neighbors, however, have been severely criticized by the Bush supporters.

The president’s spinmasters point out that Bush did meet with some families, and with Sheehan, a few months after Casey’s death.  Sheehan says that Bush referred to her as “mom” during the meeting, and seemed not to know who her son was.  Bush supporters are trying hard to trash this grieving mother and her supporters. As columnist Maureen Dowd quips, “If only her husband were an undercover CIA operative the Bushies could out him.  But even if they send out a squad of Swift Boat Moms for the Truth, there will be a countering Falluja Moms for Truth.”

57% of Americans now say the war has made us less safe from terrorism, and 54% say that the U.S. made a mistake in sending troops to Iraq.  Sheehan represents a majority of Americans who want to know why our troops continue to be killed; Iraq was no threat, there were no weapons of mass destruction; the Iraqis don’t want us there; and why does Bush think we have the right to invade sovereign countries to supposedly establish our brand of government? 

As the Bush motorcade continues to sweep by Sheehan and her supporters, Americans are wondering if the president is afraid to talk to a grieving mother, or so arrogant that he thinks we are his subjects, not citizens suffering great losses in his war.  Cindy Sheehan believes Bush lied to the American people and she wants the war to end; Bush claims sympathy, but not enough to meet with her.   A political cartoon by V.M. Bergman in the August 18 Chicago Tribune, probably best explains what it takes to meet with President Bush.  There are two drawings:  one of the tri-folded American flag, which is given to the families of fallen soldiers, and one of a check written to the Republican Party for $10,000.  The caption says “Which contribution buys a meeting with the President?”

- Judith Kohler

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