Should President Bush meet with grieving mother Cindy Sheehan? Sheehan lost her son Casey who was serving in Iraq. Since August 6, she has been camping outside the President's ranch in Crawford, Texas, calling upon Bush to see her. Bush has said he sympathizes with her, but has not seen her yet.
Part of me cannot blame Sheehan for the way she feels - and to want to express these feelings to Bush in person is perfectly natural. As one Sheehan supporter neatly summed up, "She's a grieving mother with a right to protest, and I think President Bush should talk with her." Nothing unreasonable about that at all.
But grief can also lead to irrational beliefs and throwing blame all around. At this, Sheehan is excelling. Suddenly, every rag-tag member of The Great Unwashed came out in support of her and you just knew this was going to turn into something beyond a personal quest.
Sheehan has given a fresh face to the anti-war movement, which until recently had lost a lot of momentum. Just how much Sheehan represents American opinion can be hard to tell on the surface. Across the country, American flags fly proudly and "Support Our Troops" stickers can be found on most vehicles. But then, one needs to look no further than the petty display by anti-wars during Bush's inauguration in January to see evidence of their presence.
This poor fella is under the impression that he's a patriot
I feel that if Sheehan was serious, she would not want this media attention and would want to keep the issue as localized as possible. Instead, she's allowed herself to be put on a pedestal and to talk nonsense about how we're "nuking" innocent Iraqis. Since the anti-war movement believes any old garbage, and the media thrives on giving credence to it, Sheehan has gained instant celebrity status.
Pundits wonder if Sheehan can help inflict damage on Bush and humiliate him. That reminds me a lot of avid fox-hunter Lucy Ferry's vow to bring down Tony Blair. Nothing came of that, and, if common sense prevails, Sheehan will be a thing of the past within another month or so.
She is not being sincere. She has the right to question Bush personally about just what her son died for. But by bashing the military that her son was part of and using Jane Fonda-style tactics to criticize the war, she has really overstepped the mark and sold her soul to the unscrupulous Left.
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Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Jude
She is not being sincere.
All I had to read was this line to know you could not possibly be sincere yourself. You don't know what Mrs. Sheehan holds in her heart. None of us do.
This is nothing more than claptrap for those who'd like Mrs. Sheehan to go away.
2 - Rich
The name calling never ends. It is positive that she has inflicted dialoge to this issue.
>> "...every rag tag of The Great Unwashed..."
>>"But grief can also lead to irrational beliefs and throwing blame all around."
Smearing others seems to be the order of your party. You may think you have independent thought but your just another person spewing out slander, smear, and distorted, misinformed fabrications.
>>"Across the country, American flags fly proudly and "Support Our Troops" stickers can be found on most vehicles."
Is this your measure to justify your opinion? It seems weak. Being against Bush's policy does NOT mean people do no support our troops.
>>"Instead, she's allowed herself to be put on a pedestal and to talk nonsense about how we're "nuking" innocent Iraqis."
Do some research on depleted uranium
and its use in Iraq. It might require independent thinking but hey, challenge yourself.
"...anti-war movement believes any old garbage and the media thrives on it giving credence to it..."
Go out and ask questions to any anti-war activist. When was the last time you did this? Oh you dont have to ask questions your fed what to think aren't you?
>>"Pundits wonder if Sheehan can help inflict damage on Bush and humiliate him.""
Bush does a better job to humiliate himself then a grieving mother asking the president "what is our noble cause in Iraq?
>>"Sheehan will be a thing of the past within another month or so."
How many more of our soldiers will be killed in a few more months? Can you predict that too?
>>"She is not being sincere."
Nothing is further from the truth. Who would want to put themnselves at the hands of pundit hacks, slanderors, vile mischaracterizations, and illinformend rightwingers.
>>"Jane Fonda-style tactics to criticize the war"
You were probobly not born during this time to know that you can not equate Jane Fonda to Cindy Sheehan. If you were born during this time. You obviously don't know the facts to merit this unfounded statement.
Then again what part of your entire opinion are grounded in facts to merit credibility?
>>"...sold her soul to the unscrupulous Left."
"Unscrupulous" very doughtful. Sold her soul to the left would be much, much better then selling out to the right, but lets not get religous.
____________________________
More power to you Cindy!
--Rich
3 - Marcia L. Neil
The Sheehans are the subjects of an influence network.
4 - Victor Plenty
UPN?
5 - billy
and how are you a patriot? what have you done except trash the troops and their families and support people who run over flags and crosses remebering the fallen soldiers. you think that makes you a patriot? in what alternate world would that be?
