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A Mother's Protest
Quinn Timmers, 6, of Fort Worth,
Texas, runs through a maze of white crosses that
were placed at the makeshift campsite of anti-war
protesters near the ranch of President Bush, Aug.
11, 2005, in Crawford, Texas. Timmers was at the
site with her mother, Hillary.
Rebecca Bahr of Scottsdale, Ariz., looks at crosses
placed by a roadside camp near President Bush's
ranch, Aug. 11, 2005, in Crawford, Texas. The
crosses have the names of soldiers killed in the
Iraq war.
Sheehan: Cindy Sheehan, 48, of Vacaville,
Calif., the mother of a fallen U.S. soldier,
started holding a peace vigil August 6 near
President Bush's ranch and vows to stay through Mr.
Bush's monthlong ranch visit unless he meets with
her and other grieving families. She has formed the
Gold Star Families For Peace and has spoken out
against the war across the nation.
Her son, Spcl. Casey Austin Sheehan, 24, was
killed April 4, 2004 in a fire-fight outside
Baghdad. He had been in the Iraqi desert for only
two weeks. A standout student at Vacaville High
School, Sheehan went on to study theater at Solano
Community College.
She has promised to return to the area whenever
Mr. Bush goes to his ranch. The president said he
sympathizes with Sheehan but has made no indication
that he will meet with her. She did meet with Mr.
Bush in June 2004, at a gathering at Fort Lewis,
Washington, for grieving families.
Protests are not unusual when the president
stays at his ranch, but most are within the
Crawford city limits. Sheehan's anti-war
demonstration is the longest, most publicized and
closest to the ranch.
Several residents have complained of blocked
roads and traffic jams in the last week since
dozens of people joined Cindy Sheehan's protest by
pitching tents off the winding, two-lane road
leading to the Bush ranch. The group has set up
camp in shallow ditches, but people congregate on
the roads, causing cars to stop or slow down. Some
drivers have blown their horns continuously while
maneuvering around the crowd, and several have
yelled, "Go home!"
Larry Northern, 46, of Waco, TX was arrested and
charged with criminal mischief Monday after
authorities said he drove his pick-up truck
dragging chains over the rows of small white wooden
crosses bearing names of fallen U.S. soldiers on
the side of the road near Cindy Sheehan's vigil.
Each cross commemorated a dead soldier. On Sunday,
a nearby landowner fired his shotgun twice into the
air, but he was not arrested. No one was hurt in
either incident. (Editor: Remember, they like
to kill things down in Texas, whether the person is
guilty or not.)
The good news for civility is that a neighboring
rancher, who is a veteran, has offered them some of
his nearby land if they have to move from the
roadside. The spirit of that rancher standing up in
his own pro-Bush community is the sort of public
support for Cindy Sheehan and her cause that is
growing across America. Tomorrow's vigils for Cindy
Sheehan will be the most visible measure of the
size and strength of public concern about the war
in a long time.
Meanwhile President Bush (the real King of
Flip-Flop) continues his five-week vacation and
pledged Thursday to keep U.S. troops in
Iraq—meaning more moms (and dads) will lose a
child.
Cindy has asked supporters to start candlelight
vigils in their communities to support her and call
for an end to the war. So, MoveOn is teaming up
with True Majority and Democracy for America to
host Vigils for Cindy Sheehan on Wednesday, August
17th, to show our solidarity with Cindy.
Our vigils will be simple and dignified.
Together, we'll acknowledge the sacrifices made by
Cindy Sheehan, her son, Casey and the more than
1,800 brave American men and women who have given
their lives in Iraq—and their moms and
families.
These vigils aren't rallies or places to give
long-winded speeches. They are moments to solemnly
come together and mark the sacrifice of Cindy and
other families.
Attending a vigil is really easy. All you have
to do is grab some candles and show up. If you're
an Iraq veteran, or a family member of a soldier,
it'd be especially meaningful for you to join.
Bring a photo of your loved one to remind all of us
what is at stake. We've also made some downloadable
placards you can use. Click below to download them.
political.moveon.org/cindyvigils/attendmaterials.htm?id=5895-299027-nAOUhlwJoptSQulhUYVH1g&t=6
Here's a page listing the vigils planned near
you: political.moveon.org/event/events/index.html?action_id=24&search_distance=30&search_zip=97415&submit=Search
You can find the vigil closest to you by typing
your zip code and clicking search. There are more
than 900 vigils already planned across America.
From Anchorage to Miami, and hundreds of towns in
between, people are gathering tomorrow. There is a
vigil in Cindy's hometown of Vacaville, California
and more than a dozen in New York City. Join us?
You can find a vigil near you by clicking this
link: political.moveon.org/event/events/?action_id=24&search_distance=30&
=&search_zip=97415&submit=1&id=5895-299027-nAOUhlwJoptSQulhUYVH1g&t=4
Host your own Vigil for Cindy Sheehan event!
Right now, there are 1193 gatherings planned.
Already hosting or signed up for an event? Log In
Host your own vigil political.moveon.org/event/events/create.html?action_id=24
By standing together we will show the president
and the media that our nation is against this
war.
Source: moveon.org
Related Topics: War
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