The Dallas Observer identified the woman as Jan Sanders, 73-year-old wife of U.S. District Judge Barefoot Sanders.
That's the judge & the Mrs. there on the right.
Posted on 8/11/2005, 6:34:53 PM by Stultis
Crash of Symbols
A grieving family gets pulled into an anti-war demonstration
In a clash that illustrates the power of symbols over good intentions, a candlelight vigil last week honoring 1,000 troops killed in Iraq triggered a screaming confrontation between the family of a fallen soldier and members of the Dallas Peace Center.
"We got tricked," says Kathy Herriage, a family friend of the soldier. The ugly debacle left Channel 5, the publicist who promoted the vigil and leaders of the Peace Center blaming each other.
On September 7, members of his family received the news that Specialist Chad H. Drake, 23, of Garland had been killed in Iraq. The family began getting calls from TV stations; some reporters informed them that Drake was the 1,000th soldier to die in the war.
Anti-war groups had been anticipating the "1,000 dead" milestone. MoveOn.org began coordinating vigils around the country. Candance Robison, member of an anti-war group called Military Families Speak Out, sent messages to media on behalf of the Dallas Peace Center promoting a "Service of Mourning & Remembrance for 1,000 U.S. military war dead in Iraq" on September 8.
Though the Department of Defense did not describe Drake as the 1,000th casualty, somehow Drake got singled out. Ginger Drake, Chad's mother, and other members of the family declined to do interviews but gave Steve Alberts of KXAS-Channel 5 photos and information about Drake's life.
"He did a beautiful presentation of my brother," says Jennifer Ott, Chad's sister. "At the end, it said the Drake family would like to invite everyone to a candlelight vigil."
The Drakes felt the broadcast made it seem as if they were involved. Ott called Alberts, who assured her the vigil was non-political. She then spoke to Sherry Bollenbacher, a member of the Peace Center, who also reassured her it was non-political.
"I looked at my mother and said we have to go," Ott says.
About 20 of Drake's relatives arrived at Dallas City Hall just before 7 p.m. When the family arrived, only a handful of people were there, Herriage says, though they could hear drums. "I thought there was a band. Then it just didn't feel right. I could tell it wasn't like a marching band."
Herriage says a woman approached them and asked if they were there for the vigil. Mrs. Drake introduced herself and asked about the drums. "If this is some kind of protest," Mrs. Drake said, "I'm not going to participate."
Bollenbacher introduced herself and reassured her: "Oh, no, we're just here to comfort you in your grief."
Mrs. Drake saw a man with a basket full of fliers accusing Bush of war crimes. Bollenbacher again reassured her.
"I had told him he couldn't hand those out," Bollenbacher says, but she allowed a banner that read "Vets for Peace."
The Drakes saw that banner and then realized the drummer was wearing a T-shirt that said "Drums Not Guns." Believing it was an anti-war protest, Mrs. Drake burst into tears. She started screaming, "Somebody has lied to me."
Herriage says the situation turned even uglier when another woman walked over, grabbed the weeping Mrs. Drake and shook her. "She said, 'Shut up and I'll explain our cause to you,'" Herriage says. "That's when Ginger went ballistic."
The Dallas Observer identified the woman as Jan Sanders, 73-year-old wife of U.S. District Judge Barefoot Sanders. "I did not touch her," Sanders says. "I spoke in a calm voice. I didn't challenge her."
When one of the Drakes' supporters blocked a TV cameraman, he pushed back and ran into Mrs. Drake. "Ginger thought he shoved her," Herriage says. After police and Homeland Security officers descended to sort things out, the family left.
Furious, the Drakes demanded that Channel 5 issue an on-air apology.
Alberts says he was horrified and apologized to the Drakes. The station didn't air an apology but posted a story on its Web site quoting an e-mail from a family supporter alleging that Mrs. Drake was "harassed and yelled at, booed and hissed, told her son died for nothing." (None of those interviewed by the Observer reported hearing that.) The story included an apology from Fort Worth state Representative Lon Burnam, director of the Dallas Peace Center.
Burnam blamed Alberts, saying the event was intended to have political overtones and the family should have been informed. "I would have to question the judgment of the people who encouraged her to come to something sponsored by people opposed to the war," Burnam says.
Alberts believes he was misled by Robison, who e-mailed him, other media and the Drakes an apology. "I told each and every one of you that this event was going to be a non-partisan event open to anyone who wished to attend and honor the troops," Robison wrote. "Unfortunately, there was another plan in the works that I was unaware of, and the event turned into yet another political anti-war event. Had I known there was going to be drums, a bullhorn and fliers, I would've never encouraged this family to attend. I feel their grief was exploited by several organizers of the events."
Robison points to Hadi Jawad, coordinator of the Dallas Peace Center's "End the Occupation of Iraq Committee." But Jawad insists the event wasn't political. The drums were supposed to symbolize heartbeats, he says, and the bullhorn was necessary because several speakers were elderly ministers.
"In my opinion, we held a very respectful memorial service," Jawad says.
Bollenbacher says she feels responsible, too. "I had invited people to come who I know through democraticunderground.com," Bollenbacher says. "We really were trying to make it a space where we could come together and put aside all our differences and honor all the lives that have been lost. I wanted them to know how many people in the community really cared. I wish I'd done it differently."
Still reeling, the Drakes spent the rest of the week planning Chad's funeral, scheduled for September 17. "The Army isn't releasing who has been the 1,000th casualty," Ott says. "To me, as a sister, it wouldn't matter if he was number six or 2,000. He was over there fighting for you and me." --Glenna Whitley
Respectful like the Wellstone memorial.
The Sheehan Family lost our beloved Casey in the Iraq War and we have been silently, respectfully grieving. We do not agree with the political motivations and publicity tactics of Cindy Sheehan. She now appears to be promoting her own personal agenda and notoriety at the the expense of her son's good name and reputation. The rest of the Sheehan Family supports the troops, our country, and our President, silently, with prayer and respect.
Sincerely,
Casey Sheehan's grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.
Developing...
Screw these "anti-war" people. They don't have an honest bone in their bodies.
No agenda there.
With all due respect, you're scum.
Yeah, and I'm the freakin' Easter Bunny.
On the democraticunderground site, they still cheer every time another life is lost.
They were drooling as the number rose closer to 1,000. Every day they posted the tally. It was really, really, sick over there. They literally lusted for death. They were praying to their Gods for the number to hit 1,000 so they could party.
BS.
Standard (anti-war, anti-capitalistic) protest equipment since the mid-60's, the mid-70's and the anti-Reagan European protests. He had the (sympathetic) TV camera crew, the grieving family, and a "apolitcal" surname as well.
Who provided his power? His money? His eqpt? His agenda and communication gear? His hotel bill? Lobbying expenses?
That's the judge & the Mrs. there on the right.
Yah, you responsible all right. :D
That may be one of the things you want to "do differently" next time.
Your blood pressure's too low. This article will fix that.
Should have 'splained at the the top of the thread the relation to Sheehan: The "Crawford Peace House" is hosting and/or providing various services/handling for Sheehan in Crawford. The Crawford Peace House is in turn associated with (I believe was orginally a project of) the Dallas Peace Center.
Barefoot Sanders is, of course, part of the ongoing legacy of the Carter administration.
I knew that. :P
But this is good background on what's happening now, and if it was posted last fall, I sure missed it.
In fact, let's give it another bump.
Man, I'd totally forgotten that these guys were involved in this fiasco! Thanks for posting this and refreshing my memory as well as my ire!
I think I've just thought of a new sign to make for the Crawford rally on the weekend of the 27th!
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