Personal Message From Vacaville

What follows are posts from FReeper Mom of Two Soldiers, a Vacaville resident who has quite a bit of background knowledge of events of the last few years vis-a-vis the Sheehan's and Vacaville's response to 9/11.

We were present at the Vacaville caravan two days ago. From the articles in the Associated Press and in the San Francisco Chronicle, one would have thought there were two different functions.

Anxiously, while the group waited for arrival, there were two families present who were somber and anxious. One from Vallejo and one from Vacaville.

The Vallejo family was the brother of a solider hwo had fallen in Iraq. The Vacaville family was a father of a fallen Marine. On March 23, 2003, Marine Lance Cpl. Michael J. Williams, 31, was killed in action during a firefight around Nasiriyah, Iraq. The Yuma, Ariz., native was reported missing in action March 26 before the military changed his status three days later to killed in action. He was based in Camp Lejeune, N.C., and assigned to the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. He was engaged to be married and proposed while on a ship in Kuwait, prior to going into battle.

One could tell that the mention of Sheehan brought up emotions for the family members. Hands visibly shook as the father, Joseph Wilson, put a photograph of his son and a folded flag in front of it, upon the hood of his truck.

Hugs of support were given to him and to one another from members of the group, mostly families of soldiers, former soldiers and those who have been personally touched by the War in Iraq.

By those who were in the same hometown as Cindy Sheehan and who don't agree with her statements that what our sons and daughters were risking their lives for was a "noble cause," that the U.S. get out of Palestine (echoing the sentiments of terrorists)and the partisan political statements she continues to make. "Our government is run by one party, every level," Sheehan continued, "and the mainstream media is a propaganda tool for the government." Sheehan also called the 2004 presidential election "the election, quote-unquote, that happened in November."

They didn't agree with Sheehan's support of Lynn Stewart, who was charged with aiding and abetting terrorists who have been trying to kill our U.S. citizens and our children fighting overseas.

Sheehan said she considered Lynne Stewart her Atticus Finch, the lawyer who defended an innocent Black man accused of rape in the book and film “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

“They’re not waging a War on Terror but a War of Terror,” she said. “The biggest terrorist is George W. Bush.” She claimed “it costs $66,000 to recruit one soldier, not including training, and $49,000 a year to house a prisoner, yet only $6,000 per year is spent to educate a child in California. (Recruiting costs are actually $15,000 per soldier, the cost of housing a prisoner in California for one year is $26,000.)

Sheehan continued, “9/11 was Pearl Harbor for the neo-conservatives’ agenda” and declared the U.S. government a “morally repugnant system.” Then she raged:

We have no Constitution. We’re the only country with no checks and balances. We want our country back if we have to impeach George Bush down to the person who picks up the dog sh-t in Washington! Let George Bush send his two little party animals to die in Iraq. It’s OK for Israel to have nuclear weapons but we are waging nuclear war in Iraq, we have contaminated the entire country. It’s not OK for Syria to be in Lebanon. Hypocrites! But Israel can occupy Palestine? Stop the slaughter!

Nowhere do the articles indicating media bias indicate that Casey reenlisted in the military, coming home for a period of time and encouraging many young Vacaville adults to enlist. That he was proud of what he was doing and he believed in what he was doing in Iraq.

We, in Vacaville, know the family, knew Casey and know of the difficulties the Sheehans had before and after Casey's death.

We knew of the John Kerry campaign coming out to visit them just after it occurred, as they tried to do with many other families. We knew of the referral to the Fenton Communications agency. Most of us know how she has been used.

Many of us comforted the family. Some of our troops, from Travis Air Force Base faced hostile fire to bring Casey home to his parents. Sheehan was grateful then. Now, she slams them for THEIR wishes that the way they honor their fallen be done in privacy.

Nowhere in the articles by the media on the Vacaville event, did it indicate families of other fallen soldiers were at odds with her or even existed.

Nowhere does it state that while individuals were in the parking lot, during the press conferences, vehicles drove by honking in support.

The story of Vacaville was basically ignored by the SF Chronicle and by the Associated Press, who tried to minimize what occurred.

And what occurred were the long time friends and neighbors of Cindy Sheehan standing behind her during her time of grief and standing up against her during her time of anger. Not only long time friends and neighbors, but families and parents of military members, loved ones of fallen soldiers and those who knew Casey and knew he was a hero.

Most frustrating are the times in which Casey died. In March of that year, John Kerry stood up for Al Sadr, the Muslim Cleric who called in his newspaper for the deaths of U.S. troops. Kerry stated in public radio that Al Sadr had a legitimate voice (to call for the deaths of American soldiers in Iraq) and that the military should not have shut down his newspaper. It was Al Sadr's people who killed Casey Sheehan. It was John Kerry who approached her and used her after that occurred. None of us can understand why Cindy Sheehan would embrace someone after that occurred.

