Posted on 08/08/2005 1:32:42 PM PDT by WillMalven
Cindy Sheehan, mother of killed soldier Casey Sheehan and outspoken critic of President Bush, is camped outside the Crawford, Texas ranch of President George Bush. She arrived there at the head of a caravan of fellow protestors and press, in a bus painted red, white and blue and emblazoned with the words, "Impeachment Tour." Sheehan, from Vacaville, Calif., had been attending a Veterans for Peace convention in Dallas.
What happened to Cindy Sheehan to cause her to be so hateful in her speeches and writings? How did a grieving mother become a militant “Impeach Bush” campaigner? Is it a stand she came to on her own born out of her grief, or is it possible that some on the Left, who have a very well established long term agenda against the Republicans and President Bush, are using her grief as a tool for their own political ends? In an earlier editorial, I was very critical of Cindy Sheehan for her campaign of hate against the President and his Cabinet. I accused her of being an anti-Bush activist before her son was killed in a heroic attempt to rescue some of his fellow soldiers in Sadr-City on April 4th, 2004. It turns out that I may have been wrong on this point and if I was, I am sorry. I don’t like to mislead or misinform my readers and I don’t enjoy denigrating innocent individuals.
In an interview with AntiChimp.com, posted on the 7th of July this year, she was asked if she was politically active prior to her sons deployment to Iraq. Her response was:
“No. I still don't consider myself politically active. I don't consider peace a political issue...”
At some point (apparently around July of 2004) she became affiliated with Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) a vocal anti-war, anti-Bush organization begun in November of 2002. Again from AntiChimp:
”Were you referred to MFSO by someone, or did you find them on the Internet? CS: A friend of mine, Bill Mitchell, whose son Mike was killed in the same ambush as Casey, found them on the internet.”
What is interesting about this revelation is that sometime around that period, Cindy Sheehan and her daughters changed their tune about the meeting that the families of the fallen heroes had with President Bush.
In June of 2004, in an interview with David Henson of the Vacaville Reporter, Cindy discussed the meeting saying the following:
“...Pat [her husband] noted that Bush wasn't stumping for votes or trying to gain a political edge for the upcoming election "We have a lot of respect for the office of the president, and I have a new respect for him because he was sincere and he didn't have to take the time to meet with us." Sincerity was something Cindy had hoped to find in the meeting. Shortly after Casey died, Bush sent the family a form letter expressing his condolences, and Cindy said she felt it was an impersonal gesture. "I now know he's sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis," Cindy said after their meeting. "I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of faith." The meeting didn't last long, but in their time with Bush,Cindy spoke about Casey and asked the president to make her son's sacrifice count for something. They also spoke of their faith... For a moment, life returned to the way it was before Casey died. They laughed, joked and bickered playfully as they briefly toured Seattle. For the first time in 11 weeks, they felt whole again. "That was the gift the president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being together," Cindy said.”Roughly one year later, having been exposed to the Bush haters of the extreme left, she described the same meeting in a telephone interview with Greg Szymanski (of the Artic Sun) as follows:
“...arrogant man with eyes lacking the slightest bit of compassion, a President totally "detached from humanity" and a man who didn’t even bother to remember her son’s name when they were first introduced. Instead of a kind gesture or a warm handshake, Sheehan said she immediately got a taste of Bush arrogance when he entered the room and "in a condescending tone and with a disgusting loud Texas accent," said: "Who we’all honorin’ here today?" "His mouth kept moving, but there was nothing in his eyes or anything else about him that showed me he really cared or had any real compassion at all. This is a human being totally disconnected from humanity and reality. His eyes were empty, hollow shells and he was acting like I should be proud to just be in his presence when it was my son who died for his illegal war! It was one of the most disgusting experiences I ever had and it took me almost a year to even talk about it," said Sheehan in a telephone conversation from Washington D.C. where she was attending a July 4th anti-war rally.”Now am I imagining something or is this a truly bizarre turn around? The two descriptions read not only like two different meetings, but with two different people. The only explanation I can find is that she has been seized upon by those on the extreme Left who wish to destroy President Bush. Cindy has rationalized this change of attitude by saying that at first she was grieving and she later became angry. This answer doesn’t wash for me. This is not just “getting angry,” this is a completely revised description of the meeting. It is a complete disconnect which is much more reminiscent of someone under the influence of really rabid Bush haters. The Left is using Cindy Sheehan in the same manner that she has been using her son’s death.
