Hypocrites and Liars
by
Cindy Sheehan, Aug 20, 2005
(Posted here by Wes Penre, Aug 21, 2005)
The
media are wrong. The people who have come out to Camp Casey to help
coordinate the press and events with me are not putting words in my
mouth, they are taking words out of my mouth. I have been known for
sometime as a person who speaks the truth and speaks it strongly. I have
always called a liar a liar and a hypocrite a hypocrite. Now I am urged
to use softer language to appeal to a wider audience. Why do my friends
at Camp Casey think they are there? Why did such a big movement occur
from such a small action on August 6, 2005?
I haven't had much time to analyze the Camp Casey phenomena. I just read
that I gave 250 interviews in less than a week's time. I believe it. I
would go to bed with a raw throat every night. I got pretty tired of
answering some questions, like: "What do you want to say to the
President?" and "Do you really think he will meet with you?" However,
since my mom has been sick I have had a chance to step back and ponder
the flood gates that I opened in Crawford, Tx.
I just read an article posted today on LewRockwell.com by artist Robert
Shetterly who painted my portrait. The article reminded me of something
I said at the Veteran's for Peace Convention the night before I set out
to Bush's ranch in my probable futile quest for the truth. This is what
I said:
I got an email the other day and it said, "Cindy if you didn't use so
much profanity ... there's people on the fence that get offended.
And you know what I said? "You know what? You know what, god damn it?
How in the world is anybody still sitting on that fence?
If you fall on the side that is pro-George and pro-war, you get your ass
over to Iraq, and take the place of somebody who wants to come home. And
if you fall on the side that is against this war and against George
Bush, stand up and speak out.
This is what the Camp Casey miracle is all about. American citizens who
oppose the war but never had a conduit for their disgust and dismay are
dropping everything and traveling to Crawford to stand in solidarity
with us who have made a commitment to sit outside of George's ranch for
the duration of the miserable Texan August. If they can't come to Texas,
they are attending vigils, writing letters to their elected officials
and to their local newspapers; they are setting up Camp Casey branches
in their hometowns; they are sending flowers, cards, letters, gifts, and
donations here to us at Camp Casey. We are so grateful for all of the
support, but I think pro-peace Americans are grateful for something to
do, finally.
One thing I haven't noticed or become aware of though is an increased
number of pro-war, pro-Bush people on the other side of the fence
enlisting to go and fight George Bush's war for imperialism and
insatiable greed. The pro-peace side has gotten off their apathetic
butts to be warriors for peace and justice. Where are the pro-war
people? Everyday at Camp Casey we have a couple of anti-peace people on
the other side of the road holding up signs that remind me that "Freedom
isn't Free" but I don't see them putting their money where their mouths
are. I don't think they are willing to pay even a small down payment for
freedom by sacrificing their own blood or the flesh of their children. I
still challenge them to go to Iraq and let another soldier come home.
Perhaps a soldier that is on his/her third tour of duty, or one that has
been stop-lossed after serving his/her country nobly and selflessly,
only to be held hostage in Iraq by power mad hypocrites who have a long
history of avoiding putting their own skin in the game.
Contrary to what the main stream media thinks, I did not just fall off a
pumpkin truck in Crawford, Tx. on
that
scorchingly hot day two weeks ago. I have been writing, speaking,
testifying in front of Congressional committees, lobbying Congress, and
doing interviews for over a year now. I have been pretty well known in
the progressive, peace community and I had many, many supporters before
I even left California. The people who supported me did so because they
know that I uncompromisingly tell the truth about this war. I have stood
up and said: "My son died for NOTHING, and George Bush and his evil
cabal and their reckless policies killed him. My son was sent to fight
in a war that had no basis in reality and was killed for it." I have
never said "pretty please" or "thank you." I have never said anything
wishy-washy like he uses "Patriotic Rhetoric." I say my son died for
LIES. George Bush LIED to us and he knew he was LYING. The Downing
Street Memos dated 23 July, 2002 prove that he knew that Saddam didn't
have WMD's or any ties to Al Qaeda. I believe that George lied and he
knew he was lying. He didn't use patriotic rhetoric. He lied and made us
afraid of ghosts that weren't there. Now he is using patriotic rhetoric
to keep the US military presence in Iraq: Patriotic rhetoric that is
based on greed and nothing else.
Now I am being vilified and dragged through the mud by the righties and
so-called "fair and balanced" main stream media who are afraid of the
truth and can't face someone who tells it by telling any truth of their
own. Now they have to twist, distort, lie, and scrutinize anything I
have ever said when they never scrutinize anything that George Bush said
or is saying. Instead of asking George or Scotty McClellan if he will
meet with me, why aren't they asking the questions they should have been
asking all along: "Why are our young people fighting, dying, and killing
in Iraq? What is this noble cause you are sending our young people to
Iraq for? What do you hope to accomplish there? Why did you tell us
there were WMD's and ties to Al Qaeda when you knew there weren't? Why
did you lie to us? Why did you lie to the American people? Why did you
lie to the world? Why are our nation's children still in harm's way and
dying everyday when we all know you lied? Why do you continually say we
have to "complete the mission" when you know damn well you have no idea
what that mission is and you can change it at will like you change your
cowboy shirts?"
Camp Casey has grown and prospered and survived all attacks and
challenges because America is sick and tired of liars and hypocrites and
we want the answers to the tough questions that I was the first to dare
ask. THIS is George Bush's accountability moment and he is failing ...
miserably. George Bush and his advisers seriously "misunderestimated" me
when they thought they could intimidate me into leaving before I had the
answers, or before the end of August. I can take anything they throw at
me, or Camp Casey. If it shortens the war by a minute or saves one life,
it is worth it. I think they seriously "misunderestimated" all mothers.
I wonder if any of them had authentic mother-child relationships and if
they are surprised that there are so many mothers in this country who
are bear-like when it comes to wanting the truth and who want to make
meaning of their child's needless and seemingly meaningless deaths?
The Camp Casey movement will not die until we have a genuine accounting
of the truth and until our troops are brought home. Get used to it
George, we are not going away.