Quote From: loretta24Heard about this woman and admire her determination to get answers.
Cindy Sheehan's eyes well with tears when she talks about her oldest son, Casey, an easygoing young man with a quiet wit. Casey joined the Army in 2000, never imagining he would see combat. Five days after he arrived in Iraq last year, the 24-year-old was killed in Sadr City.
Sheehan knows nothing can bring back her son, but she wants to talk to President Bush. The Vacaville, Calif., mother has been camping out along a road near his ranch since Saturday, vowing to remain until his Texas vacation ends later this month.
Before my son was killed, I used to think that one person could not make a difference," she said Wednesday under a tent where she has slept since arriving. "But one person that is surrounded and supported by millions of people can be heard."
‘Pointless’ meeting with Bush staff
Bush National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and a deputy White House chief of staff talked to Sheehan on Saturday. She said the meeting, which she called "pointless," lasted 20 minutes. The White House said it lasted 45 minutes.
By Thursday, about 50 people had joined her cause, pitching tents in muddy, shallow ditches and hanging anti-war banners; two dozen others have sent flowers. Her name was among the most popular search topics Wednesday on Internet blogs.
The soft-spoken Sheehan, 48, is surprised and touched at the overwhelming response — most of which is positive, she says.
But not everyone supports her. Kristinn Taylor, co-leader of the Washington, D.C., chapter of FreeRepublic.com, said Sheehan's protest is misguided and is hurting troop morale.
"She has a political agenda that goes way beyond her son's death in combat," said Taylor, whose conservative group has held pro-troop rallies since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks and counter-protests of anti-war demonstrations.
Sheehan, a Catholic youth minister for eight years, never wanted Casey to join the military. She said he did after being misled by his recruiter. Although he also opposed the war, he didn't try to back out.
"I begged him not to go," she said through tears. "I said, 'I'll take you to Canada' ... but he said, 'Mom, I have to go. It's my duty. My buddies are going.'"
*I wonder is Kristtin Taylor has paid the same price as Sheehan. Unless she has I don't think she has any right to judge Sheehan's political agenda. This woman has paid the ultimate price, I know it would be difficult for the President to have to answer questions about why we are in Iraq but seems to me that she has paid the price.
her son ,her marriage and her faith in her gov't .As far as she is concerned the gov't sent her son to his death based on lies, she has every right to protest.She wants to ask Pres GWB if he would have sent one or both of his twins...thats an excellent question for all the politicians in Washington.As far as I know there is only one guy in Wash .who has a child that is or has served. And this business about not being able to support your troops if you don't support the cause is a pile of crap....the troops had faith in their government to send them into war when the cause was real and based on proven fact...that has been proven to not be the case this time.Yes Sadam had to be dealt with but he's not the one who killed all those people on American ground.When is the last time you heard Washington bring up Bin Laden in any great detail? If anything the troops in Iraq are more deserving of support than ever before because alot of them are asking why.Yes I wonder if Kristin Taylor has paid the price that Sheehan has? That's a very good question. And how many of the politicians have paid the price that she has Why is it ok for the poor to fight for the country but not the rich. This is the only good reason I can think of for the draft.
