Thursday, August 18, 2005

A real, live movement

As I'm sure many of you have seen, Cindy Sheehan's mother has had a stroke. Cindy has left Camp Casey to go take care of her, leaving a message to her supporters:

I'm going to take care of my mother right now, but I hope to be back before the end of August. Meanwhile, keep the camp together, and keep your spirits high. I may have started this camp out, but I'm counting on you to continue the movement. The call to end the war must be made by everyone.

This, of course, is tragic, and the thoughts and prayers and wishes of thousands all over the country go out to Cindy's family tonight. Certainly mine do! Cindy has been a wonderful and compassionate mother and we can see that she is just as devoted a daughter.

But, in the midst of this, I can't help but think that this is an opportunity for this new movement that has started. Until now, right wingers and the mainstream media have gotten away with portraying this as "one woman's crusade." Of course, with this logic, if you attack the one woman, you attack the movement. Without Cindy standing up out front for us (and thank goodness she did! and started this movement!), the media and the pundits will finally be forced to confront the fact that this isn't just a lone grieving mother. She started it, and she deserves all possible credit for that. But she has thousands of people behind her.

You can no longer ignore or discredit this because it's "just a crazy lady." These are mothers, fathers, spouses, friends... these are the American people... who have decided that they've had enough and that they want answers and accountability. And that's going to be hard to smear, discredit, or ignore. But, trust me, they'll try.

Edited to add: I don't mean to suggest that Cindy Sheehan is no longer involved in the movement. Not at all!! What I meant was that it will be harder and harder to dismiss this movement as just a crazy leftist radical, a grieving mom being used by the left wing, or something that is simply "fake" (shout out to Rush Limbaugh!). With Camp Casey going strong, even without Cindy there, that sends a real message. And that message is harder to attack.

I *heart* unbiased media...

If only I could find it!

Pro-troop rally planned near Crawford

A pro-troop caravan that supports soldiers' mission in Iraq says their rally next week in Crawford, called ‘You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy’ will proceed, despite Sheehan's departure.

Move America Forward is planning a trip from California to Crawford. The organization says service members and their families have not had their voices heard during Sheehan's vigil.


The rally is planned for Saturday, August 27 from 1:00 to 3:00.

The organization also announced Thursday it has produced a new anti-Sheehan television commercial that will air nationally.

Pro-troop? As opposed to...?

Pro-war, maybe... but pro-troop? Really?

Anyway, I hope someone will be there handing out enlistment forms!

And, just so you know, Cindy Sheehan has never claimed to speak for anyone but herself. Others have latched on to her message, but that's only because, well, it's an important one.

Ben Sargent cartoon


Wow. Such a powerful and stark cartoon. Just a bit of context: when asked about meeting with Cindy Sheehan, Bush said "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life."

Let's not forget--

Bush took time out of his vacation for Terri Schiavo...

(night-before-school starts sleeping update-- 5:20 am and still no luck!)

You know how you can't sleep the night before school starts?

yeah... 3:19 am and counting...

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

What to do when you're down?

You know, it's funny 'cause it's predictable. Every time Bush and Co. are threatened, they send out the attack dogs.

Push-polling and smears on John McCain in South Carolina in 2000.

Attacks on Joseph Wilson (who had served this country for 20 years, honorably) and his wife because he came back with a report from Niger that didn't support the Bush admin's claims about the war.

Sponsoring Swiftboat Vets (who were later proven to have been totally lying, too bad the mainstream media didn't care to look into their claims until after the fact) against John Kerry.

These are just the very, very well-known ones.

And the media and America has pretty much accepted them, not questioned them.

But, the Rove-ites may have made a crucial error this time: Americans may not care or question when you and your right wingers smear politicians and public figures, but they will and do care when you smear a mother who has sacrificed her son for this country.

Last week we heard the whole "she changed her story" spin. Unfortunately, a little research proved this one wrong and they've dropped this line of attack. Now, the idea is that she is a left-wing radical and does not support the troops. Or, if you're Rush Limbaugh, that the whole thing is fictional and supported by the liberal media (what liberal media, you may ask). She's been called a terrorist, a traitor, a whore, etc etc. By the people who claim to support the troops.

I honestly think that this is going to backfire on them. It's ok when you're trashing and smearing and spinning about politicians or people who spin and smear themselves. It's somewhat worrisome when you ruin lives like you did to Valerie and Joe Wilson. But people are going to be outraged about this smear by the right-wing on Cindy Sheehan and other relatives of fallen soldiers.

