Posted on 05/29/2007 8:25:01 AM PDT by kristinn
FORT WORTH, Texas — Cindy Sheehan, the soldier's mother who galvanized an anti-war movement with her monthlong protest outside President Bush's ranch, says she's done being the public face of the movement.
"I've been wondering why I'm killing myself and wondering why the Democrats caved in to George Bush," Sheehan told The Associated Press by phone Tuesday while driving from her property in Crawford to the airport, where she planned to return to her native California.
"I'm going home for awhile to try and be normal," she said.
In what she described as a "resignation letter," Sheehan wrote in her online diary on the "Daily Kos" blog: "Good-bye America ... you are not the country that I love and I finally realized no matter how much I sacrifice, I can't make you be that country unless you want it.
"It's up to you now."
Sheehan began a grass roots peace movement in August 2005 when she camped outside Bush's Crawford ranch for 26 days, demanding to talk with the president about her son's death. Army Spc. Casey Sheehan was 24 when he was killed in an ambush in Baghdad in 2004.
Cindy Sheehan's protest started small but swelled to thousands and quickly drew national attention. Over the next two years, she initially drew huge crowds as she spoke at protest events. But she also drew criticism for some actions, such as meeting with Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's leftist president.
"I have endured a lot of smear and hatred since Casey was killed and especially since I became the so-called "Face" of the American anti-war movement," Sheehan wrote in the diary.
Kristinn Taylor, spokesman for FreeRepublic.com, which has held pro-troop rallies and counter-protests of anti-war demonstrations, said dwindling crowds at Sheehan's Crawford protests since her initial vigil may have led to her decision. But he also said he hopes she will now be able to heal.
"Her politics have hurt a lot of people, including the troops and their families, but most of us who support the war on terror understand she is hurt very deeply," Taylor said Tuesday. "Those she got involved with in the anti-war movement realize it was to their benefit to keep her in that stage of anger."
When she had first taken on Bush, Sheehan was a darling of the liberal left. "However, when I started to hold the Democratic Party to the same standards that I held the Republican Party, support for my cause started to erode and the 'left' started labeling me with the same slurs that the right used," she wrote.
Sheehan said she had sacrificed a 29-year marriage and endured threats to put all her energy into stopping the war. What she found, she wrote, was a movement "that often puts personal egos above peace and human life."
But she said the most devastating conclusion she had reached "was that Casey did indeed die for nothing ... killed by his own country which is beholden to and run by a war machine that even controls what we think."
Sheehan told The Associated Press that she had considered leaving the peace movement since last summer while recovering from surgery.
Then she decided on Memorial Day to step down and spend more time with her three other children. She said she was returning to California on Tuesday because it was Casey's birthday. He would have been 28.
"We've accomplished as much here as we're going to," Sheehan said Tuesday, saying she was leaving to change course. "When we come back it definitely won't be with the peace movement with marches, with rallies and with protests. It will be more humanitarian efforts."
Last year, with $52,500 in insurance money received after her son's death, Sheehan bought 5 acres near downtown Crawford as a permanent site for protests.
"Camp Casey has served its purpose. It's for sale. Anyone want to buy five beautiful acres in Crawford, Texas?" she wrote.
Classy statement by you (Kristinn)!
you were just a tool, now you are just a fool.......
‘Sheehan said she had sacrificed a 29-year marriage and endured threats to put all her energy into stopping the war. What she found, she wrote, was a movement “that often puts personal egos above peace and human life.” ‘
Like your own ego, Momma Wacko?
The Weekly Standard had a great comic bit about Sheehan circa 2008, in which nobody from Daily kos, or moveon.org, or huffington post would return her calls about a year ago.
Seems the ‘time’ came a bit earlier than they expected.
As for her ‘salvaging’ her relationship with her own family, good luck with that. They’ve been humiliated, abused, and also smeared due to her actions, insane assertions, and love of the camera’s.
I don’t think its coincidence the MSM stopped covering her few months ago, and now she feels the need to leave.
Gracious comments, my friend....speaks well of you and the cause you represent..kudos..
I wouldn't consider it without an environmental assessment.
I'm just not as nice as Kristinn...*shrug*
“Egos above peace”. So, Cindy I see you’ve met Rev. Jackson.
(chuckle)
And Sharpton.
Excellent quote, amigo; nailed it while remaining on the high plane.
The perfect example of hating the sin but loving the sinner.
More Cut and Run from the Cut and Run crowd.
She figured out something most of the people in the left never do. Therefore, her 15 minutes of fame is up.
I sincerely hope she will get the help and healing she needs now.
..Kristinn, you were gracious and merciful in your response...
..but Sheehan has culpability in what she has done....much culpability!!
Heal?
That's up to God....and whether she repents and asks forgiveness.
She still seems very bitter to me.
Yes, she was used.
So was Norma McCorvey.....but Jane Roe..saw the error of her ways, and repented of her part.
Maybe someday Sheehan will also.
Ping to a statement from our Elder Statesman and Goodwill Ambassador, Kristinn Taylor.
Well done.
Spoken like a true gentleman. Well done Kristinn
Will she now marry Al Sharpton ?
When she started this she had $ millions dropped on her. Guaranteed that if the $ millions were still flowing she would find a way to rationalize and keep going.
You’re a far more gracious man than I.
Dang it all...
L
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