Posted on 08/16/2005 3:38:24 PM PDT by QQQQQ
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - Antiwar protester Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, is moving her camp closer to President George W. Bush's Texas ranch.
The piece of private property was offered by a relative of a man who had a fired shotgun in frustration over the protests, a source in the Sheehan camp said. The property owner is also a veteran.
"A neighbour of President Bush's has offered us his land," the source said. "It's got plenty of acreage for us, it's private land, we would have legal permission to be on it, it's much closer to the ranch -- in fact it's across the street from his (Bush's) church."
"We have taken him up on his offer," the source added.
Sheehan was not immediately available for comment.
Sheehan was expected to begin moving as early as Wednesday morning.
She is in the 10th day of her vigil on Prairie Chapel Road, which leads to Bush's 1,600-acre (647.5-hectare) ranch. She calls her site "Camp Casey," after her 24-year-old son who was killed in combat in Iraq.
According to the source, the land offered to Sheehan is owned by Fred Mattlage, who is a distant cousin of Larry Mattlage, a man who fired a shotgun over the weekend in frustration over the commotion caused by the vigil.
The source said Fred Mattlage made the offer saying "I'm a veteran, I support what you all are doing and I want to offer you my land."
Sheehan, of Vacaville, California, has demanded a meeting with Bush at which she said she wants to call for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq.
While Bush has expressed sympathy for Sheehan's grief, the White House has declined a meeting. Sheehan previously met with Bush in 2004 but wants to talk to him face-to-face again.
Sheehan's vigil has attracted anti-war activists from across the United States -- many of them also relatives of soldiers killed in Iraq -- who arrived to offer support, share a hug with Sheehan and join in her daily media events.
But in this quiet farming town of just over 700 people, many residents have found the activity disruptive.
In the latest sign of tension, a man in a pickup trunk on Monday night ran over crosses at Sheehan's campsite.
Some 800 white wooden crosses, bearing the names of soldiers killed in Iraq have lined the road near the area where Sheehan has pitched a tent. Witnesses said they saw a lorry dragging a pipe and chains drive over some of the crosses.
Larry Northern, 46, of nearby Waco, Texas, was arrested and charged with criminal mischief in connection with the incident.
Earlier on Tuesday, a group of residents showed up at a hearing of county officials to complain about the traffic caused by activists and reporters who shuttle back and forth to the camp site.
They brought a petition seeking to ban parking and camping along Prairie Chapel Road.
Displayed in front of one resident's house was a big sign that read, "We support our commander-in-chief."
No, I mean "it" is gone already? Didn't take long. I like it better when we can play with them a bit first.
Probably just another supporter of "Camp Crazy".....
OK, we all know you're gone by now, but I'll answer anyway. WE'RE all moms and Iraq War Vets & such, too. I'm the latter, not the former.
Me too....But I figured this one would go quick..
Not only the post is gone, but so is the poster, and good riddence.
Nothing wrong with some dissent until they start calling us "morons" in the first post. I guess subtlety wasn't their strong point.
If you want to Freep mail it to me so that we don't totally invade his privacy.
We in Texas want her out of our state!!!
Oh absolutely! I grew up in Waco so I still have contacts there.....
"If the people of Crawford had the cojones, they could make life very miserable for these nut cases."
...or just milk them for every cent they've got.
The mainstream folks who are questioning why we are in Iraq are the folks who go to the gas pump every few days and look at the price for a gallon of gasofuel. Then they wonder, why are we in Iraq if we don't have enough oil to keep gas prices down. And, yes, that would make the war in Iraq a war for oil. That is just the logic of folks whose pocketbooks are being squeezed tighter and tighter. And it's not just gas prices that are rising!!!!!!!!!
Who controls the price of oil????????
That is sad and troubling. Hope the MSM doesn't exploit it.
Well, John F. Kerry is a vet too, he was in Vietnam, doncha know?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1464692/posts#comment?q=1
OAKDALE, Minn. - Former FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley, along with a state senator whose son died in Iraq, are headed to Texas this week to join a growing anti-war demonstration near President Bush's ranch
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.