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Cindy Sheehan, shut your trap!

Started by MommaSquid, July 06, 2006, 10:55:03 PM

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MommaSquid

Army Spc. Casey Sheehan
24, of Vacaville, California.

Sheehan died in Baghdad, Iraq, when his unit was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire. He was assigned to 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Hood, Texas. He died on April 4, 2004.

Casey was not a child when he enlisted in the Army.   And he re-enlisted knowing that he would be sent to Iraq.  He was a mechanic who volunteered for hazardous duties, including Combat Lifesaver training.  He died trying to save lives.  His mother should be proud.

Instead, with every breath and every word, Cindy Sheehan dishonors her son’s memory.  He made choices and those choices got him killed, but he was an adult and he died doing something he believed in.  Yes, she has every right to be angry that her son died.  But she should be proud of the man he chose to be and honor the choices he made.  

Cindy was on the news again last night.  Everyone knows her name, but how many people know her son's first name?  Her tirades against the government do not show a mother’s love.  I want our troops home, too, but I would never dishonor the memory of those who died doing what they believed in.

End rant.  Here are some of my sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casey_Sheehan

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2005/08/a ... alist.html

Asmodean Prime

#1
Ok, I've read both citations.  Nowhere does it state what Casey's views were on Iraq.  There are plenty of mentions regarding his bravery, and his loyalty to his fellow soldiers...as it should be.

However, for the sake of discussion, let's say that Casey supported the US efforts in Iraq completely, and without reservation.  If that was the case, I still think it would be going to far to suggest that his mother "dishonors her son's memory".  Remaining silent would be the ultimate dishonor of Casey's memory.  For just as Casey did what he considered to be the right thing, to ask his mother to do less would be tantamount to lending false support.  Silence, in contradiction to one's conscience, is cowardice.  I celebrate Cindy Sheehan's bravery in speaking out, against what can only be described as a torrent of opposition, some of an incredibly vicious and malicious nature.

Let us celebrate the First Amendment, and remember that it is always needed most in moments of crisis, and times of tribulation, much more than in times of calm.  Let us salute the bravery of the nine Gold Star families, including Ms. Sheehan, that first spoke out against an intervention that was poorly planned, poorly executed, and has cost the lives of 2547 as of today, nearly 20,000 wounded, produced close to 100,000 cases of PTSD, cost $350 billion so far, and increased the power of the real enemy, Al Quaida, to such an extent, that the CIA has disbanded the Bin Laden unit because the power has been effectively distributed to so many splinter cells, much to the consternation of those in the CIA.

MommaSquid

#2
Casey Sheehan’s personal beliefs on Iraq went with him to the grave.  One can speculate that since he knew he would be sent to Iraq if he re-enlisted and he did re-enlist that he supported some aspect of the mission.  He voluntarily joined the military and he voluntarily signed up for training that is used during dangerous missions.  Those facts have been reported by several sources, not just the ones I referenced above.

But my point was not to debate his beliefs or the competence of our government.  A rant is emotional by nature, and not entirely rational.    

Perhaps Cindy believes she is honoring her son’s memory.  I disagree.  Luckily, in this country, differing opinions are allowed and speech is protected.  

I did not agree with every decision my late son ever made, however I would not disparage his choices now that he is gone.  It’s hard for me to understand Cindy’s motivation.  Surely her son’s memory would be better served in some other manner.

McQ

#3
Right there with you, MommaSquid. I agree with you on Cindy. Being both the son of a Navy Officer (WWII and Korea) and a former Army Officer myself, I think Cindy is doing a disservice to her son's memory. I disagree to some extent with Chris' assertion that silence is the dishonor, although I agree with Chris on Cindy's First Amendment rights. But disagreeing with someone who is lashing out emotionally (Cindy, not Chris, LOL!) is not the same as censorship, nor is it supressing their rights to speak.

Cindy Sheehan can "not support" the war in any number of ways that don't involve grandstanding. She would do a lot better going through Congress on this, not the Executive Office.

That said, I do not support the President in this, neither have I lost a son to the war, so I don't know what Cindy Sheehan is going through personally.

