Cindy Sheehan ends protest

ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
edited May 2007 in A Moving Train
Tuesday, 29 May 2007, 09:13 GMT 10:13 UK

US anti-war mother ends protest


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6699781.stm

Cindy Sheehan, the bereaved mother who became a figurehead for the US anti-war movement, is abandoning her fight after growing disenchanted with the campaign.

She has camped outside President Bush's ranch since 2005, demanding a meeting over the death of her son in Iraq.

But announcing the end of her campaign, she also hit out at Democrats and anti-war campaigners who put "personal egos above peace and human life".

She said she had sacrificed her health, her marriage and her finances.

In a letter on the Daily Kos website titled Good Riddance Attention Whore - a reference to the abuse she says she has suffered, Ms Sheehan said: "I am going to take whatever I have left and go home.

"I am going to go home and be a mother to my surviving children and try to regain some of what I have lost."

Cindy Sheehan became a "postergirl" for the US anti-war movement after she set up her protest camp outside the president's ranch in Crawford, Texas in August 2005.

She said she has spent all the money from the survivor's benefits paid for her son's death and everything she earned from speaking and book fees and that she owed large hospital bills.

"I have been called every despicable name that small minds can think of and have had my life threatened many times."

She said her son Casey, who died in Baghdad in April 2004, was "killed by his own country which is beholden to and run by a war machine that even controls what we think.

"Casey died for a country which cares more about who will be the next American Idol than how many people will be killed in the next few months while Democrats and Republicans play politics with human lives.

"It is so painful to me to know that I bought into this system for so many years and Casey paid the price for that allegiance. I failed my boy and that hurts the most."

Ms Sheehan criticised the US anti-war movement for often putting "personal egos" first.

"It is hard to work for peace when the very movement that is named after it has so many divisions."

She said that one-time allies among the Democratic Party had turned on her when she no longer limited her protests over the Iraq war to the Republican Party.

The US will rapidly descend into "a fascist corporate wasteland," she said, if "alternatives to this corrupt 'two' party system" are not found.


Ms Sheehan said she was resigning as the "face" of the US anti-war movement.

She said she would "never give up trying to help people in the world who are harmed by the empire of the good old US of A, but I am finished working in, or outside of this system."
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Comments

  • bgivens33bgivens33 Posts: 290
    I can't help to think that she has disgraced her son's name. It tears me apart to think after that kid got killed in combat he is more famous for his mother than his service. If I ever get killed in combat I hope my parents have enough sense NEVER to do something like that. She does make some valid points... especially this one

    "Casey died for a country which cares more about who will be the next American Idol than how many people will be killed in the next few months"

    But I am glad to see her go, the only thing she was doing was defacing her son's name. He signed up, it was not like he was drafted.
  • catefrancescatefrances Posts: 29,003
    i have the utmost respect for cindy sheehan.

    she believes her son, and many others' children have died needlessly in iraq. so she did what is permitted in a democratic country and protested.
    hear my name
    take a good look
    this could be the day
    hold my hand
    lie beside me
    i just need to say
  • KannKann Posts: 1,146
    I don't understand. What do people blame her for?
  • JeanwahJeanwah Posts: 6,363
    I have the utmost respect for her also. There are very few people in the world anymore who are willing to stand up to injustice, and she happened to be one of them. Like the original article mentioned, she persued her mission through name calling, and death threats, all in the name of ending the war.

    There need to be more people like this.
  • polarispolaris Posts: 3,527
    Byrnzie wrote:
    "I have been called every despicable name that small minds can think of and have had my life threatened many times."

    small minds pretty much sums it up ...

    it's like anything else in life ... shoot the messenger, try and pick out the hypocrisies, anything to ignore the message ...

    as far as defacing her son's name - about as far from the truth as possible ... her son died for a country who didn't care for him, a country that is led by liars and self-fulfilling egos ... defacing her son is not doing anything about that ... how many sons and daughters of americans have died for this war? ... and how many can anyone name that isn't from your hometown or someone you know?
  • SundaySilenceSundaySilence Posts: 536
    A Nation Rocked to Sleep
    by Carly Sheehan
    Brother Casey KIA 04/04/04
    Sadr City Baghdad

    Have you ever heard the sound of a mother screaming for her son?
    The torrential rains of a mother's weeping will never be done
    They call him a hero, you should be glad that he's one, but
    Have you ever heard the sound of a mother screaming for her son?

    Have you ever heard the sound of a father holding back his cries?
    He must be brave because his boy died for another man's lies
    The only grief he allows himself are long, deep sighs
    Have you ever heard the sound of a father holding back his cries?

    Have you ever heard the sound of taps played at your brother's grave?
    They say that he died so that the flag will continue to wave
    But I believe he died because they had oil to save
    Have you ever heard the sound of taps played at your brother's grave?

