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A Mile of Flags
In Search of Peace
with Cindy Sheehan
Gerald Ford is dead. Every time I
get a chance to turn on the TV I am incessantly reminded of this fact.
His body is lying in state on the
same structure that has held up every dead president’s body since
Abraham Lincoln. His widow constantly has a military honor guard to
support her, sometimes even physically. The flag draped coffin is never
left alone: there is always a military presence there to guard and honor
the body. We have seen Ford’s flag-draped coffin entering and exiting
planes and cars. The tradition can be quite moving at times, but, to me,
also quite frustrating and gut-wrenching.
On April 04, 2004, my son, Casey
was killed in Iraq. Between April 04 and April 10, we had no idea how
Casey was killed, or what condition his body was in. We heard from the
son-in-law of a friend who was stationed at Dover Air Force base that he
had “unloaded” Casey from the transport plane that brought him from God
knows where. Baghdad? Germany? Ireland where he had just passed through
alive barely 3 weeks earlier? On April 9 (Casey’s grandpa’s birthday) we
heard that he would be delivered to San Francisco International Airport
the following day.
The limo from the funeral home
picked us up around noon-ish. Casey’s dad, brother, sisters, my Mom, his
Auntie, I, and a few close friends took our final ride to pick Casey up
from the airport on his final trip home. I couldn’t get it out of my
mind that we had joyfully picked him up from the Sacramento airport less
then 4 months earlier when he had come home for his last Christmas on
earth.
The trip from Vacaville to the
City by the Bay is never fun --- there is always heavy traffic, but
Saturdays are definitely the worst. San Francisco is certainly a popular
weekend destination. This trip to “The City” as we Northern Californians
call it, would be the most nightmarish trip of my life.
When we arrived at SFO, our limo
pulled up to the United Airlines loading dock. Casey’s body in his
coffin, wrapped in a box had already arrived so we stood around and
watched the United Dock Workers load Casey into the back of the hearse.
If I remember correctly, about 99% of Casey’s collected loved ones were
sobbing uncontrollably and trying to comfort each other, the remaining
1% stood alone in anguished and shocked bewilderment. This is the
“honorable” way that Casey was delivered to us. And to make matters
worse, his “honor” guard wasn’t with us yet --- so we had to sit on the
curb under a 101 Freeway off-ramp for over 30 minutes waiting for him.
On December 31st, our
3,000th child was killed for the lies of another president.
While Gerald Ford lies in state, our 3,000th troop will be
brought home on his final airplane flight in the cargo area. This fine
young example of humanity will be sneaked into the USA as if he, and not
his Commander in Chief, were a criminal. His family will be left to
mourn alone and his body will not be guarded night and day.
After the
funeral (that Bloody George will not attend), he will be forgotten by
the country that sent him to die in a war that is as corrupt as the day
is long, but his family will never be able to recover from his loss.
The news channels are infusing us
with coverage of Ford’s pomp and circumstance and CNN Headline News gave
10 seconds to the 3,000th American casualty of the Iraq bloody
blunder. Why is a soldier’s life less honorable than a president’s life?
If our soldiers are worthless to the American people, where do the
655,000 innocent Iraqis that have been slaughtered by Bloody BushCo fit
in to daily consumeristic consciousness?
Yesterday, Camp Casey in Crawford,
Tx, placed 3,000 American flags down Prairie Chapel Road. The flags,
which we planted about 12-16 inches apart extended for approximately a
mile on each side down the road. The visual was somber, touching, and
very reverent. We decided that yesterday was not a day for politics, but
a day to honor our young people that have been so dishonored by the man
on that same road who spends his days clearing brush while contemplating
signing more death orders and his nights sleeping like a baby.
Being a peace activist is not a
very safe position in Crawford, Tx. One of our neighbors came out with a
shot-gun and threatened to shoot if we put flags in front of her
property. Since the ditches are public property, and we believe that we
are honoring the brave souls who are brave and dedicated, we put some in
front of her home. When one of our Camp Caseyites went back this morning
to pick up the flags, she had broken every one of them that we had put
in front of her house. We already knew that many people in Crawford hate
the sight of crosses, but we thought that the American flag would be a
safe symbol that all of us, being patriotic Americans every one, could
agree upon. Apparently, some people don’t like to visualize a number
that was made possible by their support of serial killers.
After we had finished our memorial
to our fallen heroes, we ciphered out a very sobering visual.
If we put
a symbol for each Iraqi death along a road, it would take up 220 miles
of road, on each side! That is a road that would stretch from Crawford
to Houston. From Baghdad to Vacaville and from Falluja to Crawford, and
many points along the way, the heartache and mayhem just continue.
Sorrow for war is borne by loving, caring families on both sides of the
conflict and profit and satisfaction are borne with callous disregard for
humanity on the other side---while any kind physical, financial,
emotional, or political risk is minimal to the war-mongers, to say the
least.
While millions of Americans, ordinary citizens, politicians, or
news media, were very busy NOT thinking of 655,000 plus lives stolen and
millions more lives destroyed, we at Camp Casey spent all New Year’s Eve
day with our sorrow and with our devastating and totally un-called for
and unnecessary losses.
