Hypocrites and Liars By Cindy Sheehan t r u t h o u t | Letter
Saturday
20 August 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 moms 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 opposetewar 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 wehae 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 cmmuityand
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
vilifed ad drgged 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 dan wel you ave 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 seeminglymeaninless daths?
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.
Source:
truthout.org