So, the REAL story from Vacaville...the truth that the newspapers are not telling you.

Nathan,

The time line, in itself, is what is important.

4/3/04 Casey Sheehan dies in Sadr City after Al Sadr uses his newspaper to call for terrorists to kill Americans.

4/7/04 John Kerry, on National Public Radio, calls the Iraqis "freedom fighters" and states that Al Sadr has a legitimate voice.

4/6/04 Sheehan statements to media: One of the most recent U.S. casualties in the war in Iraq was a 24-year-old Bay Area man.

Army Specialist Casey Sheehan of Vacaville died over the weekend when the vehicle he was riding in was attacked in Baghdad. He had been in the country less than two weeks.

"He just wanted to go over to fight for his country, and serve his country," said Sheehan's mother Cindy Sheehan.

In fact, Casey Sheehan served in the Army twice, first in the late 1990s. This past August, he re-enlisted. Sheehan's father said when the chaplains arrived at his door Sunday night, he just couldn't believe it.

"I told them, 'My son has only been gone in Iraq for two weeks. This has to be a mistake,'" Patrick Sheehan said. "They just said, 'Please, Mr. Sheehan, let us in. We have to come in and talk to you.'"

4/8/04 Carly advises the media: "That's all he wanted to do was serve God and his country his whole life," Carly Sheehan said. "He was a boy scout from age 6 or 7 and an Eagle Scout. It was kind of a natural progression to go into the military from that. He said he was enjoying the military because it was just like the boy scouts but they got guns."

The Sheehan family are supportive of the President during this time except for daughter Carly who is attending community college. They are given considerable support from the community and airmen from Travis Air Force Base bring Casey home.

5/12/04 She and her husband go to Santa Barbara to see the cross made in honor of Casey by the Veterans for Peace.

5/26/04 Another Vacaville news article. Casey is granted his Associates Degree from the Community. http://www.angelfire.com/sk3/spkhntrca/article1.html
"One of your classmates paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and will receive his degree posthumously," college President Paulette Perfumo told the graduating class.

The faculty, graduates and crowd came to their feet and erupted in applause in honor of the local hero as Casey's parents accepted the degree in theater and acting. As Cindy turned from the podium, she clutched the degree with both hands against her chest, her eyes full of emotion.

"It's kind of bittersweet," his father, Patrick, said before the ceremony. "We are proud of our son, but sad he's not with us."

We don't think he died in vain because he saved his buddies, and that's sacred," Cindy said. "He died the way he lived."

Then, they stated, what became an invitation for others to approach them:

But certain things have taken on new meaning for the couple, like Memorial Day and the rhetoric surrounding the war in Iraq. Casey's death has been used several times as reasons why the war is either right or wrong, which the couple doesn't mind.

Cindy and Patrick admit, though, to being frustrated with the war and with President George W. Bush, as they said the war seems to lack a clear goal or end.

"We support the troops 100 percent and the Army has been good to us," Cindy said. "But he (Bush) should have had a better plan before he sent our son over there to get killed. Casey is a hero because he saved his buddies, but did (his) sacrifice help the Iraqis' freedom?"
5/29/04 Cindy and Pat are at the Fiesta Days Parade in Vacaville, honoring our troops and singing Amazing Grace, while locals hail Casey and Mike Williams as heroes. Son Andy is in the car. Cindy is given flowers by the city.
http://www.angelfire.com/sk3/spkhntrca/fiestaparadepc.html

Mid June 04 The Kerry campaign is calling parents of fallen soldiers asking him to stand behind them. http://www.ultimatesnowmobiler.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2850

6/16/04 Carly Sheehan posts her post on Common Dreams, About them: "Founded in 1997, we are committed to being on the cutting-edge of using the internet as a political organizing tool - and creating new models for internet activism."

6/17/04 The Veterans for Peace are distributing Carly's poem on the web. http://arkansas.indymedia.org/newswire/display/4005/index.php

They find it on "Common Dreams"

Carly speaks with coworkers at work who are military and military families. She is conflicted about war.

June 24, 2004 The Sheehan family meets with President Bush. They return and they speak very positively about him and the cause in Iraq.

Cindy spoke about Casey and asked the president to make her son’s sacrifice count for something. They also spoke of their faith.

The parents make public statements about Casey being a hero and state:

"We haven't been happy with the way the war has been handled," Cindy said. "The president has changed his reasons for being over there every time a reason is proven false or an objective reached."

"...But in the end, the family decided against such talk, deferring to how they believed Casey would have wanted them to act.

"...We have a lot of respect for the office of the president, and I have a new respect for him because he was sincere and he didn't have to take the time to meet with us," Pat said.