May 2007 make such memorials
obsolete.
The sorrow for the ones already
gone will always be with us, but only grass-roots activism that is
unrelenting and heartfelt will prevent more sorrow.
May 2007 see a massive dedication,
or re-dedication to a Peace Surge.
In Search
of Peace
is a series of reflections on Cindy’s journey towards true and lasting
peace.
Cindy Sheehan is the mother
of Spc. Casey Sheehan who was killed in Bush's war of terror on
04/04/04.
She is the co-founder and
president of
Gold Star
Families for Peace and
the Camp Casey Peace Institute.
Cindy Sheehan is the author of
several books which you can get right here:
 Books by
(or about) Cindy Sheehan
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"Writing this book is the second most
difficult thing I have ever done, next to burying Casey."
On April 4, 2004, Cindy Sheehan learned that Casey, the
eldest of her four children, had been killed in Iraq, where
he was serving in the United States Army. After struggling
through crippling grief for three weeks, she came to an
epiphany: "I will spend my life trying to make Casey's
sacrifice count for peace and love, not killing and hate."
Peace Mom is the heartfelt and profoundly moving story of
Cindy's journey to activism. She recounts the dark days
following Casey's death, when it seemed her life would never
have meaning again. She tells of her June 2004 meeting with
President Bush, and how that encounter ultimately set her on
a path that would take her to hearings in the Capitol, test
old friendships and family ties, and culminate outside
Crawford, Texas, in a month long peace action that would
draw thousands of supporters and worldwide attention.
Here are the stories Cindy has never shared before about her
own experiences at the center of a media firestorm, the
life-altering events that were sparked by her simple act of
defiance one hot August day in Texas. Going behind the
headlines and sound bites, Cindy writes candidly about the
toll her activism has taken on her own life and her family,
as well the unforeseen rewards her quest for peace has
brought. Through days of rage, despair, laughter, and tears,
Cindy has found ways to celebrate the life of her son Casey
and give meaning to his death. Her story points the way to a
future of peace and justice for the world and for our
children.
Heartrending and powerful, Peace Mom is at once an honest
account of one woman's triumph over loss and a clarion call
to all those who wonder if they can make a difference. |
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Well, some reviewers who are warmongers obviously have their
agendas and their activists who have not read the books they
are reviewing. They are part of the Neo-Con conspiracy to
keep the American public in the dark about the truth. I am
the author of "Land of Childhood's
Fears" - a book about the Vietnam War - (just Google the
title and see) and so I speak with a bit of authority. This
book is so heart-wrenching that I had to read it in short
sessions. It is a glaring example of the attitude of the
current administration - THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US - THEY
NEVER CARED ABOUT ANYTHING BUT THEIR OWN GREED. My Web site
has Video
Documentaries you can download FREE - So before
you buy the negative reviews on Cindy Sheehan, learn the
TRUTH. Read this book, and my book "Land of Childhood's
Fears" which you can also get at Amazon. Take a week to read
these two books, and your views about the war in Iraq will
drastically change - download the videos from my web site
and your entire paradigm structure about the country you
live in will change. In the Bible, 2 Peter Chapter 3, it
says that in the last days, people are "WILLINGLY IGNORANT".
It is a shame that people don't WANT to learn the truth,
because what they would have to do to ACT on that truth is
unthinkable. |
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In 2004, Cindy Sheehan lost her son Casey
Austin Sheehan in an ambush in Iraq. As information became
available verifying that the war was based on lies and
"cooked intelligence," she began speaking out and testifying
in the halls of Congress. In August 2005, she went to
Crawford, Texas, to confront President Bush, unexpectedly
opening the floodgates of a renewed American peace movement.
Ten thousand people joined her, and millions more worldwide
followed. The founder of Gold Star Families for Peace,
Sheehan here movingly recounts her first year of activism,
sharing her thoughts and actions with readers for the first
time in book form. Reflecting on war and peace, truth and
accountability, she takes the Bush administration to task
for its corruption and incompetence. Equal parts compelling
memoir and call to action, Not One More Mother's Child tells
in Sheehan's distinctive voice how historical events and
personal tragedy transformed her from grieving mom to ardent
activist. |
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"The Silent Majority" in this country who are
AGAINST THE WAR. POLITICIANS ARE ALL THIEVES AND LIARS -
THEY DON'T CARE ABOUT US - THEY NEVER CARED ABOUT ANYTHING
BUT THEIR OWN GREED. My Web site has
Video Documentaries you
can download FREE - So before you buy the negative reviews
on Cindy Sheehan, learn the TRUTH. Read this book, and my
book "Land of Childhood's Fears"
which you can also get at Amazon. |
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The compelling inside story of Cindy
Sheehan's vigil in Crawford, Texas, that redefined the Bush
presidency. At the center of it all was Crawford's own local
paper, The Lone Star Iconoclast. The Vigil is an invaluable
record of the Iconoclast's coverage, with Sheehan herself
providing a scene-setting foreword.
