Posted on 10/27/2006 9:04:56 AM PDT by Impeach98
American Mourning
Frontpage Interview’s guests today are Melanie Morgan and Catherine Moy.
Melanie Morgan is the president of Move America Forward, an organization dedicated to supporting our troops in their fight against terrorism. She co-hosts one of the top-rated drive-time shows in one of the largest radio markets in the nation, The Lee Rogers and Melanie Morgan Show on KSFO 560 AM, San Francisco. A frequent guest on Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC, and CBS, she has appeared on the BBC and in newspapers and broadcasts worldwide. Ms. Morgan also spearheaded the "You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy!" tour and the campaign to recall Governor Grey Davis. She is the co-author (with Catherine Moy) of the new book American Mourning: The Intimate Story of Two Families Joined by War, Torn by Beliefs.
Catherine Moy writes for the Vacaville Reporter. She has uncovered health care abuse scandals -- resulting in numerous awards -- and she was the first journalist to print a story questioning Cindy Sheehan's attacks on President Bush. She is the co-author (with Melanie Morgan) of American Mourning.
FP: Melanie Morgan and Catherine Moy, welcome to Frontpage Interview.
Morgan: Jamie - it is wonderful for me to be here, Front Page is "must reading" for me every day.
Moy: Thank you Jamie.
FP: Thank you so much, the both of you, for writing this beautiful book. It brought me to tears several times.
Ms. Morgan, let me begin with you.
What inspired you and Catherine Moy to write this book?
Morgan: I was compelled to write this book after my first experience with Cindy Sheehan. Ms. Sheehan approached me in Sacramento, CA where a local peace activist hanged an American soldier in effigy from a noose, dangling from the rafters of their home. Sheehan told me she was doing this as a way to protest the "evils of war" and to defend free speech. In response to Sheehan's protest, five hundred pro-American, pro-troop, everyday citizens held a candlelight counter vigil to demonstrate that while Sheehan's protest was indeed free speech, it was also very offensive to Americans - particularly to the men and women serving our nation.
Catherine's experience was different - she was the first columnist to publicly criticize Cindy Sheehan after Casey Sheehan's death. While she is extremely sympathetic of Cindy's loss (she watched her parent's immeasurable pain after the sudden death of her brother when he was only eight), Catherine felt that Sheehan was not merely protesting against the government, but was also dishonoring soldiers fighting for America's safety. Catherine witnessed the anger of many soldiers firsthand - since many live in the Vacaville area - Catherine and Cindy's hometown.
FP: Tell us a bit about Justin and Casey and the way the Sheehan and Johnson families took different paths in the mourning over their tragic deaths.
Morgan: As we discuss in American Mourning, Justin and Casey were proud to be American soldiers and were the embodiment of American heroism. Justin and Casey became friends at Fort Hood, TX. In fact, the last thing Justin ever wrote was to the Sheehan family on a blog - saying he mourned the loss of his friend, Casey.
Cindy Sheehan blames the government for the death of her son. The Johnson family blames the terrorists for the death of their son. Cindy became America's most well known anti-war activist since Jane Fonda - protesting at "Camp Casey" in Crawford, Texas. But, not all of the Sheehan family members agree with Cindy's reactions... in fact, many members of the Sheehan family wrote an email to me, to clarify that although they were all "Sheehans" - they were not against the war effort. Pat and Cindy Sheehan divorced and in my opinion, Cindy appears to have dealt with her loss through anger - anger at the government, having numerous affairs and speaking out (more often than not for profit) against the war.
Joe and Joshua Johnson - Justin Johnson's father and brother, both joined the war effort after September 11. In fact, at the age of 45 - after Justin's death - Joe asked to be sent to Iraq as a gunner (the same MOS as Justin) to avenge the death of his son. The Johnsons rarely speak publicly about Justin's death and are closer as a family than ever before.
FP: Catherine Moy, can you tell us about some of Joe’s experiences in Iraq?
Moy: Joe first did civil patrols, walking the streets and guarding people as they made historic votes in Iraq. He later took on the same job his son, Justin, held: gunner in a Humvee. Joe taught himself Arabic so he could speak with the locals. He became close with the children, who softened his heart and the pain of grief.
He survived several attempts by terrorists to kill him with roadside bombs. After one explosion, he pulled over a carload of men. They had cell phones, bomb-making goods, and more than a thousand dollars in American money. Their hands tested positive for explosives. Joe put his rifle to their heads and cursed them, yelling that they were the same scum who killed his boy. It was at this point Joe had the chance to kill terrorists, the job he set out for himself in Iraq.
FP: Ms. Morgan, share with us some of your own thoughts about Cindy Sheehan.
