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Banana Republics: In Search of Peace with Cindy Sheehan

Submitted by BuzzFlash on Wed, 12/27/2006 - 3:40pm.

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
by Cindy Sheehan

Gerald Ford, our 38th and first ever un-elected President is dead. All of the networks and cable news are rightfully filled with stories on his legacy and life. The pundits are analyzing his presidency and I have heard comments like: "great sense of humor," "gentleman," and "protector of the Constitution." The first two, are nice, but not such urgent Presidential qualities, and really are objective traits. Being someone who protects the Constitution, as every president swears to do, but few (especially the current resident of the Oval Office) actually do, should be a mandatory item in every president's job description.

First of all, I would like to extend my condolences to Mr. Ford's family. Even though he was an ex-President, he was also a husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He was a human being who had private relationships in a very public life and I am sure his loved ones will miss him deeply.

However, Mr. Ford was 93 years old. He lived a full and long life. He spent a very lengthy retirement from public life: golfing and doing whatever else former presidents do. Usually, burying a 93 year old loved one is sorrowful but, I believe his pardon of Richard Nixon is one of the factors that have led to the untimely deaths of over 3000 American soldiers and hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians in the Middle East. Just this month alone, 91 of our young people have met early, avoidable, unnecessary and tragic deaths in Bloody George's horrific war. In a month when most people picked out Christmas trees and had joy-filled celebrations in the season of lights, 91 of our nation's families went shopping for burial plots or urns and their holidays will never be the same again.

One of the talking heads on one of the cable news shows (does it matter which?) said that it was a "great thing for America" that Gerald Ford pardoned the crooked war criminal, Richard Nixon. He said that we don't make public spectacles out of trying our presidents in criminal courts. After all, we are not a "banana republic."

No, the United States of America is not a "banana republic" Mr. Talking Head, but since Nixon got away with his blatant crimes and every President since Nixon has skated away from office after having committed overt and covert crimes, we have on our hands, here, a situation that I am forced now to call: "Bloody George."

Bloody George struts around in a cloud of denial with his fake cowboy swagger, breaking our nation's laws and international laws as if he were immune from life's woes and above any law. What Mr. Talking Head was pointing out to us in his ridiculous commentary was that presidents are above the law that they swear to uphold. Presidents of other countries who are found guilty of murdering 148 people are not apparently above the law -- Bloody George plays banana republic justice in other countries while countenancing none of the same here in the U.S. of A.

Bloody George definitely has a valid reason for believing that he is above the law, because no president in our history has had to pay for any crimes that they have committed. Wars keep occurring because the ones who entangle our citizens in these bloodbaths for profit leave their office and go on to lead comfortably splendid lives surrounded by people who love them.

Tens of thousands of young people who had plans for their futures and loving families who wanted them around until they were 93 (at least) were sentenced to early graves by politicians who receive no sentences for their earthy transgressions. We who have had to bury our children, instead of them burying us in the natural way, will be doing penance for the rest of our lives in a purgatory of pain and regret for the sins of others. How can we prevent such profound grief in the future?

The 110th Congress which will be sworn in shortly has a unique opportunity to reverse this cycle of un-repented and un-punished violence. Bloody George and Dastardly Dick not only deserve to be impeached, removed from office and tried for their malevolent crimes against humanity, but these steps in the sane direction of justice and peace are essential to true justice and true peace.

The only way the Oval Office will be cleansed of the gore that has fatefully for so many manifested itself in Bloody George is to hold him accountable. I repeat: That is the only way. Maybe, just maybe, there are a few pages out of the Banana Republic playbook that are relevant for our country right here and right now.

I have to disagree with many progressives in and out of the blogosphere. Accountability is not retribution for the past but a gaurantor of peace in the future. Accountability is not revenge it is justice. Accountability is not a distraction but a mandatory Constitutional remedy. Accountability is not an optional course of action for Congress' plate, but a mandatory step towards a new baptism of hope for our world.

If Bloody George is only this generation's manifestation of non-accountability, I shudder to see what future incarnations of war-lords will bring us!