A high-stakes, blow-by-blow account of the events as they
unfolded, The Vigil lets readers experience this vigil right
along with the writers and participants as the paper's
publisher (W. Leon Smith) and crew demonstrate a level of
professional integrity that-to quote Sheehan herself-"shine[s]
like a lone spark of integrity in the prairie darkness." |
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AMERICAN Mourning" is an elegantly
lyrical book about soldiers and sons killed in combat. The
authors compare how two American families - the Sheehans and
the Johnsons - reacted to the loss of their sons in combat
in Iraq, and how they are in many ways a metaphor for the
country itself. The story juxtaposes the grieving process of
the two families - especially Cindy Sheehan, Casey's mother,
and Joe Johnson, Justin's father, showing how each reacted
to the worst news a parent can receive in radically
different ways. Cindy Sheehan directed her grief and anger
not at the terrorists whom she called "freedom fighters."
She said that she "did not blame the man who killed Casey"
but instead blamed President Bush whom she holds accountable
for the lost soldiers. Joe Johnson's grief also flared as
white-hot anger, and at age 45 he joined the National Guard
determined to go to Iraq as a gunner and "kill the bastards"
who killed his beloved Justin. The media portrayed Cindy as
"Mother Sheehan," a grief-stricken mother whose world had
been destroyed and who wished only to be consoled by
President Bush. But the authors recount a back-story that
documents a massive, highly professional and
well-orchestrated PR campaign backed by deep-pocketed
sponsors like www.MoveOn.org and George Soros. At some point
Sheehan morphed into an aggressive feminist who abandoned
her family, ran off with another man and embraced the
radical agenda that the anti-Bush movement used her to
promote. Joe Johnson trained hard, went to Iraq and
patrolled the deadly roads laced with IEDs and ambushes. He
resumed drinking after Justin's death and reportedly
continues to seek solace in the bottle, though he has given
up his mission of personally avenging his son's loss by
killing terrorists. Both Cindy and Joe put their spouses and
families through additional stress by internalizing their
anger and abandoning their families to fend for themselves.
Cindy left permanently, while Joe eventually came home to
face --New York Post, November 19, 2006
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The presidency of George W. Bush promised to
restore integrity to the White House, but instead it has
been plagued by scandal. With his strong voice and biting
humor, William Rivers Pitt guides readers through a
jaw-dropping series of presidential blunders. In this
collection of articles that first appeared on
www.truthout.org,
he dissects the entire war on Iraq, including the relentless
push toward war, the missing weapons of mass destruction,
the Halliburton contracting scandals, sectarian violence,
and the possibility of a regional conflagration. Others
pieces tackle the outing of Valerie Plame, the NSA’s
warrantless wiretaps, the Abramoff scandal, Lewis Libby’s
indictment, and the incompetent response to Hurricane
Katrina. Several essays focus on Cindy Sheehan and other
citizen activists. For anyone who suspects the Bush
administration of playing fast and loose with the facts,
William Rivers Pitt provides a welcome voice of truth,
untainted by corporate ownership. |
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"The Army's top recruiter, already struggling to meet his
quotas this year, said ….that 2006 would be even harder, and
perhaps the toughest year for recruiting since the
all-volunteer force began in 1973."—The New York
Times, May 13, 2005
So you're walking out of school and parked at the gate is a
new, bright red Ford Mustang with a hulk of a man in the
front seat. He's sporting a razor cut and wraparound shades.
Before you can pass he's out of the car and blocking your
path. "Mind if I take a minute"—he has you by the arm
now—"to tell you about the great life in today's Army and
why you should seriously think about signing up?"
The armed forces are having a tough time attracting new
recruits lately, in no small part due to the mess in Iraq.
Young people are getting wise to the many excellent reasons
not to join the U.S. Military, and this handy book brings
them all together, combining accessible writing with hard
facts and devastating personal testimony. Contributors with
firsthand experience point out the dangers facing soldiers,
describe the tricks used by recruiters, and emphasize that
there really are other options, even in a sluggish economy.
It's essential reading for anyone thinking of signing up.
Over 2,000 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq, and
over 14,000 have been wounded.
• Nearly 100,000 civilians have been killed in Iraq as a
result of the U.S. invasion.
• One in six soldiers returning from Iraq experiences mental
health problems.
• Two-thirds of all recruits receive no college funding from
the military, and only 15 percent graduate with a four-year
degree.
• According to the VA, 90 percent of recent women veterans
reported experiencing sexual harassment; a third were raped.
About the Author
Elizabeth Weill-Greenberg is a journalist based in
Washington, D.C. She writes for the Washington Blade, In
These Times, and Common Dreams.
Cindy Sheehan
became a leader of the antiwar movement after her son,
Casey, was killed in Iraq. Her efforts to get answers from
President Bush, including a vigil in Crawford,Texas, have
received national media attention. Other contributors
include members of Military Families Speak Out, Iraq
Veterans Against the War, the National Lawyers Guild
Military Law Task Force, Citizen Soldier, and Code Pink. |
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