Apparently they change their mind in the next week.

6/25/04 Fahrenheit 911 is released.

There are many discussions at Carly's workplace about Fahrenheit 911 pro and con. Mostly questions are left, not answers. Carly is still very conflicted.

Within almost days, Carly advises individuals the family has been contacted by John Kerry. They are referred to a P.R. firm who assists them. She begins making negative statements about the President and about the war. She is angry with the military about what occurred with her brother. At this time, Cindy becomes very involved with the antiwar movement.

7/4/04 Nine days later, a peace meeting was held at the Universalist Church in Berkeley, California where Vietnam era peace activists spoke, including County Joe of County Joe and the Fish. The Sheehans not only attended, but spoke at that meeting with the Desert Storm Advocacy Group and wearing t-shirts reading, "Bring them home now."

7/11/04 Cindy is at the Veterans for Peace Memorial in Huntington Beach, California where a cross is put up in Casey's honor on the beach.

7/24/04 The kickoff for Real Voices, an antiBush organization is filming the Carly's ad.. An article about it is printed earlier in the Vacaville Reporter. Carly is excited about it and tells coworkers she is working for the John Kerry campaign. She gives out business cards of Kerry's P.R. agents. http://www.angelfire.com/sk3/spkhntrca/rvp.html

8/7/04 Sheehan family contacts the Vacaville Reporter and "expresses frustration" with the President.

Pointing to the fruitless search for weapons of mass destruction and the continuing threat of terrorism, Carly Sheehan, Casey's sister, and Cindy Sheehan, his mother, said they have been struggling to understand why Casey was in Iraq at all. "Every time I hear a soldier or Marine died it just breaks my heart," Cindy said. "We don't think Casey died in vain because he was saving American lives, but we don't understand why they were there in the first place."

Carly's TV segment, titled "Big Brother," has been completed and Cindy said she expected hers to be done soon.

When finished, the segments will air in battleground states around the country, showing participants criticizing presidential policies on Iraq, the economy and the environment. California is not considered a battleground state, but Cindy said it was possible some ads would air in the Bay Area. The spots are presented as messages directly to Bush, and Cindy said she used her time on camera to talk about her son. "I wanted the president to know how hard it is to lose a child," she said. But Carly said she would not be so restrained if she had the same opportunity again. "We're getting to the point in the grieving process where we're angry," she said. "I would demand honest answers from him. Why are we still there? Why was my brother still there?" http://www.angelfire.com/sk3/spkhntrca/RVART.html

Carly hands out business cards to locals of what she refers to as "John Kerry's P.R. firm" who is paying their expenses on his campaign trail.

8/21/04 Kerry takes on moveon.org exec into his personal campaign. Zack Exley ran the internet operations for Moveon.org. Now he's doing the same thing for the Kerry campaign. You don't think that Moveon.org didn't have a long range plan to attack President Bush? Exley would have vast knowledge of what Moveon.org was planning throughout the presidential campaign. Then he jumps to the Kerry camp with all that knowledge. Sure, he can say that he won't coordinate with Moveon.org. He doesn't need to. He already has Moveon.org's plan in his head.

9/11/04 Fort Hood Knights of Columbus honors Casey on the anniversary of 9/11. The Sheehans attend. http://www.angelfire.com/sk3/spkhntrca/Caseykoc.html Read the comments of Cindy Sheehan at that time, totally contradictory to her actions: “His faith never wavered, he never questioned what the right thing to do was, he just always did the right thing,” Cindy Sheehan said of her son. “He always gave of himself even until the very end when he gave all he could give.” Sheehan’s father Pat, already a member of the Knights of Columbus in California, said he was surprised when representatives from the Fort Hood council called him about the dedication.

“I was just stunned. This is the first council at Fort Hood and of all of the thousands of Soldiers who have come and gone through Fort Hood, for them to actually think enough of [Casey] to name the council after him is amazing,” Pat said. “This will be a lasting tribute to our son.”

From another site: "My husband and I just went to Ft. Hood a couple weeks ago because the Catholic chapel he always went to was starting a new Knights of Columbus Council, and they decided to name it after Casey. It’s the Specialist Casey Austin Sheehan Knights of Columbus Council because they say that his love for his God, his church, his country and his family embodied what they want to stand for."

9/29/04 The press release about the television ads comes out on Reuters though taped months earlier. Sheehan hits the campaign trail. http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0929-02.htm

10/7/04 Sheehan is interviewed by Buzzflash.com. "My son was killed by Shiite insurgents. I believe George Bush created the insurgency by his failed policies and that’s why my son was killed." "We didn’t understand why the United States was there. We never thought that Iraq was an imminent threat to the United States. But Casey told me, "Mom, this is what we trained for. I’m ready. It’s my job. Because the sooner I get there, the sooner I’ll come home."And he came home three weeks later in a flag-draped coffin." "No matter who wins November 2 -–I hope it’s Kerry -–but no matter who wins, we have to hold them accountable. We have to start putting pressure on our elected officials to bring our troops home from the most unjust and mess of a war that our selected president has got us into."