Morgan: First, let me say that I could not imagine the horrendous grief of losing a son - I cannot imagine anything more heartbreaking. I think that one of Catherine's experiences with Cindy is appropriate to share here. Catherine sent an email to Cindy - telling her that Casey was her hero... that she admired his faith and love of country. She received a response back from Ms. Sheehan - saying Casey was not "allowed" to be her hero.
If Cindy's protesting would not have injured the moral of our soldiers, if she had not published a one-sided biography, profited from speaking about her son's death, or demanded to (again) meet with President Bush - although many Gold Star Family members have not even had the opportunity to meet with the President once - I would have never have publicly responded to her anti-war efforts. But, she opened up the debate and Catherine and I have responded for one reason and one reason alone... to let the American soldiers know that there are millions of us that DO support them.
FP: Ms. Moy, in your view, what do you think is the mindset that motivates Sheehan to do what she does now?
Moy: It seems as though Sheehan was initially motivated by extreme grief. Americans could understand this and sympathize with any parent who must bury a child. Then, John Kerry’s presidential campaign hooked up with Sheehan and had her make commercials against the war and President Bush. These days she admits that the anti-war movement suffers from general apathy. She now makes plenty of money from speaking engagements and sells books about her experience. So it appears as though she is driven by capitalism.
I still haven’t figured out why she coddles dictators such as Hugo Chavez. Perhaps she is so angry that her son gave his life for our country, that she hates America. I just can’t understand it. This country gives her the freedom to spew her hate. In Chavez’s country, if she spoke against his government she would face prison or death.
FP: Ms. Morgan, can you talk about how the media (including Sheehan's part in the media) has only shared one side of the story?
Morgan: Cindy Sheehan's public relations campaign swung into action after her decision to protest outside of Camp Casey. We talk in detail about her media campaign in American Mourning when I led a caravan of thousands of American citizens to Crawford, TX for the "You Dont Speak for Me Cindy" tour.
While we were holed up in very meager accommodations, we discovered catered food, air conditioning and an enormous media gathering at Sheehan's Camp Casey - including satellite media tours that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and are often utilized for Presidential campaigns.
The media also took great efforts to not only edit Sheehan's words, but also pictures, so Americans never got the full Cindy Sheehan story. For example, there was a picture disseminated throughout the media of Cindy on her knees praying by a cross with Reverend Jesse Jackson as someone wiped a tear from her face. What the viewer did not see was that the person wiping the tear away was actually a make up person and that this was not a quiet moment of grieving, but instead, Sheehan was surrounded by scores of media. We just want Americans to have the full story.
FP: Ms. Moy, why do you think Americans haven’t been told the whole story? Why does the media only tell half of it?
Moy: The media has an institutional bias that leans far to the left. Most journalists voted for Clinton and Kerry, according to their own polls. We have just seen network bigwigs come out and admit that the news is slanted left. So when Cindy Sheehan showed up with her handlers in Crawford, Texas, her story perfectly fit the media’s bias. Here was a truly grieving mother who allegedly sat in a ditch by herself so she could talk to the president about her hero son’s death. The media failed to tell the world that thousands of dollars were pouring in to keep air-conditioned tents of catered food, motels and a masseuse for Sheehan, and satellite uplinks that are usually reserved for a presidential visit.
The media failed miserably in its reporting of the Sheehan situation. It takes backbone to tell the truth when it doesn’t follow the mainstream media’s storytelling, especially when it comes to a grieving mother. The media just didn’t let the truth get in the way of a good story, or what they call a “whopper” in the South.
FP: What are your own thoughts on where we stand in Iraq and what we must do?
Moy: Our troops are performing as well as any in the history of the United States. They are the best trained and bravery runs through their veins. As happened in World War II during our battles with Japanese suicide bombers, which we knew as kamikazes, today our troops face an enemy that embraces death as a proud part of its culture. They want to die killing infidels, or anybody who is not a radical Muslim.
The bottom line is our troops can win. We may need more troops, more lethal firepower. But we must win or face more Sept. 11s on our home soil. And if they come, these radical Jihadists won’t check your voting records to see if you’re a liberal or conservative or a moderate. They will slit your throats if you don’t follow their beliefs.
FP: Melanie Morgan and Catherine Moy, thank you for joining us today. And keep up the fight.
Moy: Thank you for this wonderful opportunity and for allowing us to tell the story of two American heroes, Justin Johnson and Casey Sheehan.
Morgan: Thank you Jamie.
AMERICAN MOURNING - CLICK HERE
bumped!
Thank you (tips hat).
I saw the interview on Hannity as well. This is really a great story that everyone should read.
Looks like Mel has been working out pretty hard. She was never fat, but was a little curvier. She looks good.
Mel's still curvy! :)
Just got my copy in the mail today....as soon as I finish my calls for Senator Santorum, I will begin to read....I can't wait....
She's got two in particular I hope never lessen.
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.