6 - octogent
The sophomoric, purblind rebuttals to the concepts contained in the article, are a true reflection of the mentality of the idiots now egging on this ill-advised and tortured(by her own uncontained emotions) woman
7 - Mark Edward Manning
billy: "what have you done except trash the troops and their families and support people who run over flags and crosses remebering the fallen soldiers. you think that makes you a patriot?"
Um, billy, what the hell have you been smoking? What the F are you talking about?
8 - Mark Edward Manning
Rich: "Being against Bush's policy does NOT mean people do no support our troops."
Yeah, Rich, I believe the liberals' slogan goes something like: "I support the troops when they disobey orders."
I forgot that being a person of independent thought means being a card-carrying member of the extreme Left. Good for you, shame on me!
Stalin would be proud of you.
9 - Mark Edward Manning
Let's not also forget the fact, folks, that Sheehan has said, "My son fought for America, not Israel."
Ah, so - yet another anti-war anti-Semite! How unusual!
Today's anti-war twats would feel right at home in Nazi Germany.
10 - RJ
If Sheehan merely wanted another "visit" with Bush, she wouldn't need a publicist...
11 - Victor Lana
I don't think we can categorize Cindy Sheehan. As a grieving parent, she has a right that many of us do not have. Her son gave the ultimate sacrifice, so she is entitled to just about whatever the hell she wants to say.
To try to demonize Ms. Sheehan or put her into a demographic is perturbing and rather un-American. She has freedom of speech and has a right to persue it as she sees fit. Leave the poor woman alone!
12 - Marc
Victor Lina: "so she is entitled to just about whatever the hell she wants to say."
"Just about whatever" does not, nor ever will, include another meeting with Bush. She got more than most and at the time was satisfied.
Only now after the moonbats, shysters, and Moveon PR crackpots have gotten hold of Sheehan's brainstem has she changed her tune. (at least publicly, we now know she's been a peace at all costs nutcase for much longer.)
The anti-war movement went from millions marching the worlds streets in 2003 to not having enough people to form a long line a porta-potty.
They see a face to plaster all over their movement and will use, abuse and then discard Sheehan in the nearest shitcan when the cameras go on to the the "next big thing."
BTW Rich: Your correct "The name calling never ends."
Kennedy: How many times has he implied Bush was a nazi?
Sheehan: Bush is a "murderer," "he murdered my son."
Howard "the Duck": How many times his that idiot and "greatest gift to the republicans" spewed his inciteful invective in the last few months?
That knife cuts both ways Rich so cut the crap, or we may believe you're just a partisan hack.
13 - Rich
Mark,
By Reverting to name calling and fabrications is a loss in credibility.
Come back to the dialoge when you have truth to work with.
Enough said.
--Rich
14 - Marc
BTW I should have added there are people that believe Sheehan should meet with Bush.
IT's very hard to argue with the points being made.
15 - Marc
What truth Rich, are you trying to say the references I noted aren't truthful?
If so your not worth conversing with because you plainly are blinded by partisanship.
16 - Dave Nalle
That's a great link, Marc. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
Dave
17 - Shark
We're through the looking glass here, folks.
Manning: "Sheehan has given a fresh face to the anti-war movement, which until recently had lost a lot of momentum."
Marc: "The anti-war movement went from millions marching the worlds streets in 2003 to not having enough people to form a long line a porta-potty."
Marc and Manning, your denial is laughable.
== end of transmission == (from a Wisconsin newspaper editorial calling for a timetable/withdrawal from Iraq)
Manning and Marc show evidence of a typical Right-Wing SOP:
1) Attack the messenger
2) Divert attention from the REAL ISSUE
Sheehan is asking:
1) Why did my son die in Iraq? What reasons did America have for this war?
2) When will the soldiers come home?
-- Which are two very valid questions that a majority of Americans, Liberal and Conservative alike -- are asking.
Can't wait until Iraqi Vets start asking the same questions; it will be interesting to see how the likes of Marc and Manning spin THEIR 'anti-american', unpatriotic opinions!
...Not to mention their attacks on a few hundred more mothers of dead GIs who start showing up to criticize Bush and Company...
This should be interesting -- and the Manning and Marcish response should be especially disgusting.
Stay tuned. They have no shame.
18 - Shark
Oh, and did I mention that...
Vietn... um, I mean "IRAQ"
IS
STILL
A
FUCKING
DISASTER...?
(But let's not talk about that, let's talk about Cindy Sheehan... right?)
19 - Marc
Whose "diverting attention" Shark?
