Dear Friends,
As most of you have probably heard, I was arrested before the State of the Union Address tonight.
I am speechless with fury at what happened and with grief over what we have lost in our country.
There have been lies from the police and distortions by the press. (Shocker) So this is what really happened:
This afternoon at the People's State of the Union Address in DC where I was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh. Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of the Union Address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said: 2,245 Dead. How many more?
After the PSOTU press conference, I was having second thoughts about going to the SOTU at the Capitol. I didn't feel comfortable going. I knew George Bush would say things that would hurt me and anger me and I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the ticket and I didn't want to be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in fact, had given the ticket to John Bruhns who is in Iraq Veterans Against the War. However, Lynn's office had already called the media and everyone knew I was going to be there so I sucked it up and went.
I got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office building and we went to the Capitol via the underground tunnel. I went through security once, then had to use the rest room and went through security again.
My ticket was in the 5th gallery, front row, fourth seat in. The person who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped me to my seat.
I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled, "Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like, "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight.
The officer ran with me to the elevators yelling at everyone to move out of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me outside to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said, "That's Cindy Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said, "Take these steps slowly." I said, "You didn't care about being careful when you were dragging me up the other steps." He said, "That's because you were protesting." Wow, I get hauled out of the People's House because I was, "Protesting."
I was never told that I couldn't wear that shirt into the Congress. I was never asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been asked to do any of those things...I would have, and written about the suppression of my freedom of speech later. I was immediately, and roughly (I have the bruises and muscle spasms to prove it) hauled off and arrested for "unlawful conduct."
After I had my personal items inventoried and my fingers printed, a nice Sgt. came in and looked at my shirt and said, "2,245, huh? I just got back from there."
I told him that my son died there. That's when the enormity of my loss hit me. I have lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment rights. I have lost the country that I love. Where did America go? I started crying in pain.
What did Casey die for? What did the 2,244 other brave young Americans die for? What are tens of thousands of them over there in harm's way for still? For this? I can't even wear a shirt that has the number of troops on it that George Bush and his arrogant and ignorant policies are responsible for killing.
I wore the shirt to make a statement. The press knew I was going to be there and I thought every once in awhile they would show me and I would have the shirt on. I did not wear it to be disruptive, or I would have unzipped my jacket during George's speech. If I had any idea what happens to people who wear shirts that make the neocons uncomfortable...that I would be arrested...maybe I would have, but I didn't.
There have already been many wild stories out there.
I have some lawyers looking into filing a First Amendment lawsuit against the government for what happened tonight. I will file it. It is time to take our freedoms and our country back.
I don't want to live in a country that prohibits any person, whether he/she has paid the ultimate price for that country, from wearing, saying, writing, or telephoning any negative statements about the government. That's why I am going to take my freedoms and liberties back. That's why I am not going to let Bushco take anything else away from me...or you.
I am so appreciative of the couple of hundred protesters who came to the jail while I was locked up to show their support....we have so much potential for good...there is so much good in so many people.
Four hours and 2 jails after I was arrested, I was let out. Again, I am so upset and sore it is hard to think straight.
Keep up the struggle...I promise you I will too.
Love and peace soon,
Cindy
Southpaw Spot salutes you Cindy. You're son is somewhere smiling, very proud of his very brave mother.
posted by The leftist southpaw @ 4:29 PM
12 Comments:
While neither one of us can truly say what her son is thinking, but based on the reaction and words of the rest of the family and her own words when she did meet the President, I think her son is outraged and embarrased that his mom is dishonoring his sacrifice that he freely made for his country.
I disagree. After all, as she said, what did her son die for? To protect freedom.
The very freedom denied her on Tuesday night.
DISHONORING? All she wants to do is express herself under the very freedoms her son died to protect.
Did you know Casey Sheean? I didn't. Maybe he was a (gasp) LIBERAL! Maybe he honored and loved the Constitution. I can't say for sure, but it is possible.
Cindy is not dishonoring his sacrifice. Quite the opposite.
...as if Liberals have a monopoly on honoring and loving the Constitution. (Except, of course, when it comes to the 2nd, 5th, 9th and 10th Amendments)
And no, I'm not saying that Conservatives have such a monopoly. I'm not going to generalize in that way.