Tonight, across the nation, over 50,000 people went to over 1500 vigils in support of Cindy. They lit candles and have, I believe, begun to ignite a revolution. It's awful to think of the situation our world and country are in right now, but it's exciting to think about the fact that we are at a turning point that will go down in the history books. With almost 2,000 American soldiers dead and thousands more Iraqis, I believe we've reached a tipping point. And Cindy Sheehan came at just the right moment.

So, Sean Hannity, Bill O'Reilly, Karl Rove, etc: go ahead, put your media machine on her. Bring it on. But, you've underestimated one thing: people.

Back in the day they whistled a different tune...

*via dailyKos

Quotes from when Clinton committed troops to Bosnia:

"You can support the troops but not the president."
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years."
--Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?"
--Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99

"[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy."
--Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)

"American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy."
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy."
--Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush

"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area."
--Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)

"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today"
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is."
--Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)

Funny thing is, we won that war without a single American killed in action.*

*edited to add: Luke pointed out that it's not a great victory just because Americans weren't killed. Luke: "We bombed the heck out of a country with somewhat of an infrastructure until they had none and innocent civilians were killed." No, he's not talking about Iraq. I totally agree with your point here, Luke. My point, however, was that, even without American casualties, Republicans were very willing to oppose a war. They weren't called traitors. Now their side has no problem call people who raise the very concerns they have traitors.

Is there a moral difference if Americans vs. others die? No, I don't think so. I'm glad to see Luke agrees. But, unfortunatley, there is a political difference, as well as a public opinion difference.

Limbaugh: Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!

LIMBAUGH: I mean, Cindy Sheehan is just Bill Burkett. Her story is nothing more than forged documents. There's nothing about it that's real, including the mainstream media's glomming onto it. It's not real. It's nothing more than an attempt. It's the latest effort made by the coordinated left.

Bill Burkett, of course, is the guy who forged documents about Bush's service and sent them to CBS. What, exactly, is Sheehan's story? Um, her son died and she wants to know why. And she is demanding accountability, answers, and truth from this administration. I think one could independently verify the death of her son. Clearly Rush didn't try; he thinks it's all fake.

If he had been there he would have to know that the emotion isn't fake, that the spirit and courage of those at Camp Casey isn't fake. But he hasn't been there. I have.

So, I'm not entirely sure what he's saying isn't real.

Oh, and "the coordinated left"?? LOL. I wish.

Sometimes it helps to put faces on the names

This is the response of one soldier who was in Iraq to the plowing down of the crosses erected at Camp Casey. Yes, clearly you care about the morale of the soliders:

Mr. Northern:

I am a Veteran of the Iraq war, having served with the 4th Infantry Division on the initial invasion with Force Package One.

While I was in Iraq,a very good friend of mine, Christopher Cutchall,was killed in an unarmoredHMMWV outside of Baghdad. He was a cavalry scout serving with the 3rd ID. Once he had declined the award of a medal because Soldiers assigned to him did not receive similar awards that he had recommended. He left two sons and awonderful wife. On Monday night, August 16, you ran down the memorial cross erected for him by Arlington West.

One of my Soldiers in Iraq was Roger Turner. We gave him a hard time because he always wore all of his protective equipment, including three pairs of glasses or goggles. He did this because he wanted to make sure that he returned home to his family. He rode a bicycle to work every day to make sure that he was able to save enough money on his Army salary to send his son to college. At Camp Anaconda, where the squadron briefly stayed, a rocket landed inside a tent, sending a piece of debris or fragment into him and killed him. On Monday night, August 16, you ran down the memorial cross erected for him by Arlington West.

One of my Soldiers was Henry Bacon. He was one of the finest men I ever met. He was in perfect shape for a man over forty, working hard at night. He told me that he did that because he didn't have much money to buy nice things for his wife, who he loved so much, so he had to be in good shape for her. He was like a father to many young men in his section of maintenance mechanics. They fixed our vehicles with almost no support and fabricated parts and made repairs that kept our squadron rolling on the longest, fastest armor advance ever made under fire. He was so very proud of his son-in-law that married the beautiful daughter so well raised by Henry. His son-in-law was a helicopter pilot with the 1st Cavalry Division, who died last year. Henry stopped to rescue a vehicle belonging to another unit on what was to be his last day in Iraq. He could have kept rolling - he was headed to Kuwait after a year's tour. But he stopped. He could have sent others to do the work, but he was on the ground, leading by example, when he was killed. On Monday night, August 16, you took it upon yourself to go out in the country, where a peaceful group was exercising their constitutional rights, and harming no one, and you ran down the memorial cross erected for Henry and for his son-in-law by Arlington West.