    Have you ever heard the sound of a nation being rocked to sleep?
    The leaders want to keep you numb so the pain won't be so deep
    But if we the people let them continue another mother will weep
    Have you ever heard the sound of a nation being rocked to sleep?
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    bgivens33 wrote:
    I can't help to think that she has disgraced her son's name. It tears me apart to think after that kid got killed in combat he is more famous for his mother than his service. If I ever get killed in combat I hope my parents have enough sense NEVER to do something like that. She does make some valid points... especially this one

    "Casey died for a country which cares more about who will be the next American Idol than how many people will be killed in the next few months"

    But I am glad to see her go, the only thing she was doing was defacing her son's name. He signed up, it was not like he was drafted.

    Please explain how her son's name has been disgraced. Her son had a mother with principles who stood up for what she believed in. Perhaps you'd prefer a nation of servile morons, who are happy to continue watching their sons and daughters die in this bullshit war that is benefiting nobody but a handful of rich and powerful liars, and swindlers?
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Kann wrote:
    I don't understand. What do people blame her for?
    for calling terrorists Freedom Fighters
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    jlew24asu wrote:
    for calling terrorists Freedom Fighters

    Who exactly was she referring to? Can you post her actual words in their correct context?
  • polarispolaris Posts: 3,527
    Byrnzie wrote:
    Who exactly was she referring to? Can you post her actual words in their correct context?

    does it really matter? ... it's things like this that she is talking about ... it's like war propaganda against iran ... they take the "wipe israel off the map" literally and use it fuel the machine ... always looking for the one thing they can then hang their wishes on ...
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    polaris wrote:
    does it really matter? ... it's things like this that she is talking about ... it's like war propaganda against iran ... they take the "wipe israel off the map" literally and use it fuel the machine ... always looking for the one thing they can then hang their wishes on ...

    I understand this. Which is why I was asking for clarification. If you don't nip it in the bud immediately then people will keep referring to it as their only piece of ammunition until the thread dies a death.
  • KannKann Posts: 1,146
    But obviously she wasn't really appreciated by everyone. So what did the people who disliked her blame her for?
    Calling terrorist freedom fighters may get people angry but is it what got people mad at her and at her fight for?
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Byrnzie wrote:
    Who exactly was she referring to? Can you post her actual words in their correct context?

    she was referring to foreign fighters coming into Iraq killing american troops

    http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45938

    because it's not true," Sheehan replied. "You know Iraq was no threat to the United States of America until we invaded. I mean they're not even a threat to the United States of America. Iraq was not involved in 9-11, Iraq was not a terrorist state. But now that we have decimated the country, the borders are open, freedom fighters from other countries are going in, and they [American troops] have created more terrorism by going to an Islamic country, devastating the country and killing innocent people in that country. The terrorism is growing and people who never thought of being car bombers or suicide bombers are now doing it because they want the United States of America out of their country."



    these terrorists are not interested in freedom. they arent fighting for freedom. their only goal is to kill american troops.
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    regardless, I mourn her loss and think she is a good american for expressing how she feels. while I dont agree, it's her right to do so.
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    jlew24asu wrote:
    she was referring to foreign fighters coming into Iraq killing american troops

    http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45938

    because it's not true," Sheehan replied. "You know Iraq was no threat to the United States of America until we invaded. I mean they're not even a threat to the United States of America. Iraq was not involved in 9-11, Iraq was not a terrorist state. But now that we have decimated the country, the borders are open, freedom fighters from other countries are going in, and they [American troops] have created more terrorism by going to an Islamic country, devastating the country and killing innocent people in that country. The terrorism is growing and people who never thought of being car bombers or suicide bombers are now doing it because they want the United States of America out of their country."



    these terrorists are not interested in freedom. they arent fighting for freedom. their only goal is to kill american troops.

    I see nothing wrong with this comment. She's talking about people coming into Iraq to drive out the occupiers. If she had talked about those carrying out sectarian violence I'd have disagreed with her. Those people in Iraq who are solely interested in driving out the occupying forces are by definition 'freedom fighters'.

    I refer you to the dictionary definition of 'Freedom fighter':

    freedom fighter
    –noun
    a fighter for freedom, esp. a person who battles against established forces of tyranny and dictatorship.
    [Origin: 1940–45]
    Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
    Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
    American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
    freedom fighter
    n. One engaged in armed rebellion or resistance against an oppressive government.


    The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
    Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
    Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
    WordNet - Cite This Source
    freedom fighter

    noun
    a person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority (especially in the hope of improving conditions) [syn: insurgent]
  • jlew24asu wrote:
    regardless, I mourn her loss and think she is a good american for expressing how she feels. while I dont agree, it's her right to do so.



