Posted on 08/18/2005 8:52:41 AM PDT by bobsunshine
The continued focus by the nation's media on Cindy Sheehan, the so-called "Peace Mom" who's demanding a second meeting with President Bush in the wake of her son's death, is sparking a backlash from parents of other American servicemen and women in Iraq.
One Texas family of a fallen Marine became so enraged with Sheehan's use of their son's name on a protest cross, they drove from the town of Spicewood to Crawford to remove it.
"I went there and had Matthew's name taken off of there," said Matt Matula, whose son, a 20-year-old Marine, was killed by hostile fire last year. "It's fine for people to grieve their own way. It aggravates me to see them using other people's names to further their cause."
"He's not a victim, he's a hero," he told KXAN-TV, "and I think that everybody that's serving our country [are] heroes."
Cpl. Matthew Matula, whose wife, Julie, was pregnant when he was killed in action, had planned on bringing his wife and baby back from his base in Southern California to Texas to get a ranch and build a house.
He earned a host of decorations, including the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Operation Iraqi Freedom Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon. His younger brother youngest son just recently joined the military and is also heading to Iraq.
"Matthew was very proud of being a Marine and proud of his unit and what they were doing," his mother, Toni, said.
Her feelings are echoed by another war mom, Debbie from Indianapolis, who called radio host Rush Limbaugh today to say her own son was wounded in Iraq when his vehicle ran over a land mine twice in one day, and he's now serving his second tour of duty.
"I would never dishonor his actions by doing what this woman is doing," she tearfully said, referring to Cindy Sheehan. "What she's doing is not only dishonoring her son, she's dishonoring mine. ... [Casey Sheehan] didn't die for nothing, he died in the United States Armed Forces.There's nothing more honorable than that. These kids volunteered, they were not yanked from their cradle by an evil government to send them someplace they didn't want to go ... My son knew what was in store for him, and my son stepped up to the plate."
Lee Miller, who has a long list of family members in the service, wrote the China Daily newspaper to blast Mrs. Sheehan, while at the same time heaping praise on her son, Casey.
"He is a better person then you will ever be. So go home and honor his name instead of dragging it in the dirt. Make a difference instead of trying to be in the limelight. You're making an a-- out of yourself. I know your pain. I have been down that path – it hurts, but don't blame someone for a choice a person makes when it doesn't work out. Build a bridge and get over it. Your son was proud of what he did, so be proud of him."
The backlash has led to the creation of the "You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy" tour, a caravan of military family members who plan to converge on Crawford for a rally Aug. 27.
The event is being promoted by MoveAmericaForward, and is led by Deborah Johns of Northern California Marine Moms, whose son, William, is a Marine serving in Iraq.
"I am deeply sorry for Ms. Sheehan's loss; however, Ms. Sheehan's actions are only causing pain to those of us who have loved ones serving in the war against terrorism," Johns said. "We understand the need to fight the terrorists overseas rather than face attack here at home. We understand that it was the terrorists led by al-Qaida in Iraq who are responsible for the deaths of U.S. service members, including Casey Sheehan."
Johns is now starring in a new television commercial she produced.
"William is helping to bring about freedom, and people are realizing that freedom is a gift," she says in the spot. "He supports what we're doing over there."
The backlash is not going unnoticed by Cindy Sheehan.
"The right wingers are e-mailing me and spewing filth about me on the radio and on the television saying that I am dishonoring my son's memory," she writes. "The right wingers are really having a field day with me. It hurts me really badly, but I am willing to put up with the cr--, if it ends the war a minute sooner than it would have."
She's also disputes allegations her anti-war protest is all about her.
"I was just the spark the universe chose for some reason to spark this off, because, like I said, the movement was already there."
As WorldNetDaily previously reported, Sheehan met with President Bush in June of last year, and even posted a photo of herself being kissed by the commander in chief on her website designed to honor her son. The photos of Bush have since been surgically removed from the site.
This is not the only woman to lose a child in war. She is being made a tool and a puppet of the anti-war left and the MSM.
I have no doubt that she is grieving the loss of her son. But all of the other mothers who have suffered the same loss are not interviewed daily and rallied around in this fashion. Why, because they support the war, they support this President, and honor their child's sacrifice.
Someone needs to come and drag this pathetic needy woman back to her home so she can be cared for by what is left of her family! She is a public nuisance and a disgrace to our country! She has caused a rift in her family that will no doubt never be healed. God bless her son for being a hero in spite of her craziness.
Yes, there is a God.
Ten years from now, the most memorable thing about Excess Cindy Shee-Haw will be her potty-mouth.
Ummmm...problem; Order of protection filed when divorce was filed... so she went camping in Crawford, followed by camping in D.C. I guess.
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
I'm tired of Crazy Cindy demeaning her own son's memory for her narrow little agenda.
Yet another story that somehow won't be seen on the Today Show or the Nightly News (because it doesn't fit the template)...
When they realize she has been on Al Jazeera several times and it's killing morale...pumping terrorists up, hence more guys may get killed over her rant.
Roger that ~ Cindy is a dunce and dupe!
This woman was front page news here in the local Seattle papers today. Plastered across the headlines about the Anti-War Mom and hundreds coming to her crusade. Any garbage for garbage nothing newspapers of Sodom on the Sound.
The right-wingers are having a field day... .
The left-wingers are having a feeding frenzy, and their food is Cindy Sheehan.
Cindy's rhetoric is bolstering the terrorists. So, she is really prolonging the war, NOT ending it.
All she is going to do is create more grieving family members of soldiers killed by IEDs and other terrorist tactics.
You guys should hear Begala trying to take up for Sheehan.
Rush Limbaugh
www.wabcradio.com
She does not realize how her conduct gives hope to the terrorists!
Same with the New Jersey papers. About 70 NJ people had a candlelight vigil last night to show their solidarity with her. It was all over the local news. Not a word, however, about the Able Danger revelations.
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