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UPDATES ON CINDY SHEEHAN VISIT TO CRAWFORD
Saturday, Aug. 13, 2005
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12:25 p.m.

Update from the Iconoclast's Nathan Diebenow:

I drove into Crawford Texas off 317. The first thing I see is a Carter Blood Drive going on at the Masonic Lodge, people with motorcycles and flashy sports cars lingering outside.

I drive a block or two farther and bikers are on the corner of Spanos' Coffee Station. Signs on the corner say, "Stay the course."

I drive through town. Kids are on bikes riding around. One is driving a riding lawn mower on the street going downtown. There's a lot of activity at the Peace House, cars parked.

I turn into the parking lot area to the park. There are some flags by Pirate Field, military style, counter-protestors. Driving farther, there's a red Chevy truck coming toward me with a sign saying, "Texas Is Bush Country," playing hard rock music.

I park, and from the looks of it, there are a lot of Texas license plates, anti-Bush bumper stickers, Texas Democrat stickers, Howard Dean stickers. A couple of windows have shoe polish print that say, "Talk to Cindy." In all, there are about 200 cars around, and 300 people.

I hear a loud "Welcome to Crawford from people at the Cindy Sheehan rally."

The rallyers "boo" for the President. There are a lot of children in attendance, elementary-school-age and up.

I just talked with a college student, Ansel Herz, who is passing around a petition on the Sudan genocide. The organizers here talked about not petitioning and keeping the message on Cindy.

"I think Sudan is serious enough to gather signatures," said Herz. "I am definitely behind Cindy all the way". He said he watched the interview on Democracy Now. From that, he said it is obvious she is speaking from her heart.

I talked to Dawn Farrell, 35, of Grapvine, who works an accounting firm. She was holding a sign that had Bush giving the middle finger (an outstake from TV that was not aired at the time he did it) and below the image the sign says "Warmonger." She said that she thinks Cindy is going to stay and Bush will not meet with her.

Other posters I'm seeing say: "War's not the answer." "Real Texans don't hide." "Why aren't your daughters fighting in Iraq?" "Denver Moms for Peace."

I spoke with the woman holdilng that poster. DeAnn Major, has one child, and is an advocate for people with disabilities. She drove down here from Denver alone, noting that it took 15 hours. She said she tried to get some friends to come, too, but one of them said "no" becasue her car didn't have any air conditioning. She said there was a lot rain and traffic during the trip, but that she is hoping to come down next weekend for another rally. She said, "I think it's going to gain momentum. I don't care if it takes 15 hours. If this is the beginning of the end of the war, then I have to be here. I can't wait for my friends to come with me. I'm on my own."

There's a Veterans for Peace guy handing out T-shirts.

Before the rally people were conversing. It was a pleasant atmosphere.

At 12:09, a helicopter circled overhead. Some think it might have been a Secret Service helicopter.

11:05 a.m.
Coordinator Ann Wright said, “There are about 50 Republicans here walking the mile and a half up the road from the Broken Spoke Ranch to Camp Casey. They get to walk on the road. They put us in the ditch, but those who support Bush get the road. I don’t understand that. It is so hot and these people are planning to walk all the way. We’re here at the Peace House now getting ready for the rally in the park at noon.”

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