THE BLATANT LIE: "I actually got to meet face to face with the president. He called me "Mom"because he didn’t know my name, and he didn’t know my son’s name -- he just knows that he’s meeting with these families that have lost loved ones. He said, "Mom, I can’t imagine the pain you’re going through."

I said, "I think you can imagine it a little bit, Mr. President. You have daughters. How would you feel if one of them was killed?"

I told him, "Trust me, Mr. President –- you don’t want to go there."

He said, "You’re right. I don’t."
http://www.buzzflash.com/interviews/04/10/int04050.html

After the election, she becomes very verbally radical, as though someone has "handled her" up until that point.

In the meantime, after the election, Carly settles down, goes to school and discusses with coworkers that her parents are intending to purchase another home in Davis where the kids can live while they go to school, as she states, "Thanks to Casey." (meaning his life insurance policies were going to pay for the second home.)

10/19/04 Cindy Sheehan goes to Florida, campaigning against the President and writes about her trip. "They are correct in the fact that my son did enlist and re-enlist in the Army. He loved being a soldier and he loved his buddies. He was a good soldier and he volunteered for the dangerous mission that he was killed on. He was a trusting person who trusted his Commander-in-Chief to use his troops with great care: to only send them in harm's way if there was a clear and present danger to our country." "Yesterday, I was protesting at a rally where Dick Cheney said that "Iraq has been a remarkable success story." " came to Florida to help to try and make a difference in this election. I have been up and down the state doing interviews in every available medium and protests and peace marches in every city I have stayed in. I came out from California to follow up on a commercial that I did for RealVoices.org and that was run nationally in swing states by MoveOn.org" "A Republican walked by, looked at our signs and said, "Hmmm, I came back," with the familiar Bush/Cheney smirk of evil on his face. Instead of finding out what the comment meant, she chose to accept it as something negative because the soldier was a Republican and wasn't into the anti-war cause. "This is the typical response we get from Republicans. What does that mean "I came back." Does that mean "Haha...your son didn't?" Does that mean, "I must've been a better soldier than your son?" I don't know what this cold-hearted, heartless man meant, but it hurt us deeply. Unfortunately, it is also the typically uncaring way we are treated by Bush/Cheney supporters." She is clearly into the campaign and campaigning for Kerry. "On the other hand, I have seen progressives in this state who have so much energy and commitment to defeating Bush and electing Senator Kerry. They are honored that I would come from California to help them. They are sorry for my son's sacrifice and for what our family is going through. They are motiviated, caring, and compassionate. I have worked with young people and old people who have had enough of the lies and abuse of power and want their democracy back. Whatever happens on November 2nd, there is such a groundswell of grassroots activity here, that if Bush steals another election, Florida won't take it lying down this time. And I have a feeling that we as Americans in the other 49 states won't take another crooked election with the apathy of 2000, either."

Sheehan is now identifying herself with the Progressive Democrats of America PDA http://www.pdamerica.org/

11/2/04 One of the women with Sheehan in her group as well as who made ads for moveon.org is arrested. A grieving mother was arrested today after she interrupted a speech by First Lady Laura Bush. Sue Niederer stood up during a New Jersey rally today wearing a t-shirt stating "President Bush you killed my son" and holding up a picture of her son, Army 1st Lt. Seth Dvorin, who was killed in Iraq last February while trying to dismantle a bomb, the Associated Press reported. Niederer was promptly escorted out by the Secret Service as the crowd chanted "Four More Years." She was handcuffed and placed in the back of a van.

Niederer was later charged with defiant trespass and released, the AP reported.

She and Sheehan had been protesting at where the Bush's spoke, while campaigning for John Kerry.

11/3/04 Appalonia Rosas begins to speak out. http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/041103/features/index4.asp

11/4/04 (Election Day) Sheehan writes a public letter to the President posted on Casey's Peace Page. This clearly is a political manipulation. http://www.angelfire.com/sk3/spkhntrca/Casey.html

12/22/04 She writes a blazing letter to the Times about President. http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1222-34.htm
She sends one to Tom Paine http://jadedreality.blogspot.com/2004/12/mother-of-soldier-responds-to-time.html It is bitter.

January 2005 Sheehan starts Gold Star Families for Peace. She claims to have 70 members. They are not in Crawford with her. Only three are.

2/1/05 Cindy was scheduled for Larry King and was bumped due to the Michael Jackson trial. She wrote an article on what she "would have said.

