by Cindy Sheehan
21 August 2005
The media are wrong. The people who have come out to Camp
Casey to help coordinate the press and events with me are not putting words in
my mouth, they are taking words out of my mouth. I have been known for sometime
as a person who speaks the truth and speaks it strongly. I have always called a
liar a liar and a hypocrite a hypocrite. Now I am urged to use softer language
to appeal to a wider audience. Why do my friends at Camp Casey think they are
there? Why did such a big movement occur from such a small action on August 6,
2005?
I haven't had much time to analyze the Camp Casey phenomena. I
just read that I gave 250 interviews in less than a weeks time. I believe it. I
would go to bed with a raw throat every night. I got pretty tired of answering
some questions, like: 'What do you want to say to the President?' and 'Do you
really think he will meet with you?' However, since my mom has been sick I have
had a chance to step back and ponder the flood gates that I opened in Crawford, TX.
I just read an article posted today on LewRockwell.com by
artist Robert Shetterly who painted my portrait. The article reminded me of
something I said at the Veteran's for Peace Convention the night before I set
out to Bush's ranch in my probable futile quest for the truth. This is what I said:
"I got an e-mail the other day and it said, 'Cindy if you
didn't use so much profanity '. There's people on the fence that get offended.'
And you know what I said? 'You know what? You know what, god
damn it? How in the world is anybody still sitting on that fence?'
"If you fall on the side that is pro-George and pro-war, you
get your ass over to Iraq, and take the place of somebody who wants to come
home. And if you fall on the side that is against this war and against George
Bush, stand up and speak out."
This is what the Camp Casey miracle is all about. American
citizens who oppose the war but never had a conduit for their disgust and dismay
are dropping everything and traveling to Crawford to stand in solidarity with us
who have made a commitment to sit outside of George's ranch for the duration of
the miserable Texan August. If they can't come to Texas, they are attending
vigils, writing letters to their elected officials and to their local
newspapers; they are setting up Camp Casey branches in their hometowns; they are
sending flowers, cards, letters, gifts, and donations here to us at Camp Casey.
We are so grateful for all of the support, but I think pro-peace Americans are
grateful for something to do, finally.
One thing I haven't noticed or become aware of though is an
increased number of pro-war, pro-Bush people on the other side of the fence
enlisting to go and fight George Bush's war for imperialism and insatiable
greed. The pro-peace side has gotten off their apathetic butts to be warriors
for peace and justice. Where are the pro-war people? Everyday at Camp Casey we
have a couple of anti-peace people on the other side of the road holding up
signs that remind me that 'Freedom isn't Free' but I don't see them putting
their money where their mouths are. I don't think they are willing to pay even a
small down payment for freedom by sacrificing their own blood or the flesh of
their children. I still challenge them to go to Iraq and let another soldier
come home. Perhaps a soldier that is on his/her third tour of duty, or one that
has been stop-lossed after serving his/her country nobly and selflessly, only to
be held hostage in Iraq by power mad hypocrites who have a long history of
avoiding putting their own skin in the game.
Contrary to what the mainstream media thinks, I did not just
fall off a pumpkin truck in Crawford, TX. on that scorchingly hot day two weeks
ago. I have been writing, speaking, testifying in front of Congressional
committees, lobbying Congress, and doing interviews for over a year now. I have
been pretty well known in the progressive, peace community and I had many, many
supporters before I left even left California. The people who supported me did
so because they know that I uncompromisingly tell the truth about this war. I
have stood up and said: 'My son died for NOTHING, and George Bush and his evil
cabal and their reckless policies killed him. My son was sent to fight in a war
that had no basis in reality and was killed for it.' I have never said 'pretty
please' or 'thank you.' I have never said anything wishy-washy like he uses
'Patriotic Rhetoric.' I say my son died for LIES. George Bush LIED to us and he
knew he was LYING. The Downing Street Memos dated 23 July, 2002 prove that he
knew that Saddam didn't have WMD's or any ties to Al Qaeda. I believe that
George lied and he knew he was lying. He didn't use patriotic rhetoric. He lied
and made us afraid of ghosts that weren't there. Now he is using patriotic
rhetoric to keep the U.S. military presence in Iraq: Patriotic rhetoric that is
based on greed and nothing else.
Now I am being vilified and dragged through the mud by the
righties and so-called 'fair and balanced' mainstream media who are afraid of
the truth and can't face someone who tells it by telling any truth of their own.
Now they have to twist, distort, lie, and scrutinize anything I have ever said
when they never scrutinize anything that George Bush said or is saying. Instead
of asking George or Scotty McClellan if he will meet with me, why aren't they
asking the questions they should have been asking all along: 'Why are our young
people fighting, dying, and killing in Iraq? What is this noble cause you are
sending our young people to Iraq for? What do you hope to accomplish there? Why
did you tell us there were WMD's and ties to Al Qaeda when you knew there
weren't? Why did you lie to us? Why did you lie to the American people? Why did
you lie to the world? Why are our nation's children still in harm's way and
dying everyday when we all know you lied? Why do you continually say we have to
'complete the mission' when you know damn well you have no idea what that
mission is and you can change it at will like you change your cowboy shirts?'
Camp Casey has grown and prospered and survived all attacks
and challenges because America is sick and tired of liars and hypocrites and we
want the answers to the tough questions that I was the first to dare ask. THIS
is George Bush's accountability moment and he is failing miserably. George Bush
and his advisers seriously 'misunderestimated' me when they thought they could
intimidate me into leaving before I had the answers, or before the end of
August. I can take anything they throw at me, or Camp Casey. If it shortens the
war by a minute or saves one life, it is worth it. I think they seriously
'misunderestimated' all mothers. I wonder if any of them had authentic
mother-child relationships and if they are surprised that there are so many
mothers in this country who are bear-like when it comes to wanting the truth and
who want to make meaning of their child's needless and seemingly meaningless
deaths?
The Camp Casey movement will not die until we have a genuine
accounting of the truth and until our troops are brought home. Get used to it
George, we are not going away.
