Go get her, chimp

Bush to Have Cindy Sheehan, Mother of Fallen Soldier, Arrested on Thursday
Liberal Politics: U.S. Blog

August 09, 2005

Bush to Have Cindy Sheehan, Mother of Fallen Soldier, Arrested on Thursday
In its lead editorial today, the New York Times tells of Cindy Sheehan, the middle-aged mother of a soldier slain in Iraq, who is camping outside the President's Crawford Ranch, asking to meet with the President. She wants answers about the Iraq War, and the Times agrees with her that America deserves better answers.

Cindy first came to national attention when she testified at the Downing Street Memo hearings held in May 2005 by a Congressional Democratic caucus, lead by Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI). Prior to her son's death, Cindy had never been politically active or even much interested.

After her son's death by grenade fire on his Humvee in April 2004, Cindy, husband Pat and half a dozen others, founded the Gold Seal Families for Truth, a group of Americans who lost family members in the Iraq War. In Crawford, Cindy is joined by members of GSFT, as well as of Veteran's for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Code Pink, and Crawford Peace House.

These non-violent sojourners waiting alongside a hot, dusty Texas road for a few minutes with George Bush want to ask him the following: "We would like for him to explain this 'noble cause' to us and ask him why Jenna and Barbara are not in harm's way, if the cause is so noble. If George is not ready to send the twins, then he should bring our troops home immediately. We will demand a speedy withdrawal. "

Yesterday, Cindy was informed that her entire group will be arrested Thursday, August 11, if not gone by then.

At DailyKos, Cindy wrote, "...we got word that if we were still there by Thursday, we were going to be deemed a 'security threat' to the president. Condi and Rummy are coning in on Thursday for a 'policy' meeting.... I just don't understand why we will be a security threat on Thursday when we aren't now? If we don't leave on Thursday, we will be arrested.

Well, I am not leaving. There are only three things that would make me leave: if George comes out and talks to me; if August comes to an end, or if I am arrested."

George Bush would be gravely foolish to have these pained, peaceful families arrested. It would only take few minutes of his time to stroll out the front gate of his sumptuous ranch, and speak to these people who sacrificed so much for their country.

I keep asking where our collective anger is over this corrupt and corrupting war. Arresting Cindy Sheehan may just be the trigger to galvanize our country to stand up and demand some truth and an exit strategy.

After all, every contagious movement needs a martyr in handcuffs.