[Oe List ...] Voices across america - cindy sheehan's journey

Jon M Elizondo jonzondo at juno.com
Fri Aug 12 20:08:38 EDT 2005


Dear Group,  The following is an excerpt of a very long diary of articles
from around the country of responses to the vigil of Cindy Sheehan.  She
is the mother of a deceased American soldier and she is camping out right
outside Bush's ranch in Crawford, TX asking to meet with the president to
hold him accountable for her son's death.  This diary is a powerful
witness for me.  I share it in the spirit of empowerment.  If you wish to
view the original source, the link is  
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/8/12/0819/13912   
~Jon Mark Elizondo
************************************************************

Thu Aug 11th, 2005 at 21:08:19 PDT
No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for
whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. -- John Donne
No woman is an island either. Even if she's a powerhouse of a woman named
Cindy Sheehan. This diary is a collection of news clippings to celebrate
some of those who've heard the bell toll, and are now answering its call
by descending on Camp Casey.
The Chattanoogan [TN] Bart Whiteman: 
Bush Backs Down from Encounter with Mrs. Sheehan [whole article highly
recommended]
George W. can probably safely duck one woman for awhile, maybe forever.
But what if another mother with a son killed in the Iraq War joins Cindy
Sheehan? What if two join? Three? Four? Five? Six? What if some children
whose fathers aren't coming back join the crowd? What if all the people
in Iraq who have needlessly had family members killed by George's actions
find a way to get to Texas? Crawford could start looking like a big city.

The metropolis grows.
San Francisco Chronicle [CA]: A Vacaville Woman Whose Son Was Killed in
Iraq Attracts Nationwide Protest
The pilgrims flocking to see her, some driving hundreds of miles after
hearing one of the 200 interviews she has conducted this week, are
different from the usual suspects who have been protesting the Iraq war
for more than two years. 
There's Rick Green, a 28-year-old trucker from Moody, Texas, who isn't
sure about the war but lost his 13-year-old boy last year. There's
Jonathan Read, a retired hotel executive from Arizona who ditched three
days of golf to come here, donated $4,000 and then offered to pick up all
of Sheehan's meals. There's Tiffany Strause, a 29-year-old computer
consultant who arrived Tuesday from San Diego because it was time to "do
something." 
Unlike the bullhorn-wielding activists marching down Market Street in San
Francisco or the armchair activists on MoveOn.org, Sheehan is connecting
with many Americans on the most human level. 

Houston Chronicle [TX]: Protest By a Grieving Mother Gains Momentum
Some who have joined Sheehan say they made impulsive decisions to come
here after learning about her protest on Web sites and other media. Matt
Rosine, 29, a minister at the First Colony Christian Church in Sugar
Land, said since he had the day off Wednesday he decided to jump in his
car and drive to Crawford."I wanted to meet her (Sheehan) and say 'way to
go,' " he said.

USAToday: Mother Who Lost Son in Iraq Inspires Swell of Bush Protestors
Trucker Craig Delaney, 53, was in Georgia on Monday when he heard
numerous radio shows discussing Sheehan -- some criticizing her. He
altered his route to California, heading for Texas, and got to Sheehan's
site Wednesday morning. "I felt compelled to come and tell her I support
her," said Delaney, a self-described hippie from Sly Park, Calif. "The
way they were bad-mouthing a mother whose son was killed in the war is
un-American." 

Quad City Times [IL]: Area Mother Joining the Fray in Bush Country
A couple of books on tape, a cell phone and some junk food are the only
things keeping Caryn Unsicker company on the long road. The Silvis, Ill.,
woman set out Wednesday morning on a 1,000-mile pilgrimage from her home
to President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. She probably won't get but
a few miles from the entrance to the sprawling retreat. 
But she has to go.
Unsicker is adding her voice to the demand. After all, her son, a Marine,
could be next. "He's in San Diego right now, but he's looking forward to
going to Iraq, bless his heart," she said. "These kids are so full of
good intentions and love of country, but they're too young to see the big
picture. "His father was a Marine -- a real patriot who's always said of
this country, `Either love it or leave it,' " she added. "And now even he
is against this war. "This war is immoral, illegal and wrong. It's
important our voices are heard, that more of us make it clear that we do
not agree with this war."

MercuryNews [San Jose, CA]: Mother's Vigil at Bush Ranch Galvanizes
Movement
``Cindy Sheehan has become the Rosa Parks of the anti-war movement,''
said Rev. Lennox Yearwood, leader of the Hip Hop Caucus, an activist
group. ``She's tired, fed up and she's not going to take it anymore, and
so now we stand with her.''

Seattle Post-Intelligencer [WA]: Mother's Peace Vigil Gains Support
"We're all Cindy Sheehan," said [Lietta] Ruger, [from Bay Center, WA] who
plans to stay at the makeshift encampment until Monday. "When I left
Seattle yesterday my 5-year-old grandson said, 'Grandma's going to talk
to the president so Daddy doesn't have to go away again,' " said Ruger,
whose son-in-law and nephew have already served in Iraq. 
About 30 people gathered at the Jackson Federal Building in downtown
Seattle Wednesday evening to support Sheehan's demand to speak with Bush
and to protest the war. "This mother has called (Bush) on (his reason for
going to war) and we need to support her," said protest organizer Judith
Shattuck, a member of Progressive Democrats for America. That
organization called for solidarity protests nationwide on the eve of when
it thinks Sheehan will be removed from her roadside vigil, Shattuck said.
Teri Barclay, a Duvall mother who works in Seattle, said her son served
two tours with the Marines in Iraq before he was discharged in September
2004. She's been against the war from the beginning but has grown
increasingly angry that U.S. troops have not had the equipment and
supplies they need to protect themselves, and that the Department of
Veterans Affairs has not had the money to properly help them when they
return home. Barclay was especially upset that Bush has gone on vacation
while the nation is at war and men like her son are dying in Iraq. "Our
sons have sacrificed a lot, and where is his sacrifice? Where is his
support?" Barclay asked.
Sheehan's support includes a caravan of people who left Wednesday from
Houston to join her roadside encampment near Waco. And some Swedes have
even donated portable toilets that were set up outside the Peace House in
Crawford.


More information about the OE mailing list