Posted on 08/17/2005 1:56:34 PM PDT by Kaslin
Natalie Healy made a decision this summer after losing her son in war-torn Afghanistan.
"I can't go to those mountains and climb them and I can't shoot a gun," she said. "But I can do everything I can to make sure we stay the course, and if that means speaking out, then that's what I want to do."
Less than two months after the death of her son, Navy SEAL Senior Chief Petty Officer Daniel Healy, the Exeter mother and small business owner is following through on her word.
Healy is making her feelings known in response to the nation's interest in a California mother who has camped outside President Bush's Texas ranch to protest the war in Iraq. Cindy Sheehan's 24-year-old son was killed in Iraq last year.
Healy said she initially sympathized with the grief-stricken mom. Now, however, as Sheehan's message continues to fill the airwaves, Healy said she fears a backlash against the war on terrorism.
"It's sort of like a tidal wave," Healy said. "And it's gaining and gaining and gaining. And I'm not sure what will stop it, to tell you the truth.
"My big concern is that the enemy will use Cindy Sheehan to their benefit. They will point to her and say, 'See? See how this American is calling the President a murderer? See how they're going to start weakening from within?'"
Healy said she was booked to speak on MSNBC's "Hardball" with Chris Matthews last night. The interview got bumped just a few hours before the show, she said.
But Healy said spreading her voice to support the war effort is her "new mission in life."
"I'm hoping, by having another mother who's lost a son speaking out loudly and strongly, that the troops will hear it and be heartened by it," she said. "Because we all know how they're always shocked when they get home and they find out what has been reported."
Several national polls show that a majority of Americans now consider the decision to invade Iraq a mistake. Healy herself said she initially had doubts about the war. She is now convinced the United States cannot leave Iraq just yet.
"The fact of the matter is, at this stage in the game, we're over there," she said. "We have to complete the mission."
Healy said she doubted Sheehan's son, Casey, would support his mother's mission.
Rather, she said, "I think my son would be happy that I was trying to remind people that we have to stay the course. We have to, without a doubt. And I know he'd be saying, 'OK, mom. Good. Good, mom.'"
Healy recognized the public's opinion of the Iraqi conflict is not the same as its opinion of the war in Afghanistan, where her son died June 28. Daniel Healy, a 36-year-old father of four, was one of 16 soldiers killed when insurgents shot down their helicopter.
But Healy said the two conflicts are part of the same war on terrorism, and it's a war the U.S. must continue to fight.
"I think fighting for freedom in Iraq and fighting for freedom in Afghanistan is one and the same," she said.
Healy is hopeful that the public will hear both sides in the debate over pulling U.S. troops from Iraq. It would be harmful, she said, if Sheehan's voice carried the day.
"I just don't want it to be the only story," Healy said. "I want the other voices to be heard so that the young men that fought with my son — that were broken-hearted from all their buddies getting killed — will know somebody else is speaking out for them. And maybe they won't be heard as much as Cindy Sheehan, but there's somebody trying, anyway."
Classy lady. Sadly you're quite right. It's apparent that moronic tool of the leftists on display at Crawford TX is far more newsworthy in the MSM than this noble woman.
God bless her. And God save us.
Funny, but so far they've kinda ignored her.
Why, if you didn't know any better, you'd swear that the Legacy Media had an agenda!
BTTT
Or the "right" apparently. This thread is a day and a half old and there are 83 posts. The "other woman's" thread had that many with in a couple minutes.
God Bless this honorable Mother and her family!
That's us folks! WE are the 'silent majority'. And we're the ones who are going to have to step up and start making more noise than these terrorist sympathizers.
The majority must not be silent!
The majority must not be silent!
======
Those of us who lived through this same sick scenario during the Vietnam era vowed "Never Again". I, for one, will not be silent! God bless our troops and their families. We owe them the same dedication they are giving to us.
Amen! It's time for us to get in their faces, and not allow them the comfort of no opposition.
The most powerful tool we have now-a-days s the internet. Thanks to blogs like the FR (major suckup)we can immedialty counter any leftist BS as well provide each other with information and support. Thanks to fellow FReepers and Protest Warriors we are having impact.
Thank you for your service and your excellent, spot on comments.
If you have not seen these, please take a look. See post #49 in the first link.
The write up of the second link provides a link to the comPOST article. We were not silent!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1465566/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1466447/posts
I had the priveledge of attending my first Freep in Harrisburg, PA with 'AGreatPer'. It was 2 of us against 50 anti-Bush scumbags.
We both got on the local 11 O'Clock news, along with one of theirs (her voice was whiney).
We are the majority, and we aren't going to remain silent.
Our soldiers and our nation are counting on us!
Yes and that is wonderful. However,
WE NEED BOOTS ON THE GROUND!!!
The commies are ginning up their efforts. Read some of the comments in the articles.
They are demanding we abandon the Iraqis (sound familiar?) and bring the troops home NOW.
Those of us from the Viet Nam era understand that
WE MUST NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN!!!
Please, please, search FR and look for those from your area and make every attempt to come to DC on Sept. 24th to counter the despicable commies as the lay siege to our nations Capital.
If you have questions or ideas on getting yourself and others to DC September 24th, feel free to contact me. I am aware of a meeting in SC as I type, brainstorming for this effort. There are those in NC, OH, PA and NJ that are planning on attending. These are just the ones I know off the top of my head. Thank you for listening/reading.
Woohoo - good on you!!!
It was 2 of us against 50 anti-Bush scumbags.
That's okay, that was close to the odds of the DC Chapter when they began countering the code-pink-o's at Walter Reed. We now outnumber them every week, sometimes by 4 to 1.
Keep up the good work!
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