"Casey was sent to die in a war that was based on the imagination of some Neo-Cons who love to fill our lives with fear. Casey didn't agree with the "Mission" but being the courageous and honorable man that he was he knew he had to go to this mistake of a war to support his buddies. Casey also wondered aloud many times why precious troops and resources were being diverted from the real war on terror."

2/7/05 On Sunday, February 27, 2005 the Bay Area Labor Committee for Peace & Justice had a fundraising event. Cindy Sheehan, founder of Gold Star Families for Peace and a member of Military Families Speak Out,was one of the featured speakers

3/4/05 Sheehan writes on http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/sheehan2.html an article called "Empty Boots." She was at the Eyes Widen Open Exhibit.

3/23/05 she writes at http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/sheehan3.html "The Amazing Hypocrites. "Casey was sent to Iraq to be killed by the same pack of cowards and murderers who so "valiantly" and tirelessly fought for the right for Ms. Schiavo to live! The green light for Casey’s murder was given by a Congress who expediently abrogated their constitutional rights to a president whose foreign policies are not based on reality or even loosely based on any kind of Christian moral values. Someone needs to give Congress basic lessons on the Constitution: Declaring War – YES; Meddling in a family's private tragedy – NO!!"

4/11/05 http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/sheehan4.html She again writes an almost identical memo to what she wrote to the President on Election Day. It is an extremely offensive letter and makes it quite clear and justifiable why the President would not wish to speak with her.

4/19/05 Spoke at the United Methodist Church, Venice, California. She focuses on voting fraud allegations instead of her son: "Our loved ones have been buried in early graves even as these arrogant thugs parade themselves before the entire world, insisting that democracy is worth dying for, killing for, and destroying entire cities for, all the while they are busy here at home overseeing the emplacement of an electronic voting system that invites fraud at every turn, an electronic vote-counting system that provides no way to validate the votes cast, and that, by it’s very design, prohibits recounting the votes.

For these men to not see to it that our own system of voting and vote-counting is accurate, understandable and verifiable...all the while sending our loved ones to kill and to die so as to establish a democracy in some far away place......" "I’ve been asked to speak to you for 5 minutes or so. Please forgive me, but I’m going to take a little more than 8 minutes. The additional time that I’m going to steal from you is dedicated to my son, Casey, whose entire future was stolen from him." She never spoke about Casey. It was strictly political. http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/sheehan5.html

4/30/05 Sheehan writes in her email as scindy@aol.com:

From: scindy…@aol.com
Sent: Saturday, April 30, 2005 9:35 PM
Subject: Re: WMDs - still there, hidden, taken to Syria etc etc

Could my son be dead because of an evil-neo con Pax Americana agenda?
Wake up dude. This government has always been in the business of killing people.

Peace in our time,
Cindy Sheehan

5/2/05 Sheehan speaks with other radicals at San Francisco State University. Wearing a sweatshirt advertising the website for United for Peace and Justice, Sheehan was interviewed outside just before the meeting by an ABC-TV news reporter. “George Bush and his neo-conservatives killed my son,” she said tearing up a bit. “America has been killing people on this continent since it was started. This country is not worth dying for.”
Sheehan said she considered Lynne Stewart her Atticus Finch, the lawyer who defended an innocent Black man accused of rape in the book and film “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

"We have no Constitution. We’re the only country with no checks and balances. We want our country back if we have to impeach George Bush down to the person who picks up the dog sh-t in Washington! Let George Bush send his two little party animals to die in Iraq. It’s OK for Israel to have nuclear weapons but we are waging nuclear war in Iraq, we have contaminated the entire country. It’s not OK for Syria to be in Lebanon. Hypocrites! But Israel can occupy Palestine? Stop the slaughter."

When Lynn Stewart spoke after, she stated she knew Abdel Rahman was writing out fatwas to kill Jews, she could not deny this to him because the Blind Sheik said that killing Jews was a good thing. She and Tigar thought the jury would buy their revolutionary zeal as much as the radical types in the ISO at San Francisco State would.

She advised she discussed with Abdel Rahman how to rally his followers to return to violence, and a major turning point in her case was when the prosecution played a tape of Osama Bin Laden and his aides discussing the need to “spill blood in the fields of jihad unless Abdel Rahman was released.” Over the years, she admitted she advocated violence openly at private meetings of radical groups such as Worker’s World Party and the Spartacist League. Her slipup was allowing herself to be quoted advocating violence in their newspapers such as the Worker’s Vanguard over several years, all of which was used as evidence against her. She was also taped at later radical leftist meetings telling people that what was getting her convicted was the fact that these groups were writing down what she said.