Are we to believe you actually equate a poll of a small percentage of American people, no matter how accurate, with the "anti-war movement" both I and Manning are referring to?
Let me get out my cluebat:
Anti-war movement defined as: Code Pink, International ANSWER, CommonDreams.org, Stop the war Coalition, Not in My Name, etc, etc.
On and on the list goes full of foil-hat wearing polly-annas and moonbats who all desire to stop a human activity that has never been stopped (or slowed down for that matter) in the history of man.
All well and good that's their right, the same as it's my right to call them what they are. Nutcases, wasting their time, breath and money.
Shark you say we are attacking the messenger. NEWSFLASH, if the messenger wasn't such an intellectually dishonest, blithering idiot no one would have a target to shoot at.
If you desire to latch onto Sheehan as if she's the anti-war movement's Rosa Parks or the latest Omarosa have fun doing it.
Inside a month, with the exception of a guest appearance with Jane Fonda and her anti-war, french fry oil burning bus tour Sheehan will be long gone.
20 - Laurence Simon
Marc-
I made the argument that Sheehan should meet with the President.
Close mouth, open eyes, engage brain.
21 - Marc
Your exactly correct Laurence, I noted the difference after posting, but those that get "the joke" understand what both of us were refering to.
22 - Dave Nalle
>>1) Why did my son die in Iraq? What reasons did America have for this war?
2) When will the soldiers come home?
-- Which are two very valid questions that a majority of Americans, Liberal and Conservative alike -- are asking.<<
Shark, these are questions which you'd like people to be asking, but which most people understand have either already been answered or cannot be answered in any sensible way.
If you throw questions at the president which everyone knows he can't possibly answer it's very easy to then say 'look, he's not answering our questions'. But it's not exactly a fair criticism.
These questions are like the classic 'when did you stop beating your wife' question. And you're not a dummy, you ought to see that.
Dave
23 - Dave Nalle
I have to correct my last comment. I said most people know these questions are nonsensical. That's not strictly true. The ought to know that, but they've been emotionally manipulated so much at this point that they very well may not know it.
Dave
24 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Regarding the blogpost to which Marc linked in comment #14 (which would have been more effective if the link text had read, "the President," instead of "Bush"): How many lines did everyone have to read before guessing the obvious punchline? I am merely curious.
All kidding aside, the Newsweek poll numbers provided by Shark in comment #17 are indicative of how the national sentiment regarding the war in Iraq has radically shifted in the last 2 1/2 years or so.
Sure, in the beginning (early 2003), the anti-war movement was defined by groups like Code Pink, International ANSWER, CommonDreams.org, Stop the war Coalition, Not in My Name, etc.
Back then, around 70% were in favor of the war and 30% were against it (rounded estimates do not include the usual 5-6% worth of undecideds, no opinions and "what's an Iraq?" responses).
But now that those poll numbers have effectively turned upside-down (except for that same 5-6% of know-nothings and think-nothings), the anti-war movement can no longer be defined in the same manner.
In fact, it is no longer a movement because anti-war sentiments have become (according to the polls) the national sentiment, thereby relegating the pro-war folks to the status of a movement because movements are for minorities, not majorities.
But it likely wasn't the work of groups like Code Pink, International ANSWER, CommonDreams.org, Stop the war Coalition, Not in My Name, etc. that caused this radical shift, but rather the events of the last 2 1/2 years themselves.
The shift had already occurred by the time Mrs. Sheehan began making headlines a few weeks ago, so she hasn't really changed any minds as much as she has become a conduit for the expression of the shifting national sentiments.
The anti-war folks have exploited this opportunity to take advantage of the popularity of the anti-war sentiment, which behooves their fund raising efforts while providing fodder for gloating. But they cannot take the credit for having created these advantageous circumstances in which they now find themselves.
In the meantime, the pro-war movement is simply not getting it in the same way that the anti-war movement did not get it when they tried to make their point via the practice known as "Bush bashing."
Mr. Manning, you will not win very many friends, nor will you influence many people with disparaging remarks about a grieving mother whose question -- "What noble cause did my son die for?" -- appears to have no real answer.
25 - Victor Lana
Marc,
These were my exact words:
Her son gave the ultimate sacrifice, so she is entitled to just about whatever the hell she wants to say.
I never said that she should meet with Bush or even that she has a "right" to meet with him. In fact, I think that would be counter-productive at this point. She has achieved so much more by NOT meeting with him.
If he had been smart, he would have met with her privately right away to diffuse things.
In my opinion, she has a right to say whatever she wants.