This is standard fare for the Left. They don’t want Ms. Sheehan grieving and healing, they want her to continue to suffer by channeling her grief into anger and hatred. They see in Cindy a tool which they can use to beat up on President Bush and his administration. They don’t care anymore for her welfare than they do for that of the troops in Iraq. We witnessed this same phenomenon during the 2004 Presidential Election when the MSM and their Democrat Party maintained a “death watch” by counting up the death toll of our troops with a growing excitement as the count approached 1000 souls. It was a sick and ghoulish process led by the MSM and recited with glee by Democrats in Congress and Democrat candidates during the election. It was a disgusting indulgence by animals who lack even the decency to respect the grief of the families of our dead troops.
So, now we have Ms. Sheehan camped out at the President’s Ranch spouting her hateful vitriol to the glee of the MSM and the Democrat party. Her husband has left her because he disagrees with what she is doing. She is a pitiful figure out there in the heat in Crawford waiting for a meeting she knows will never occur for the entertainment and purposes of the MSM and Liberals. She has sacrificed her marriage for her campaign of hate. She has been seduced by the Moores, the Conyers, the Boxers, and the Pelosis. They are working on her anger to keep her from healing. It is a sad, sad situation.
Now don’t get me wrong, I blame her as well. She is an adult and is therefore responsible for her actions. Her family should be intervening and helping her get over her loss, but the Left have managed to estrange her from those who could help her most. The depth of her hatred and anger leads her to make outrageous statements and in the process, she is dishonoring her son. She has stated that he died for nothing, something with which he would disagree, and basically did before he left on his deployment. Her remaining son is now toying with the idea of following in his brother’s footsteps and joining the service. In her interview with AntiChimp, she said that she blamed herself most for her son’s death, because she “didn’t teach him not to die for this country.” What a sad legacy to leave for her son.
Once again we are granted a look into the black heart of the Liberal movement in America. Their drive for the domination of and victory in America leads them to acts which are hateful to America and its people. We once again see why they must never be allowed to regain the reigns of power. To do so would be a disaster.
Grief is the agony of an instant, the indulgence of grief the blunder of a life. --Benjamin Disraeli
Not a vanity...its the truth.
Her grief is being used by the left. We can only hope she wakes up from this idiocy before its too late.
I also had not heard that her other son is considering signing up. She has gone from a grieving mother to an embarrassment to her family.
Dear Cindy,
You didn't kill your son or cause him to die any more than President Bush did.
Evil people with unthinkable intentions did that.
Those sick bastards. So they have not only destroyed her but also destroyed what's left of her family. This is going to blow up on them big time.
I think we all know (and have in our own families) people who GRAVITATE toward the limelight. These people need to feel the spotlight all the time...they live for their own glory, no matter what they have to say or do to get it. It seems to me that Cindy Sheehan is one of these types.
Just my opinion.
Buzz word alert. This is leftist code. It says we are not polticial and anyone who opposes us is eveil. It was used during the Vietnam war by the left who said, "This isn't about politics, it's about human life." Michael Medved was liberal back then and that's what he was told to say by liberals whenever he went to speak at a school or something.
Perhaps Cindy is having a hard time getting past #2 (a lot of people do) and the Leftists are taking advantage of her. Disgusting!
- Denial
"this can't be happening to me", looking for the former spouse in familiar places, or if it is death, setting the table for the person or acting as if they are still in living there. No crying. Not accepting or even acknowledging the loss.- Anger
"why me?", feelings of wanting to fight back or get even with spouse of divorce, for death, anger at the deceased, blaming them for leaving.- Bargaining
bargaining often takes place before the loss. Attempting to make deals with the spouse who is leaving, or attempting to make deals with God to stop or change the loss. Begging, wishing, praying for them to come back.- Depression
overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, frustration, bitterness, self pity, mourning loss of person as well as the hopes, dreams and plans for the future. Feeling lack of control, feeling numb. Perhaps feeling suicidal.- Acceptance
there is a difference between resignation and acceptance. You have to accept the loss, not just try to bear it quietly. Realization that it takes two to make or break a marriage. Realization that the person is gone (in death) that it is not their fault, they didn't leave you on purpose. (even in cases of suicide, often the deceased person, was not in their right frame of mind). Finding the good that can come out of the pain of loss, finding comfort and healing. Our goals turn toward personal growth. Stay with fond memories of the person.
Nicely written
NFP
Outstanding followup piece!
A good time for a new tag line (and it does just fit!).
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