On Cindy Sheehan
This brought tears to my eyes when I read it.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/25/6930/43671
This was written by grieving mother Cindy Sheehan, who has helped wake up an entire nation and touched off an anti-war movement with her vigil outside George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. I read a lot of news in my job, and I've read a lot of negative things about Cindy Sheehan. Right-wingers have called her every name in the book, she's even touched off a counter-protest movement called "Move America Forward" or something like that.
Many have accused her of being self-serving, opportunistic, crazy and dishonest. Right-wing windbag Rush Limbaugh had this to say: "Her story is nothing more than forged documents. There's nothing about it that's real, including the mainstream media's glomming on to it. It's not real." And then there's another illustrious right-wing windbag, Bill O'Reilly: "Cindy Sheehan has become a political player whose primary concern is embarrassing the President."
In my mind, the opinions of a prescription drug abuser (Limbaugh) and a sexual harasser (O'Reilly) have no relevance to this issue. Neither do the opinons of radical left-wingers and anarchists who have seized on Sheehan's protest to serve their own political agendas. This is about a mother who has experienced a profound loss and her desire to understand it -- and the fact that there are 1,800 other mothers out there who are trying to fill the same hole in their hearts. You can disagree with her viewpoint, but to disparage her character is just wrong, and it makes me very upset. There are other mothers who have lost sons in the war and disagree with Sheehan's view -- they think the war was just and good and their sons died for an honorable cause. And to them I say ... nothing. They're experiencing a grief that I can only imagine and I will not argue about the war with them or tell them to shut up or attack their character. To do so would be wrong. If only Sheehan's opponents could extend the same courtesy to her.
Do you think it is right to attack the character of a woman who wrote this about her son and is clearly still grieving his loss?
I will not take part in any bashing of any mother, daughter, sister, brother, wife, etc. of a soldier who paid the ultimate price in the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq. Regardless of whether I agree or disagree with their views, I do not have a personal stake in either conflict because I don't know anyone in the military. I will let them grieve in peace.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/25/6930/43671
This was written by grieving mother Cindy Sheehan, who has helped wake up an entire nation and touched off an anti-war movement with her vigil outside George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. I read a lot of news in my job, and I've read a lot of negative things about Cindy Sheehan. Right-wingers have called her every name in the book, she's even touched off a counter-protest movement called "Move America Forward" or something like that.
Many have accused her of being self-serving, opportunistic, crazy and dishonest. Right-wing windbag Rush Limbaugh had this to say: "Her story is nothing more than forged documents. There's nothing about it that's real, including the mainstream media's glomming on to it. It's not real." And then there's another illustrious right-wing windbag, Bill O'Reilly: "Cindy Sheehan has become a political player whose primary concern is embarrassing the President."
In my mind, the opinions of a prescription drug abuser (Limbaugh) and a sexual harasser (O'Reilly) have no relevance to this issue. Neither do the opinons of radical left-wingers and anarchists who have seized on Sheehan's protest to serve their own political agendas. This is about a mother who has experienced a profound loss and her desire to understand it -- and the fact that there are 1,800 other mothers out there who are trying to fill the same hole in their hearts. You can disagree with her viewpoint, but to disparage her character is just wrong, and it makes me very upset. There are other mothers who have lost sons in the war and disagree with Sheehan's view -- they think the war was just and good and their sons died for an honorable cause. And to them I say ... nothing. They're experiencing a grief that I can only imagine and I will not argue about the war with them or tell them to shut up or attack their character. To do so would be wrong. If only Sheehan's opponents could extend the same courtesy to her.
Do you think it is right to attack the character of a woman who wrote this about her son and is clearly still grieving his loss?
"Joan sang the song Joe Hill In it Joe Hill says: 'I never died.' Well, looking out at the faces here at Camp Casey, and knowing that for everyone who is present here, there are thousands of others who support our work, I am convinced that Casey never died, and he never will. When I look into the eyes of the kind and gentle souls who have come here, I see Casey and the faces of all the others killed in George Bush's war for greed and profit. We will never forget them and we will honor them by working for peace. Joan also sang Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.... 'A thousand angels waiting there for me....' I know Casey will be waiting for me when it is my turn, and I know when I finally get there he's going to hug me and say: 'Good job, Mom.'"
I will not take part in any bashing of any mother, daughter, sister, brother, wife, etc. of a soldier who paid the ultimate price in the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq. Regardless of whether I agree or disagree with their views, I do not have a personal stake in either conflict because I don't know anyone in the military. I will let them grieve in peace.
posted by Melissa @ 11:17 AM
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