    Bravo -
    "Sean Hannity knows there is no greater threat to America today than Bill Clinton 15 years ago"- Stephen Colbert
  • jlew24asu wrote:
    for calling terrorists Freedom Fighters


    Sort of like Reagan did in the 80's?
    "Sean Hannity knows there is no greater threat to America today than Bill Clinton 15 years ago"- Stephen Colbert
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    jlew24asu wrote:
    regardless, I mourn her loss and think she is a good american for expressing how she feels. while I dont agree, it's her right to do so.

    Fair point.
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    Sort of like Reagan did in the 80's?

    True. See 'Nicaragua'.
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Byrnzie wrote:
    I see nothing wrong with this comment. She's talking about people coming into Iraq to drive out the occupiers. If she had talked about those carrying out sectarian violence I'd have disagreed with her. Those people in Iraq who are solely interested in driving out the occupying forces are by definition 'freedom fighters'.

    I refer you to the dictionary definition of 'Freedom fighter':

    freedom fighter
    –noun
    a fighter for freedom, esp. a person who battles against established forces of tyranny and dictatorship.
    [Origin: 1940–45]
    Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
    Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
    American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source
    freedom fighter
    n. One engaged in armed rebellion or resistance against an oppressive government.


    The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
    Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
    Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
    WordNet - Cite This Source
    freedom fighter

    noun
    a person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority (especially in the hope of improving conditions) [syn: insurgent]
    I really dont give a fuck about some definition you found on the net. these foreign fighters are not interested in freedom. they are the people responsible for sectarian violence.

    sure they want the "occupiers" out of Iraq. but for what reason? to set up their own form of democracy that gives freedom to all? I dont think so.
  • ByrnzieByrnzie Posts: 21,037
    jlew24asu wrote:
    sure they want the "occupiers" out of Iraq. but for what reason? to set up their own form of democracy that gives freedom to all? I don't think so.

    What they decide to do once the occupiers leave is irrelevant. The above definition still stands. Because one persons idea of freedom isn't the same as someone else's doesn't mean it isn't their 'freedom'. Many would argue that the U.S isn't a free country and that you only have the pretense of a Democracy.
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    Byrnzie wrote:
    What they decide to do once the occupiers leave is irrelevant. The above definition still stands. Because one persons idea of freedom isn't the same as someone else's doesn't mean it isn't their 'freedom'. Many would argue that the U.S isn't a free country and that you only have the pretense of a Democracy.

    well they would be wrong. america is free. and if your definition of freedom fighters = those fighters not fighting for freedom, then I guess you can call them whatever you want.
  • RainDogRainDog Posts: 1,824
    Byrnzie wrote:
    True. See 'Nicaragua'.
    Why Nicaragua? Might as well be as direct as possible - see "Osama bin Laden."

    But it's O.K. when Reagan calls them freedom fighters. He's a right winger, after all.
  • RainDogRainDog Posts: 1,824
    jlew24asu wrote:
    well they would be wrong. america is free. and if your definition of freedom fighters = those fighters not fighting for freedom, then I guess you can call them whatever you want.
    You mean I can buy a doob from the local convenience store? Or a prostitute from my friendly neighborhood pimp?

    Or is it that "freedom" is just a word?
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    RainDog wrote:
    You mean I can buy a doob from the local convenience store? Or a prostitute from my friendly neighborhood pimp?

    Or is it that "freedom" is just a word?

    you cant be serious
  • even flow?even flow? Posts: 8,066
    It had to come to an end sooner or later. I could not imagine her camped out by the ranch even after Bush isn't president anymore and the years and years and years after that that the troops are still in Iraq.

    She made her statement and it has ran its course.
    You've changed your place in this world!
  • RainDogRainDog Posts: 1,824
    jlew24asu wrote:
    you cant be serious
    I can't? Damn, yet another freedom I've lost. Well, if I can't be serious, can I be solemn and sober? What about jovial?
  • my2handsmy2hands Posts: 17,117
    Kann wrote:
    I don't understand. What do people blame her for?


    they blame her for being stronger than they are...

    plus they are fuckign idiots that despise anyone that tells the truth about their precious little uncle sam
  • jlew24asujlew24asu Posts: 10,118
    RainDog wrote:
    I can't? Damn, yet another freedom I've lost. Well, if I can't be serious, can I be solemn and sober? What about jovial?
    when you stop acting like a 9 year old we can talk.

    but anyway, you think american isnt free? and you want to use the example of walking into a store and buying drugs? or fucking a hooker?
  • hailhailkchailhailkc Posts: 582
    It sounds like Rosie O'Donnel part deux is getting tired of the Democrats promising everything and delivering on nothing. People like Rosie O'Donnel part deux will never be convinced that any of our troops have died for anything other than a "facist corporate state". It makes you wonder how their sons and daughters even decide to go into the military. I'd like to know what cause or agenda Rosie O'Donnel part deux would consider worthy of dying for.
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