Sheehan Again

Looks like it's time for another post about Cindy Sheehan thanks to a post over at Red Hot Cuppa Politics. In that piece, a history of Sheehan's anti-war activities, it's revealed that Sheehan has stated-

“George Bush and his neo-conservatives killed my son...America has been killing people on this continent since it was started. This country is not worth dying for.”

She also stated that the US government was a "morally repugnant system". Note here- she did not say administration, she called the government a morally repugnant system.

Compare her comments to the actions of her son who re-enlisted and volunteered to go into combat.

Incidentally, she voiced this opinion of America (surerly one her son did not share) at a meeting at San Francisco State University, who were also host at the time to Lynne Stewart, the lawyer found guilty of passing messages from her client to a terrorist group- the man responsible for the first World Trade Centre attack in '93. Strange company for an "anti-war" activist to keep. Stranger still for the mother of a man killed fighting in Iraq.

Whatever her original intentions may have been it's my opinion that this is no longer about her son- and hasn't been for some time- this is all about her. Casey Sheehan volunteered to join the Army, he volunteered to re-enlist and he volunteered to go out on a combat mission. All his mother is doing now is dishonouring his name.

Sheehan continues to get publicity demanding a meeting with Bush but she's already had one. She chose then to say nothing out of respect for her son. There are plenty of other families of fallen troops who have not met with the President- Sheehan could continue with her anti-war campaign but I fail to see the point of her demanding another meeting. Does she really think it will change anything? Sheehan herself said that the meeting was beneficial, though by that it was more for a chance to spend time with other families who had experienced the same loss as hers. Perhaps she'd be better off letting those other families have the time to meet with the President instead of demanding face-time herself.

One of the reasons I admire Bush is for his sincere compassion. He has "met with about 900 family members of some 270 soldiers killed in Iraq or Afghanistan."

Most families encourage the president to stay the course in Iraq. "To oppose something my husband lost his life for would be a betrayal," says Inge Colton, whose husband, Shane, died in April 2004 when his Apache helicopter was shot down over Baghdad.

Cindy Sheehan certainly seems to be in the minority of those mothers who have lost sons or daughters in Iraq or Afghanistan. Her loss does not give her any more authority than those mothers who still support the war effort, though the media had completely ignored their voice in favour of hearing Sheehan's.