Cindy Sheehan, go home
By Vincent Fiore
web posted August 15, 2005
Momentous days are upon the nation, and the world. In Iraq, a constitution is being hammered out, as U.S. troops and Iraqis are being killed in the name of democracy. Israel is days away from pulling out of Gaza and displacing some 8,000 settlers, and will now closely observe the long haul that the Palestinians have before them on their way to statehood.
Back home, Bush has recently signed an energy bill, a highway bill, and the Central American Free-Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which will provide some 50 million consumers to American markets. The United States now has a no-nonsense United Nations ambassador in John Bolton, and will soon get a new Supreme Court justice, John Roberts, the first appointment to the court in eleven years.
With all of these political happenings during the traditionally slow month of August, the establishment media cannot tear their gaze and fixation away from Cindy Sheehan.
Cindy Sheehan's son, Army Specialist Casey Sheehan, was killed on April 4, 2004, in Baghdad's Sadr City. Having met with Bush at Fort Lewis Army Base in Washington State in June 2004, Mrs. Sheehan came away feeling that Bush had given her "the gift of happiness, of being together."
Now, Cindy Sheehan has come full circle, all the while dragging her son's honorable memory and duty behind her. She is the toast of the radical anti-war zealots, and the mainstream media.
Billed as the "Peace mom" by CNN, Cindy Sheehan has stirred the restless pens of the media and ignited a Bush-bashing feeding frenzy.
Cindy Sheehan, who camps out in a ditch outside of Crawford, Texas, awaits the president to come and speak to her. Her comments and questions, which make for effective media theatre, also make for standard radical anti-war verbiage.
Cindy Sheehan has taken her talking points from sources such as Michael Moore, MoveOn.org, and obscure organizations like the Hip Hop Caucus. Indeed, Sheehan herself is a founder of the left-wing Gold Star Families for Peace, a web site that features article by her and others with such grandiose titles as "Lie of Historic Proportions."
Advancing her new-found celebrity status, Sheehan asks the president and the world-at-large, "Why did you kill my son, President Bush"? Leftist dead-enders chant and hold up signs that read "W killed her son" and "liar-in-chief." All the while, Sheehan says "It's just snowballed. We have opened up a debate in the country."
No, Mrs. Sheehan, you have not opened up anything resembling debate. You have only continued the anti-war left's maniacal behavior and many outrages since this war began. You have brought nothing new to America's table of debate. You have instead used your son's death to try to politically assassinate a war-time president.
As sympathetic and endearing as you may think you look to your leftist cohorts and a small minority of the country, know this: You are a tool, Ms. Sheehan, in a grand game of political chess, and like most pawns, you will be discarded, and forgotten.
But the large majority of Americans will not forget your son, who served with honor and dignity for what he believed. Though Casey Sheehan died in the war-torn streets of Iraq, it is in the freedom-loving streets of America that he will be remembered, and properly so.
Casey Sheehan is a true American hero, and not the liberal cause-celeb you have made him out to be. How shameful you should feel, "Peace mom."
Even now, members of your own family distance themselves from you, possibly your husband as well, who is nowhere to be found. Your politically motivated ambitions are fast-evaporating. Here is what your own family says of you:
"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 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."
In 1993, another dead soldier's family member openly protested a president's handling of America's armed forces, and the misuse of them. I refer to Vietnam veteran James H. Smith, whose son, Ranger Jamie Smith, was killed in action as part of operation Task Force Ranger in Somalia in 1993.
James H. Smith met with President Clinton, and testified before Congress in regard to the misuse of the armed services by Clinton and the subsequent slaughter of 18 Rangers. Little was heard about this parent's outrage over his son's needless death.
The media chose to ignore the objections of James H. Smith. The Freepers at Freerepublic.com have not. The story of James H. Smith reminds us all that media bias is not only real, but is determined to force its way into our lives. This link is a must-read.
Cindy Sheehan plans to carry out her media protest until President Bush relents and comes out to talk with her. "I will stay here everyday and, and my only condition for leaving is if George Bush meets with me and I want him to tell me the truth."
Ms. Sheehan, go home. This disgraceful and selfish display of "outrage" now resembles nothing more than a pageantry of hate-filled leftists and anti-American supporters who parade around spouting the vilest of invectives against a president who has earnestly tried to defend the country.
We honor and believe in what Casey, and James, sacrificed for their country. How dare you, and those that lead you, despoil their gallantry and spirit. Enough, Ms. Sheehan; go home! 
Vincent Fiore is a freelance political writer who lives in New York City. He receives e-mail at
anwar004@aol.com.
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