Mr. Northern - I know little about Cindy Sheehan except that she is a grieving mother, a gentle soul, and wants to bring harm to no one. I know little about you except that you found your way to Crawford on Monday night in August with chains and a pipe attached to your truck for the sole purpose of dishonoring a memorial erected for my friends and lost Soldiers and hundreds of others that served this nation when they were called. I find it disheartening that good men like these have died so that people like you can threaten a mother who lost a child with your actions. I hope that you are ashamed of yourself.

Perry Jefferies, First Sergeant, USA (retired)

Stupid people make me sad.

But the people who tell them lies make me mad. The people whose hypocrisy shines through blindingly, who have no regard for the truth and only for political gain and popularity--and they can be found on all sides of the political spectrum--are giving me no end of frustration at the moment.

I'm going to have to stop listening to talk radio...

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

Another Gandhi quote

"First they ignore you,
Then they laugh at you,
Then they fight you,
Then you win."

--Mahatma Gandhi

Monday, August 15, 2005

Supporting the troops?

I am literally shaking as I type this.

But before I editorialize, I'll tell you what's going on: crosses that had been set up in Crawford, Texas to commemorate and remember soldiers who have died in the war on Iraq were plowed down by a local Crawford resident on Monday night. This is added to the fact that while people at Camp Casey sang "God Bless America," a group led by a right-wing radio host chanted "We don't care; we don't care."

If nothing else has become abundantly clear since Cindy Sheehan has been in Crawford is that many right wingers simply don't care. They don't care about the troops. They care about and support the troops when it's convenient, but when they or their families begin to question why they're being asked to sacrifice, suddenly they're painted in the media as "radicals" or "left-wing" or "communists." I've heard all of these (Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and John Gibson, respectively).

I've been to Camp Casey. I've seen the grief and the courage that is everywhere there. I've seen, if nothing else, that these people are not radicals (not that there's anything wrong with being a radical). They are people who have broken hearts, who shouldn't have broken hearts. They are people who care so deeply about the troops that they have volunteered their time and their money to demand answers. Many have broken the military code of silence to come and support this cause.

The memorial wasn't partisan. It was to honor the ultimate sacrifice made by each and every one of those soldiers. Cindy Sheehan met earlier with a father who lost a son in Iraq. They disagreed on the war. But, after seeing their childrens' memorials, they could both share a hug and a prayer for the troops in Iraq now.

So, just because people voted differently than you did, you have the right to desecrate a memorial for all Americans? How dare you. How dare you claim to support the troops, while having no problem desecrating a memorial to them and their sacrifice? I was at that memorial. I cried. I was overwhelmed by the enormity of a sacrifice that I can't even begin to understand. Yet you have no problem disregarding it and what it means to grieving parents, grieving friends, worried loved ones, and all Americans. Because that's the message you, and Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh, and others like you are sending: You don't care.

So, yes, enjoy it. Laugh it up. You got those Camp Casey idiots good! Just remember that those are real people you're driving all over, those are real families you're disrespecting and disregarding. People and families who've given up something for this country that most of us can't understand. Every one of those crosses represents a person, and each person represents a family. Yet you just drove over it, crushing them like so many weeds.

I don't want to paint all conservatives, or all war-supporters, with the same brush here. I know many would not approve at all of the desecration and disrespect shown today. These are most likely the same ones who respect Cindy Sheehan and other families who are demanding answers, though they disagree politically. I'm not referring to you here.

But to those who did this: Do not claim to support the troops and on the other hand show by your words and your actions that you "don't care." Because America does care. By committing this act, you've shown your true colors. This is only going to help this movement. Your actions will simply serve as an illustration. If the mainstream media picks it up, that is.

I'm going to leave with a few pictures from Camp Casey (thanks TexasLady from DU):




Crawford Pictures

I'll give a more comprehensive follow-up to Crawford later, maybe tommorow. For now, I'll show you some of the pictures I took:
Click to see them larger. Some are pretty big!