5/9/05 She writes another article. Again nothing about Casey, strictly politics. "Most Americans probably don’t even know where to find Iraq on a map. The Halliburtons, Bechtels, KBRs, and the oil oligarchs of the world, who are laughing all the way to the bank, think of Iraq with greedy glee each day. Sorrowfully, there are 1579 families in this country who have "Iraq" carved on their hearts and souls for eternity."

May 30, 05 She again writes, this time stating, "The official story of his death was that Casey was killed in an ambush in Sadr City by hostile fire. I have some speculative evidence that he was actually killed by friendly fire." It appears she would prefer to believe Casey was killed by his own peers than by terrorists. She stated Casey was lied to, yet he enlisted. "They were used recklessly and ignorantly by their Commander in Chief who should exercise more caution when he misuses our young people. They were all lied to by their recruiters, who will tell young people anything to get them to enlist, then deliver nothing. They were ALL killed performing duties that they were inadequately or not trained for at all. Evan Ashcraft was suffering from dysentery; before he died he lost 25 pounds, because of dirty drinking water and bad food. Sometimes they are rationed to one bottle a day." "We are working on Counter-recruitment. We work closely with the AFSC's Eyes Wide Open Exhibit and the VFP's Arlington West."

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/zeese2.html

6/6/05 Sheehan again writes another article. She is pushing Conyer's bill. "It is time for Congress to re-validate itself by holding a hearing about the Downing Street Memo. The reader can help by going onto www.AfterDowningStreet.org and signing a petition to Rep. John Conyers so he will know that the American people are behind him to convene an investigation in the House Judiciary Committee. You can also write your Congressional Representative to help push the inquiry." "All of Casey’s commendations say that he was killed in the "GWOT" the Global War on Terrorism. I agree with most of GWOT, except that Casey was killed in the Global War Of Terrorism waged on the world and its own citizens by the biggest terrorist outfit in the world: George and his destructive Neo-con cabal" "Even though correct, the statement "Freedom isn’t Free" is very insulting to me. False freedom is very expensive. Fake freedom costs over one billion of our tax dollars a week; phony freedom has cost the Iraqi people tens of thousands of innocent lives; fanciful freedom has meant the destruction of a country and its infrastructure. Tragically, this fabricated notion of freedom and democracy cost me far more than I was willing to pay: the life of my son, Casey. The Lie of Historic Proportions also cost me my peace of mind; I do not feel free and I do not feel like I live in a democracy."
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/sheehan8.html

6/15/05 Sheehan goes to Congress for Conyer's Resolution of Inquiry into the AfterDowningStreet.org request and and inquiry into the lies and betrayals that killed our sons and daughters.
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig6/zeese2.html

6/17/05 She testifies for Conyers' hearing. http://www.lewrockwell.com/sheehan/sheehan9.html

6/28/05 She is on the Larry King Show and writes an article afterward. "As I sat in the Green Room of CNN, I was saddened and troubled by George's call for us Americans to fly the flag proudly on the 4th to honor our troops." Again, nothing about Casey. Just about politics and her hatred for the President. http://www.lewrockwell.com/sheehan/sheehan10.html

7/7/05 Cindy is in Lexington, Kentucky this date.
July 07, 2005

Mother of soldier who died in Iraq War questions Bush's trite "it's hard work" slogan, saying it's hard work to watch your son die for no reason

"Hard work is seeing your son's murder on CNN one Sunday evening while you're enjoying the last supper you'll ever truly enjoy again." The president of Gold Star Families for Peace, a mother who lost a son in Iraq, criticized the United States' "illegal and unjust war" yesterday during an interfaith rally in Lexington. Cindy Sheehan of Vacaville, Calif., accused President Bush of lying to the nation about a war which has consumed tens of billions of dollars and claimed more than 1,700 American lives -- including the life of Army Specialist Casey Austin Sheehan. Sheehan was one of more than a dozen activists who were scheduled to speak at yesterday's anti-war rally at the Red Mile, which was organized by the Clergy and Laity Network and co-sponsored by dozens of liberal religious organizations. Sheehan ridiculed Bush for saying that it's "hard work" comforting the widow of a...

Continue reading... http://www.democraticwings.com/democraticwings/archives/foreign_policy.php?mo=2&yr=2005