Again, for me the issue isn't whether or not Cindy Sheehan has the right to speak or protest, but that she is doing it in such a way that hurts her cause and dishonors her son's life and death.
Elvis didn't do no drugs!
--Penn Jillette

Big Mac

#4
What bothers me is how Michael Moore and others are exploiting a grieving mother. They really don't care about her, they only are delighted that she is an emotional jerker for the left against Bush. I personally find that disgusting and feel they are stepping on the corpses of the men and women who have died for America (Yes, I am against the Iraqi war also). Free Speech is great and all, but some things you just shouldn't do out of an ethical obligation, using the dead and their grieving survivors is just wrong to me.

I also agree, her son fully knew what he was doing. Like an astronaut who volunteers, he understands the risks and chooses to continue for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately he did die, as have over 2,000 men and women over in Iraq. I'm not saying he's not worthy of recognition but did Cindy notice the parents of the other fallen soldiers not going to Crawford, Tx and protesting?

I still agree she has her First Amendment rights, but I believe she should really consider what and who she is protesting for.  To me it seems like it may not be who she thinks it is for.
Quote from: "PoopShoot"And what if pigs shit candy?

MikeyV

#5
People like Cindy Sheehan, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Michael Moore, Nancy Pelosi, Howard Dean, and a slew of others are the reason that many of us former republicans won't join the democratic party.

I hate extremism, and these are the faces the party chooses to use to interface with the public. All they are successful at is making republicans dig in their heels.

I've seen many websites over the past few weeks that go off on rants over Ann Coulter's nasty comments. I find it odd that the left gets so offended when the right says something, and act as if there is no egg on the faces of its own. It would be laughable if it weren't so downright ugly.

Sheehan's son chose to serve. He re-upped knowing full well that he would be going to the sand box. Although sad that he died, it was his choice. Sheehan has every right to express her grief and disagreement over his death, but she makes it sound as if Bush walked up to him and shot him himself.

I get more than a little tired of people saying things like "If this war is so great, how about you send your child to die there!" as if parents bundled up their kids and threw them on a passing 5 ton that was taking forced conscripts. Most of us chose to join DESPITE our parents wishes. We are responsible for the choice to serve, not our parents. If I were to die in Iraq, and my mother acted as Sheehan, I'd hope there was an afterlife, so I could come back and haunt her.

For the record, I'm mostly a free market libertarian. I was a republican, but in a Barry Goldwater Arizona ain't paying more taxes to you thiefs in Washington sort of way. I had to leave after it became the jesus party.

Total derailment: Fellow Arizonans, if Len Munsil wins the Arizona primaries for his general election run at the governorship, we must do everything in our power to stop him. He will attempt theocracy at his earliest opportunity. He's one scary dude.

Sorry for the length, and my thoughts aren't usually this disorganized :-P
Life in Lubbock, Texas taught me two things. One is that God loves
you and you're going to burn in hell. The other is that sex is the
most awful, dirty thing on the face of the earth and you should save
it for someone you love.
   
   -- Butch Hancock.

JNTB

#6
When Cindy Sheehan first entered the news world, she had a point. She was a grieving mother who didn't understand why her son died, not physically but philosophically. This is a poignant view held by all mothers, a natural thing.

Her point of view echoed many thoughts held by most of us about the justifications for the invasion of Iraq. In retrospect, it was a badly bungled decision and a grieving mother in the form of Sheehan became the end result. Politically, she was the poster child for a rather ugly situation. When she started out, I don't believe she dishonored her son as she was simply a grieving mother asking "why".

However, Cindy started driving her car toward Hollywood and she veered off Mulholland Drive into a canyon in a horrible, fiery crash that is still burning because nobody is putting it out. There are no rescue teams for such an accident. She had a point but either let emotions or fantastical notions lead her astray. Had she kept on message, kept humble and avoided all the other hooplah, she would still be holding the attention of most every mother in America. Now she is just a sad artifact of the opposition, a person held in disdain from the hippie days of street movements. Has she dishonored her son in the aftermath? Probably not in my view. I agree and disagree with MommaSquid on this issue. As MommaSquid points out, his name is rarely in the news. Instead of dishonoring her son, I think she is dishonoring all mothers with her stupid behavior. She is dishonoring her remaining family members because they have abandoned her. Her antics are not helping her living family, and her primary duty in this world is to help them. Of course, she is likely in need of psychiatric help so she probably isn't cognizant of everything she is doing.

She needed simple, decent PR advice on the order of developing a MADD- or SADD-type or organization. Hollywood isn't it. They have their own problems.
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