A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION

In Search of Peace is a series of reflections on Cindy's journey towards peace.

Cindy Sheehan is the mother of Spc. Casey Sheehan who was killed in Bush's war of terror on 04/04/04. She is the co-founder and president of Gold Star Families for Peace and the Camp Casey Peace Institute. She is the author of three books, the most recent is: Peace Mom: A Mother's Journey Through Heartache to Activism.

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Seek help lady

Submitted by liberalwacko on Sun, 12/31/2006 - 11:42pm.

You're unhinged and spouting nonsense. You realize that those that you protest find you amusing right? You're a joke.. do you secretly work for Mr. Rove to make the left look bad or something?

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When will the national nightmare end?

Submitted by TruePatriot on Fri, 12/29/2006 - 8:09am.

There has been a national nightmare in place, and it is the hijacking of the media by this grande dame of the lunatic fringe, Cindy Sheehan. Gerald Ford was in part responsible for the war in Iraq? What idiocy. What downright chicanery. By that logic, one could argue that any past President bears responsibility for Iraq. For that matter, why stop with Bush, Cheney, and Ford? Let's put every citizen who cast their vote for every President in the last 100 years on trial! Ford, in part responsible... What about the failed policies of President Jimmy Carter, one of the five worst Presidents in the history of our country? What about the escalation of Al Qaeda that occurred on Bill Clinton's watch, and his failure to do anything substantive to halt the course of events that led to 9/11 (yes, lefties, it didn't start immediately after Bush was named President; those events were set in motion long before the 2000 election)?

We live in a country where freedom of speech is one of our most cherished liberties. Cindy Sheehan has an absolute right to preach at the top of her lungs just about anything that she wants, restricted only by the laws of libel, slander, treason, or the advocacy of the overthrow of the government by force or violence. However, it is the absolute right of others, including me, to call her on it when she steps over the line and treads on a man's grave in such a callous and carnivorous way. Here was a man, Gerald Ford, thrust into the highest office in the land by circumstances with which he had nothing to do, a decent, honest and trustworthy civil servant who made a decision that, while unpopular at the time, helped a struggling nation to move forward. His actions may have cost him the 1976 election; they certainly helped foment a situation that led to the election of perhaps the lamest duck of the 20th century. Carter can build a great house, but he could never lead the country, despite his intellect and the "lust in his heart" he had for other women.

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Accountability

Submitted by V on Thu, 12/28/2006 - 9:39am.

I must agree that Nixon should have been held accountable. Ford lost re-election because the people at that time felt that Nixon should have been held accountable for the Watergate coverup. I do give Nixon credit for ending the war however. What Cindy says is correct though. I get upset whenever a talking head tells me that Ford "Healed our country so America could move forward". They were not concerned with moving America forward when they impeached Clinton. Holding Nixon accoutable would have been far better for America.

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dear cindy

Submitted by machogirl on Wed, 12/27/2006 - 8:31pm.

jfk started our involvement in vietnam, and this involvement was accelerated by lbj, richard nixon was in office when he inherited our involvement in vietnam, jfk and lbj are your war criminals

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Half right, machogirl

Submitted by CV on Fri, 12/29/2006 - 5:40pm.

Certainly, Kennedy and Johnson bear responsibility for beginning the war and it's first three years, but Nixon and Kissinger took the ball and ran with it. More than half of the US casualties were after Nixon was elected. With the Christmas Carpet bombing of Hanoi and Haiphong, the bombing of Cambodia, Laos etc. They kicked up the attrocity level an order of magnitude.
Nixon had campaigned as a "Peace" candidate, saying he had a secret plan to end the war.
The very fact that people like you can gloss over his crimes is the exact reason that he should never have been pardoned, it short-circuited National dialog that we needed at that point in history. Because we didn't beat the vipers back under their rock right then, they became very strong. Now its a much bigger problem, idntit?

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Peace

Submitted by Victor on Wed, 12/27/2006 - 7:37pm.

I agree with Cindy. YANK FREE!

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