7/13/05 Another article yet. This time she does speak about Casey, however her statements do not make sense to policy. Casey reenlisted. She never mentions this. "One does, however. After Casey enlisted he knew I was upset. He told me, "Mom, you don’t have to worry, Sgt. (I forget his name) told me that since I scored so high on the ASVAB (military competency) test, I will never see combat, even if there is a war. I will only be in a support role." I can still hear his voice saying those exact words to me. Those words chilled me to the bone then, and have haunted me since 9/11. First of all, because I thought Casey would be sent to fight terrorists (and "terrorists") wherever they might be, and I could see George and his warmongering band of neocons rushing us into a crazy invasion of Iraq. My premonition came true and Casey was KIA 04/04/04: a mere 5 days after his unit arrived in Sadr City, Baghdad: IN COMBAT. The most troubling thing is, though, that some recruiters are still promising young people that they won’t have to go to Iraq if they sign up. I am being told that all the time by young people who talk to the multi-level marketers working towards their bonuses…oops, I mean military recruiters." She tells stories about the sign up bonuses which are a matter of public record at that time. She is almost grasping at straws with this article, trying to find situations which don't seem all that bad. And she tries to get military families to write Kuchinich for his political cause. http://www.lewrockwell.com/sheehan/sheehan11.html

7/18/05 Again, nothing about Casey but all about her and politics. http://www.lewrockwell.com/sheehan/sheehan12.html

The Sheehan family is falling apart and her husband is seeing an attorney, filing divorce papers.

8/5/05 She goes to the Veterans of Peace Convention before camping at Crawford. She announces what she intends to do in a speech. She states: "You tell me my son died to spread the cancer of Pax Americana, imperialism in the Middle East."

8/3/05 She writes, stating she is driving from one event to another. She defends a young man who has been to Iran twice since 9/11 and feels they are unjust to him for pulling him out of the military. She defends herself. "For my effort in trying to awaken America to the dirty tricks and fraud of our government and for trying to call attention to the fact that thousands of people are dying and in harm’s way in Iraq for the lies, I am often called a traitor, terrorist supporter, Jane Fonda, unpatriotic, etc. I am called names that contain words that good Christian supporters of George should not even know, let alone use. I am accused of not supporting the troops, and people tell me that Casey would be spinning in his grave on which I am alternately: spitting, pissing, or s*itting on.

What has happened to America? What has happened to our freedoms? Where did sanity go? Where is the due process that we have always been entitled to? Why do people feel free to castigate the mother of a "war hero" for exercising her freedom of speech and why does our leadership feel free to lie to mothers of "war heroes"? Why aren’t the liars being held to the same standards as the people who are trying to expose them?

http://www.lewrockwell.com/sheehan/sheehan13.html

8/5/05 Cindy speaks before the Veterans for Peace Convention and announces she is going to Crawford. "And I have the whole month of August off, just like him. It’s just the way it worked out, I was supposed to go to England tomorrow to do some Downing Street things, but Conyers cancelled, so hey, I have a lot of free time on my hands" "my son was killed in 2004, so I’m not paying my taxes for 2004. If I get a letter from the IRS, I’m gonna say, you know what, this war is illegal; this is why this war is illegal." "It’s up to us, the people, to break immoral laws, and resist. As soon as the leaders of a country lie to you, they have no authority over you. These maniacs have no authority over us. And they might be able to put our bodies in prison, but they can’t put our spirits in prison. And I know that Camilo came out a much stronger person, he’s one of my heroes, it’s great a row of heroes in front of me here." "You tell me the truth. You tell me that my son died for oil. You tell me that my son died to make your friends rich. You tell me my son died to spread the cancer of pax Americana, imperialism in the Middle East. You tell me that, you don’t tell me my son died for ‘freedom and democracy.’

Cuz, we’re not freer. You’re taking away our freedoms. The Iraqi people aren’t freer, they’re much worse off than before you meddled in their country.

You get America out of Iraq, you get Israel out of Palestine…"

8/10/05 Sheehan is scheduled to go on Bill O'Reilly and the Factor and backs out.

8/11/05 The Progressive Democrats of America, Sheryl Bohlen join Sheehan at Camp Casey. http://www.pdamerica.org/ The background of their leaders:
http://pdamerica.org/people.php

Progressive Democrats:

2005-06-16 Rep. Waters Creates New "Out-of-Iraq Congressional Caucus"
2005-04-17 Conyers Supports Coalition's Recommendations to Baker/Carter Election Commission
2005-01-05 Rev. Jesse Jackson, David Cobb, and Others Lead D.C. Rally for Investigation into Vote Suppression

The Blog?
http://blog.pdamerica.org/

Indicate Kerry, Sheila Lee, Tom Hayden, Elizabeth Edwards,
Woolsey

Their meetings, which Sheehan is already scheduled for Washington, DC

PANHANDLE PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING 8/21/05 Niceville, FL
Western MA PDA Monthly Meeting 8/24/05 Northampton, MA
Celebrate August 26 as Women's Equality Day 8/26/05 Everytown, DC
The Franklin County Democratic League Annual Picnic 8/28/05 Gill, MA
The Franklin County Democratic League Annual Picnic 8/28/05 Gill, MA
Progressive Leadership Council of Palm Beach County: Meeting 8/30/05 West Palm Beach, FL
Eastern MA PDA Meeting 9/1/05 Boston, MA
D.O.P. National Convention 9/10/05 Washington, DC
Bike Ride to Benefit "Beyond The 11th" 9/11/05 Dover, MA
Open UN 2005! 9/13/05 New York, NY
Stand Up and Be Counted: No to War and Occupation The George Galloway US Tour 9/13/05 Boston, MA
PDA's Peace Task Force Supports Peace Legislation 9/14/05 Washington, DC
Anti-war Mobilization

