Posted on 04/24/2006 9:23:42 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Cindy Sheehan said that before her son was killed in Iraq, she didn't buy into the idea that one person could make a difference. Now, she does.
Young people should resist the American military war machine and instead fight for global peace and prosperity, Sheehan told a receptive audience of about 200 at the University of Hawaii-Hilo on Monday, before another appearance across the island in Kailua-Kona.
After her son, Spc. Casey Austin Sheehan, was killed April 4, 2004 in Iraq, Sheehan began traveling the world speaking out against the war.
"I need to stop this war," she said. "They are not doing this in our name, not in my name. I am working for peace, justice and freedom."
The Berkeley, Calif., peace activist said speaking on college campuses is an important part of her mission. "We need the young people in this movement right now," she said. "The peace movement comes from the bottom up, not the top down."
She encouraged teens and young adults to resist fighting a war she called illegal, unlawful and immoral.
"I encourage you not to join this war machine. I encourage parents to hide their children from this war machine. I encourage young people already trapped in this system not to go," she said.
Sheehan said her son was against the war before he deployed, believing it was an irresponsible use of force.
"But my son was an honorable man and his buddies were dying, so he went," she said. "I wish I had kidnapped him and run to Canada, or run over his legs with the car so he couldn't go."
"I wish he had spent that year in jail rather than spend the rest of his life in his grave. But he didn't and I will regret that for the rest of my life."
Sheehan said she will not stop speaking out until the American and British military presence in Iraq is removed.
"I'm not advocating abandoning the Iraqi people," she said, "but the military presence fuels the violence and insurgency."
She called for multinational peacekeepers and an army of diplomats to help Iraqis build a country they want.
Finally, she urged people to fight for something that will have a positive impact on society, such as access to better education for poor students so they will have career choices beyond the military.
Following the speech, Sheehan posed for photographs, shook hands and signed copies of her book, "Not One More Mother's Child."
Not all members of the audience shared Sheehan's views.
"I'm interested in what she has to say and I'm interested in what kind of crowd shows up," said Tate Cole, a psychology major.
"Fundamentally, I disagree with her position, but I'm open to hearing her arguments."
But the audience interrupted her remarks more than two dozen times with applause.
Gay Barfield, a Hilo psychotherapist and former director at the La Jolla, Calif.-based Carl Rogers Institute for Peace, said she found the talk inspiring.
"She reflected the latent and emerging longing in the United States for a return to our principles," she said. "Her educated and informed voice models the ways we need to become informed to mobilize for peace."
Political science major Lee Gibbons said he just wanted to hear Sheehan for himself. "I've seen her on the news and some of her issues I don't think get true reporting," he said. "I wanted to hear it straight from the horse's mouth."
Gibbons, who grew up near Fort Rucker in Alabama, said he hates the war, but supports the troops.
Sheehan's appearance was sponsored by Big Island advocacy group Malu Aina Center for Non-Violent Education and Action and the University of Hawaii-Hilo student group Global Hope.
It's Cindy. More photos of bumper-sticker-butt on this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1617352/posts
I don't believe she really respected him much before he enlisted and shows that she respects his choice even less now and not for the reasons she offers..
Bitter words come from bitter hearts,, methinks her condition was genetic from the gitgo.
Translation:
"We need a bunch of easily swayed and inexperienced young minds to do recreate our 60's glory days".....
Sorry....
Somebody should tell the Ditch Witch that the Soviets aren't funding the left anymore........
March 2003 US-Iraq war begins
August 2003 Casey Sheehan reenlists in Army
I think she's just plain nuts and totally self absorbed. She never mentions the fact that she had to sign his paperwork for his first enlistment. I would bet good money that she didn't really read the paperwork either.
Hey Cindy - here's what a really greiving Mother has done to pay tribute to her son's death! Click here.
Thank you for sharing that.
Thanks Norm. Here's a better picture for those liberals with poor eyesight!
That's pretty cool!
Thanks Theresa - Here's one more!
Woooieeee!
Nice rig!
Awesome! From the first pic, I couldn't tell the whole car was painted.
Who?
Exactly. ;-)
True that is. A large portion of this "generation" are simply self serving hypocrits who care nothing about their children or anyone else. This is the generation that started the divorce boom, drug use, shacking up, and lived on welfare by being "educated" by the Marxists of the 30's.
(...spend the rest of his life in his grave)
What the...she didn't have him buried alive, did she???
Total nut job.
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