Posted on 08/22/2005 8:50:40 PM PDT by tgslTakoma
VACAVILLE, Calif. - A caravan proclaiming support for U.S. troops began a tour through California on Monday, stopping in the hometown of Cindy Sheehan, the anti-war mother who gained national prominence during a vigil outside President Bush's Texas ranch.
Conservative activists and military families embarked on the tour they call "You don't speak for me, Cindy!" They planned rallies in several California cities before heading to Crawford, Texas.
About 30 Bush supporters staged a rally outside the offices of the Vacaville Reporter newspaper.
"It's time to lay down the anger. We need to continue to uphold those people over there, to uphold those men and women with their boots on the ground," said Deborah Johns of the Northern California Marine Moms, who helped organize the caravan, which is sponsored by Move America Forward, a Bay Area-based group.
Sheehan began a protest vigil Aug. 6 on the road leading to Bush's ranch, an act that has encouraged anti-war activists to join her and prompted peace vigils throughout the country. Sheehan's 24-year-old son, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, was killed last year in Iraq.
A verbal confrontation erupted when the caravan arrived in Sacramento and was met by anti-war protesters chanting "Bring them home."
Sheehan supporter Dan Elliott, 71, confronted caravan members by waving a sign reading "Death is not support" and heckling Johns as she addressed the crowd.
"You are ruining the morale over there," responded Greg Parkinson, a Bush supporter.
Some caravan members called the anti-war protesters communists and said they were "aiding and abetting the enemy." Those comments enraged Sheehan supporter Dee Ann Heath, who said she has two sons serving in Iraq and another preparing to leave.
"I don't support the war, but I support my sons," she said. "I simply want them to come home."
In Vacaville, Toni Colip, 50, said her son, David, went to high school with Casey Sheehan and is now in the Marines, although not in Iraq. She said her son opposes Sheehan's activities and has asked her to support his military service even if he is injured or killed.
"He said, 'Don't dishonor me, don't walk on my grave,'" Colip said.
The pro-Bush caravan plans to join fellow supporters who have set up their own camp in downtown Crawford as a reaction to the Sheehan-inspired vigil. Bush was in Salt Lake City on Monday, where he spoke to a national veterans group to rally support for the war.
Sheehan vowed to remain in Texas until Bush agreed to meet with her or until his monthlong vacation ended Sept. 3, but she flew to Los Angeles last week after her 74-year-old mother had a stroke. She is expected to return to Texas in a few days.
Several of those in the caravan said they understood Sheehan's anger but disagreed with her protest.
"This is not the way to honor her son," said Lori Judy, 49, of Vacaville, whose son, Tim, served in Iraq.
August 22, 2005 11:01 PM
Thanks. You know you have done the right thing when you tick off a liberal:)
Kind of a badge of honor, isn't it?
Have you seen the thread that Zac's Mom put up???
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1468649/posts
Have you gone to the press with that? Have other families received these as well?
Could you start with the Tony Snow thread?
I think it is an important story.
I'm sure the caravan IS driving them nuts!
Makes me wonder tho, just what the left is so deathly afraid of.
YES! By FAR!!! This one (Casey's mother) just got the most press...but if things progress as they are, with the caravan, etc., I PRAY that the tide is going to change.
I'm NOT going to let the 60's junk happen again if I can do anything about it!!!
Try the new Mark Levin live radio show thread too, starts 6pm eastern.
We are waiting to see if anything else shows up. The street address carries the same error on both. Hard to believe that some yahoo would actually take the time to sit down and write albeit not well in this instance.
I have a son in Japan. He says he can not open any political sites on base (including FR) and doesn't have internet at home. We were talking about Crawford and he got really agitated and wanted to know why I was there and was thinking I was with the ditch people. He had no idea about the other side of the story. It really makes me mad that they only see the bad stuff on the news and have to depend on family to let them know that real America supports her troops.
Same here. This was nothing but cheap intimidation tactics. People learned the last time so these tactics will ultimately backfire.
I would never have thought that would happen on a military base.....over sea's to boot!
Boy oh boy....let's all work our patooties off so it doesn't happen again.
What a bunch of used up, wasted people out there....it's sad, really.
You are very modest and calm armymarinemom. You and your family are in our prayers.
Mr. Snow and Mr. Levin;
I apologize for the unsolicited ping, but I just wanted to alert you to the mail armymarinemom received after speaking out.
Thanks.
That's what he told me. He knew who Cindy Sheehan was though.
Don't just write to FOX, send it to Roger Ailes and to Brit Hume.
Where in South Carolina?
Hope he's not upset because you have the same first name.
lol
Took me a second to catch that. I'm not too happy about it myself. It's my dogs name and she's very special and deserves better.
Can somebody explain something to me; how can a woman have THREE SONS in the military and NOT support the war and/or the troops?
Is there a mother here who could not STOP at least one of her sons from joining the military if she put her mind to it?
What am I missing here?
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