Cindy Sheehan: "My son joined the Army to protect America, not Israel."

Cc: skee...@ksc.th.com ; jwa...@cox.net ; h...@bfranklin.edu ; steppenwo...@msn.com ; Kurn...@netscape.net ; m...@loxinfo.co.th ; TQMN...@aol.com ; zpbr...@cox.net ; sharinpa...@hotmail.com ; v...@netium.com.br
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 10:41 AM
Subject: Re: Fw: Nightline Tonight Mon., March 14, 2005

That was my son's unit. He was killed on that day 04/04/04. Here is a letter that I wrote to NightLine about the broadcast:
Love

Imagine my distress when I turned Night Line on last night and I was confronted with the gory details of my son's murder in Sadr City, Baghdad, Iraq on 04/04/04. Imagine, also, my sorrow and rage at the side of the story that you presented to the American public.

I was on the Night Line Townhall Meeting in Washington, DC on 01/27/05. After I spoke (which I think was a fluke), Ted Koppel dismissed me as being "emotional." First of all, how can I approach this discussion without emotions, MY SON WAS KILLED, AND KILLED FOR LIES? Second of all, that show was not fair and balanced and I think the conclusion "Should we stay" was foregone.

The show last night was also not fair and balanced. To see all the wives being interviewed who had not lost their husbands and to hear what "hard work" it is to be left behind when their husbands are at war. How hard to you think it is to have a child killed in an illegal and immoral war? In this "wonderful" group of families left behind, we had exactly ONE of the wives call us..she is Diane Rose who was my son's Colonel, Frank Rose's wife. The last time we heard from Diane was in October and we feel we have been left behind by anyone connected to the 2-5 Cavalry. Is support only given if your loved one stays alive? One wife was quoted as saying that Sundays were the hardest for the families left behind. My son was killed on Palm Sunday last year..how does anybody think Sundays are for my family?

Am I emotional? Yes, my first born was murdered. Am I angry? Yes, he was killed for lies and for a PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel. My son joined the Army to protect America, not Israel. Am I stupid? No, I know full-well that my son, my family, this nation, and this world were betrayed by a George Bush who was influenced by the neo-con PNAC agenda after 9/11. We were told that we were attacked on 9/11 because the terrorists hate our freedoms and democracy...not for the real reason, becuase the Arab-Muslims who attacked us hate our middle-eastern foreign policy. That hasn't changed since America invaded and occupied Iraq...in fact it has gotten worse.

It would be so amazing if your show would put me, or another parent who lost their child on who disagrees with the war and this administration: to have just an entire show..without presenting the false side of the debate. That would take a lot of courage and integrity. I hope your program will exhibit these qualities.

I also think that Mr. Koppel owes me an apology for the rude way I was treated on his show. After I expressed myself about the war being based on lies and that the troops should be brought home immediately because the war was based on lies, I was not thanked for my comments, or my son's sacrifice. He just said to keep the discussion away from emotions. Then, the wife of a soldier who was killed was allowed to speak and she praised the policies of this deplorable and despicable administration, and she was thanked and praised by the panel.

Just found this using Hadi Jawad in a search engine.

Radical Encuentro

2002 encuentro event: at Wolf Farm, owned by John L. Wolf, aka "Johnny Wolf", a set designer, Quaker, and co-founder with Hadi Jawad (see below) of the Coalition in Solidarity with the People of Iraq. Wolf's wife Vicki is a yoga instructor in Dallas.

Description: Radical training camp organization putting on occasional events using all-volunteer labor with activities located on private property, then proceeding to perform at orchestrated protest demonstrations in urban areas.

May 2002 session program, from their website:

Themes include past & present struggles, future issues, and hands on training for taking action to make change happen. Each workshop will be 2 hours long.

Past & Present Struggles

Women in the Zapatista Struggle (Melissa, Monkeywrench Collective)

Animal Rights & Ecology (Dr. Steve Best, Associate Professor of Humanities and Philosophy, University of Texas El Paso)

Women in the Black Panther Movement (Althea Francois, former leader in New Orleans chapter of the Black Panther Party, later key member of Central Committee in Oakland, CA)

Exposing Corporate Greed (David Cobb, Texas Green Party; P.O.C.L.A.D., former corporate lawyer)

Indigenous Rights (Nelly Ramirez, La Raza Unida; Reuben, Mexika Eagle Society)

Political Prisoners (Chris Plummer, recently released Anarchist political prisoner; Reckless, Austin Anarchist Black Cross; chickpea)

Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement (Gloria Rubac and Njeri Shakur)

Iraq: the sanctions & oil (Hadi Jawad, secretary of the American Muslim Alliance; Coalition in Solidarity with the People of Iraq)

ExxonMobil teach-in (impacted community representatives, PressurePoint, GreenPeace, Human Rights Campaign, and more)

Non-Violence: History and Tactics (Lisa Fithian)

Future Issues Anti-oppression and anti-racism (Cathy Berry, Satya, Ruckus Society)

Media Activism (Tish Stringer, Houston Indymedia Center)

Green Party: Keeping it Radical & Diversifying (Karla Aguilar & Joleen Garcia, Campus Greens)

Anarchist Movement Building (Ernesto Aguilar, Houston ABC)

Indigenous Rights (panel discussion: Tristan, American Indian Movement Houston chapter and more)

Vision and how we might get there (Anne Tagonist, Khalil)

Hands on Training Basic Climbing (Tracy Hayes, Texas Drug Policy Reform Movement; Cesar Maxit, UPROAR; Satya, Ruckus Society)

Conflict Resolution (Theresa, Austin Copwatch)

Consensus-based Decision Making/Facilitation (TBA)

Media Training (TBA)

Art & Puppets (Cesar Maxit, Uproar; Gabriel Delgado, Houston Art Car Museum; Rhizome Collective)

Silk-Screening T-shirts (Chicano/a)

Permaculture/Sustainable Revolution (Skotty & Vicki, Rhyzome Collective)

Direct Action (Cathie Berrey, Satya, Ruckus Society)

These topics are subject to change as planning for the camp continues.

Our invited keynote speakers are: Dr. Rania Masri with Peace Action and Southern Exposure speaking on "Middle East: womens' struggles, militariziation, and oil" and Susanna Almanza with PODER (People Organized in Defense of Earths Resources / Pueblo Organizado en Defensa de la Tierra y sus Recursos) speaking on "corporate power vs. people in low income neighborhoods."

Some of the groups we have contacted to facilitate workshops, participate or speak so far are: North Texas Independent Media Center, POCLAD, UPROAR, Chicano/a, Campus Greens, Houston Anarchist Black Cross (ABC), Dallas ABC, Austin ABC, Coalition to Free the Angola 3,PODER, Rhyzome Collective, I.W.W., Biosquat, Houston American Indian Movement, African United Front, Mexia Eagle Society, Human Rights Campaign, Dallas Gay Lesbian Alliance, Monkeywrench collective, Pressure Point, Ruckus Society, Human Rights Campaign, former members of the Black Panther Party, Peace Action.

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