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Having a Great Time,
Wish You Were all Here
Or
Throw the Bitch in the Ditch
A BUZZFLASH GUEST
CONTRIBUTION
by Cindy Sheehan
Camp Casey Thanksgiving, Crawford, Texas
I was feeling very down when I was flying to Waco yesterday. I did a lot of crying
and missing Casey on the way out from Sacramento. I am not at the place in my
grieving yet where I can look at all of our good times and feel grateful for
them. Remembering many, many happy Thanksgivings past only made me feel worse,
not better.
So, I called my sister (one of the Crawford 12 jailbirds) when I was on a short
layover in Dallas to ask her who was picking me up. She wouldn't give me a straight
answer saying that "don't worry, someone will be there." So I told
her not to worry about it, I would take a taxi to the Peace House or rent a car.
I was DEFINITELY feeling sorry for my poor little self.
Well, after the very short flight from Dallas to Waco, and after a luggage misunderstanding
on the tarmac, I walked into the terminal in Waco. Lo and behold, there were
dozens of people there to welcome me and lots of press. Most of the people (including
the press) were old Camp Casey friends and my spirits lifted and I felt strangely
at home.
After a stop at the Peace House we headed back out to Camp Casey on the Camp
Casey II location. Now I did feel at home. We stayed up for hours talking about
politics, the war, old times, and the future. We laughed and cried and I thought: "I
am so lucky to have two families. My children and mi familia de Corazon: (my
family of the heart).
Both of my families are very close and loving and we laugh and have good times,
but our good times are hampered by the fact that we are here for dead serious
reasons: we want to hold a President and his lying administration accountable
for leading us to disaster in Iraq and we want to stop an immoral occupation.
Some of us are also there because we have been so intimately and tragically affected
by the disaster and immorality. We periodically stop to reflect on these things.
When I am here in Crawford at Camp Casey, I almost feel sorry for George up there
a couple of miles away from us in his protected Green Zone. He is protected from
physical harm (which he need not fear from us) and he is protected from political
harm. He doesn't have to face people who disagree vehemently with his policies
and who oppose his continued killing with every fiber of our beings. He is protected
from the real world of pain and need. He has never had to face his failures or
own up to anything. Really, are any of us surprised that he has been such a miserable
failure in every way?
The reason I feel sorry for him though, is that he is also sitting in his political
Green Zone with apparently not many friends or confidants. Reports show that
he only has four people who he can talk to. He is not even on friendly terms
with his father, Karl or Dick. We at Camp Casey, on the other hand, are surrounded
by laughter, love, hope and acceptance. One can't help smiling just being here.
I received an email today that had this subject line: "Throw the Bitch in
the Ditch." The writer accused me of "throwing dirt" on Casey,
himself and his son who all have served the country. I have NEVER said anything
to disparage the honorable service of Casey or the others who have signed up
to be in the military, only to be abused by the leadership of this country. This
writer didn't even blink an eye at calling the mother of a war hero "bitch." I
wonder how the email writer feels about his own leadership "throwing dirt" on
the service of actual military men like: John Kerry; Jack Murtha; Max Cleland,
and yes, even John McCain? I have never questioned people who try to stay alive
fighting in the dishonorable wars of the old men. Who I appreciate even more,
though, are the people of courage who resist killing innocent people and become
conscientious objectors. I wish Casey had. I am hoping that would have happened.
He told everyone before he left for Iraq that he didn't think he could "kill
anyone."
Today we dedicated the Casey Sheehan Memorial Peace Gardens at the Crawford Peace
house and we unveiled the memorial stone. It was a very poignant and moving event.
Tomorrow we are having a rally here at Camp Casey, everyone is invited. There
is great info at the Crawford Peace
House website or www.MichaelMoore.com.
We are again going to be sad to leave on Sunday, but if George is still defiling
the White House and if the war is still raging, we will be back for Easter.
Someone has to make George face his failures and change his ways. We in the Camp
Casey Peace movement are dedicated to that mission. But more importantly we are
dedicated to the mission of honoring our fallen heroes by bringing their buddies
home alive.
We will keep pressing; we will not give up; we will stay the course; we will
prevail.
Cindy
Sheehan
Camp Casey Peace Mom
Founder of Gold Star Families for Peace
Founder of Camp Casey Peace Foundation
A BUZZFLASH GUEST CONTRIBUTION
Learn more about Cindy at http://www.meetwithCindy.com or
about Gold Star Families for Peace at http://www.gsfp.org.
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