But libertarians, on the other hand...
Cindy Sheehan is a grieving mother. I give her a wide-degree of latitude. But as the spouse of an active-duty officer in the military, and someone who has seen firsthand the impact when loved ones are killed, I can also say that her attitude towards the war is not representative of the majority of those in grief.
Trying to divine what Casey Sheehan's thoughts from on high is, literally, like trying to figure out how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. It's a meaningless exercise. Did Casey Sheehan die in the cause of protecting freedom? Absolutely.
But whether Cindy Sheehan had her rights abrogated on Tuesday night is another question entirely.
And as for whether or not she honors or dishonors her son's memory that too is in the eye of the beholder. She has every right to question the war. But doing so in the name of her dead son does confuse his legacy.
I will also say this much - I support the war. Andrew Kessler, as it appears does not.
But as to the three of us in this discussion, only one has taken his convictions to heart and is actually doing the serving. Thank you, Cajun Tiger, for making that choice.
I am perplexed. Please tell me, Andrew, exactly why you are I have not "taken our convictions to heart?"
We both post messages and communicate our thoughts on the war. We both make it quite clear where we stand.
There is no "service" for me to do- so unless I were to quit my job and become a full time protester, I feel safe in saying that I have done all I can to take my convictions to heart.
CT has chosen to serve in Iraq, as his choice. It is to be respected. However, I do not believe that his actions mean that he has stronger convictions than you or I. We both have strong believes about many issues. We even both work as professionals to advance causes we believe strongly in. So I think it would be fair to agree that there are indeed many convictions we take to heart. But we both know that it is next to impossible to do everything we wish we could to advance every cause we believe in.
If I hit the powerball tomorrow, you'd best believe I would consider becoming a full time activist. But for now, I take to heart, and act upon, the convictions I can.
I was merely saying that we all make choices, and when it comes to the war, Shane has made a serious one - as Casey Sheehan did, and as his mother has.
I have no doubt that you would make a different choice were you to win the Powerball. I think most people would, myself included.
But that's not the same thing, obviously, as making that choice "in a perfect world" (were winning the Powerball to be considered that).
We each do our part - I'm not denying that or denigrating your choices in the slightest.
What I am continuing to find fascinating, though, are the items you respond to - and the items you choose not to.
That's great. I'm glad you find any aspect of me "fascinating."
According to everyone else in Casey's family he absolutely did support the war and the President. His mother even said as much when she did meet the President. Now she has gone off the deep end and by using her son's name to do it is absolutely dispicable in my opinion. She has every right to not support the war on her own accord, but to use her son's name, when he stood for the exact opposite, is just plain wrong.
As far as me being in Iraq, please don't in any way thank me or put me on any kind of pedestal. I in no way compare to the men and women in the military who are truly putting their lives on the line to protect our freedoms, even the freedom to be an idiot like Sheehan. While I am helping them to accomplish that mission, they are the real heros.
I doubt Cindy Sheehan would have braved being disowned by her family, giving up her life and opening herself up to very hostile forces if she didn't really believe in her cause. The thing is, she isn't even doing anything remarkably ouststanding; it just seems that way because the Bush administration can't stand to have anyone but bootlickers close to a camera. They are trying to make her into Public Enemy Number One, which only helps her and shows us how far we've fallen as a nation that tolerates free speech.
Like it or not, when you fight for America you fight for the rights of ALL Americans, not just the ones you agree with. Among the many soldiers I know are several different opinions about war and politics. But they all agree that everyone has a right to their opinion.
She does have a right to her opinion, but she doesn't have a right to dishonor her son's name to further her "cause."
CT-
she has a right to do whatever she damn well pleases, so long has she does not break the law or encourage others to do so.
I know you believe in god. And I know you know, you ain't him.
We may argue who is right and who is wrong when it comes to politics, but when it comes to the morality of a woman who has lost her son, neither of us is fit to make that judgment.
Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Isaiah 1: 17 learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.
Southpaw...
You are right. She can dishonor the name of her son all she wants! Glad you agree she is doing so.
I just re-read all my posts and I don't see where I question her morality though...need some more clarity on that one.
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