8/13/05 She writes that she started a Holy War Against the War on Terrorism" The CBS reporter whom I met last Saturday when I began this Holy War against the War of Terrorism that George Bush is waging on the world told me that he has interviewed me 4 times this week already. He told me that he has never, ever interviewed anyone 4 times, let alone four times in one week. I was joking with the reporters that were here last week that they should have brought me flowers on our one week anniversary... We also met a man whose son was KIA in Iraq in November of 2004. He still loves George Bush and thinks we are doing great things in Iraq. By the end of the day we were drinking beer together and telling each other "I love you." I am telling you miracles are happening here in Crawford.

http://www.truthout.org/cindy.shtml
CBS bias

8/15/05 After Slate published an extract from a letter that she wrote last March to ABC Nightline, Anderson Cooper of CNN asked her about the anti-Israel remarks the letter contained. She denied making them and proceeded in her blog to assert that someone had gotten hold of her original letter and somehow doctored it. This dark and murky allegation—evincing further paranoia on her part—has been easily and convincingly refuted, as can be seen in this sidebar. Cindy Sheehan, not content with echoing the Bin-Ladenist line that the president is the real "terrorist" and that he is the tool of a Jewish cabal, has dug a pit of falsehood around her own wild story.

8/15/05 Sheehan wrote: "We didn't want Casey to join the Army, but once he made that decision, we supported him and even encouraged him through boot camp."

8/16/05 She claims Ted Koppel treated her disrespectfully in an interview, "Another "big deal" today was the lie that I had said that Casey died for Israel. I never said that, I never wrote that. I had supposedly said it in a letter that I wrote to Ted Koppel's producer in March. I wrote the letter because I was upset at the way Ted treated me when I appeared at a Nightline Town Hall meeting in January right after the inauguration. I felt that Ted had totally disrespected me. I wrote the letter to Ted Bettag and cc'd a copy to the person who gave me Ted's address. I believe he (the person who gave me the address) changed the email and sent it out to capitalize on my new found notoriety by promoting his own agenda. Enough about that." http://www.truthout.org/cindy.shtml

8/17/05 A vigil was held in Vacaville supporting Sheehan. Approximately 75 individuals appeared. There were twice as many across the street supporting the troops and the President.

8/18/05 Family posts publicly they don't stand behind Cindy.

8/18/05 Her husband comes out public after having filed for divorce. The family pleads for her to come home. "I don't think she's done the best for the family," Patrick Sheehan, 52, tells People Magazine. "When we see Cindy talking about Casey, we all relive the loss."

Patrick explained: "My kids and I feel like we've had two losses, Casey, and now our wife and mother. The kids are angry and lonely for her."

Cindy insists they know what she is trying to do.

8/19/05 Sheehan leaves the camp. Her mother is ill. While she is "visiting with her" she is blogging on the internet with Adriana Huffington. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cindy-sheehan/

8/24/05 Sheehan is writing again and is back in Crawford.
" For Casey to even join the Army, let alone being killed in battle was the thing that was most uncharacteristic of him. He was a gentle and kind soul who only wanted to help others. What did his untimely and unnecessary death accomplish? It accomplished reinvigorating a peace movement that was sincere, but not very active - or if active, not well covered by the main stream media."

August 20th, from her mother's home, she wrote:

Saturday 20 August 2005
11:30 AM

"The media are wrong. The people who have come out to Camp Casey to help coordinate the press and events with me are not putting words in my mouth, they are taking words out of my mouth. I have been known for sometime as a person who speaks the truth and speaks it strongly. I have always called a liar a liar and a hypocrite a hypocrite. Now I am urged to use softer language to appeal to a wider audience. Why do my friends at Camp Casey think they are there? Why did such a big movement occur from such a small action on August 6, 2005?"
http://www.truthout.org/cindy.shtml

This is strictly political. Once embraced by the Kerry campaign and the Veterans for Peace, Cindy became an all out radical.

And it all comes down to: THE DEMOCRATS AND DEMOCRAT 401 (C) ORGANIZATIONS PAYING FOR THE TRASHING OF OUR TROOPS AND OF THEIR MISSIONS. AND IT COMES DOWN TO THE SUPPORT OF AL SADR BY JOHN KERRY, WHICH ENDED UP GETTING CASEY SHEEHAN KILLED.

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