Cindy Sheehan: "I'm going to tie myself to the fence and refuse to leave"

[callady]

Iraq war foes ready for 2,000th US military death
23 Oct 2005 17:21:35 GMT
Source: Reuters

By Deborah Zabarenko

WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Cindy Sheehan, the military mother who made her son's death in Iraq a rallying point for the anti-war movement, plans to tie herself to the White House fence to protest the milestone of 2,000 U.S. military deaths in Iraq.

"I'm going to go to Washington, D.C. and I'm going to give a speech at the White House, and after I do, I'm going to tie myself to the fence and refuse to leave until they agree to bring our troops home," Sheehan said in a telephone interview last week as the milestone approached.

"And I'll probably get arrested, and when I get out, I'll go back and do the same thing," she said.

<snip>

"On the day after the 2,000th reported U.S. military death in Iraq, people will gather in communities across the U.S. to say that the countries pro-peace majority wants Congress to stop the deaths by stopping the dollars that are funding the war," a coalition of anti-war groups said online at www.afsc.org.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N21246828.htm

[oregonindy]

1. wow..can you imagine hundreds of people doing this? everyday?

for weeks?

thousands upon thousands arrested......hard to ignore in the MSM.

[immoderate]

8. Deja vu...all over again!

WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE
words and music by Pete Seeger
performed by Pete Seeger and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked them every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young girls gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young girls gone?
Taken husbands every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the young men gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the young men gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?

©1961 (Renewed) Fall River Music Inc
All Rights Reserved.

Sorry for the cliche. But they become cliches because they are true.:cry:


--IMM

[MADem]

77. They need to bring bike locks, wear them around their waists!

Make them have to break out the snippers!

[Ferret Annica]

111. Black Bears work better

Those are thick steel tubes encased in concrete the people whose arms are fastened inside them have the ability to get out of there quickly if need be. And they are far more difficult to cut then U-locks.

The slang term is what we in the forest defense community call them.

[Maddy McCall]

2. I know I'll get razzed for this, but Cindy is jumping the shark.

At one point, her message was one to which Americans of all stripes could relate.

Now, her activism has taken this looney turn, and mainstream Americans are having a difficult time relating to her.

Her Crawford protest was brilliant. Part of its appeal was that people from every segment of America became involved. If y'all remember, even I was on the way to join the protest in Crawford when my car broke down.

But tying herself to the fence at the White House is something I can't support. She's no longer a grieving mother; with this action, to most Americans, she will have become just another irrelevant, crazy protester.

I still support Cindy's goals. I just no longer support the direction she is taking to meet those goals. She was much more effective when she wasn't listening to whomever is giving her these awful tactical ideas. I wish she'd find a new advisor.

Go ahead. Flame away.

[johncoby2]

3. Hum.....I agree. She needs to keep it above the fold. eom

[oregonindy]

4. so why cant you support her tying herself to the fence?

[Straight Shooter]

5. I agree, MM.

There's already been a thread on this, on Saturday perhaps, and if I'm not mistaken the majority of the posters did not support Ms. Sheehan adopting this tactic.

A candelight vigil would be much more effective. Ms. Sheehan is too articulate and intelligent and has too much depth of character to be doing this. What next? Is she going to douse herself with gasoline and set herself afire?

[oregonindy]

7. yeah and candlelight vigils are so effective they're always covered

in the news and have become an emotional rallying point for movements.

[MADem]

78. The one that WOULD be covered is the one where everyone

blows out their candles and ties themselves to the fence!!!!

[callady]

10. Candle light vigils have never worked

I attend them all and wish they were effective. It's easy to remain safe. I applaud her efforts.

She has the courage of her convictions. How she is perceived by the American public is more a reflection of how obedient and docile the consumers have become. And the role of the press.

That Boston Tea Party would've been way out of line.

[oregonindy]

13. yeah its like "oh I couldnt do that what would my neighbors think"

or the police might not like that

gotta break our molded consumer driven cushy existences that dull our senses and prevent us from becoming uncomfortable.

[ET Awful]

38. Candlelight vigils are the anti-war equivalent of plastering an SUV

with magnetic ribbons and flag decals. It makes you feel better, and people might look at you with curiosity, but that's about where it ends.

[stepnw1f]

98. Maybe Strapping a Bomb on Your Back Would

Sorry... It worked in my community. It's called getting out and meeting people who have the same agenda as you do. That's how shit starts.

[MarsThe Cat]

11. actually- that i could almost support at this point.

"What next? Is she going to douse herself with gasoline and set herself afire?"

at least it would really prove her commitment.

tying herself to the fence will just get her re-arrested.

[cry baby]

6. I guess I feel like there hasn't been anyone that captures the idea

of the movement and media attention to it better than Cindy. I've racked my feeble brain to think of some other way to bring attention to the people's growing dissatisfaction with the illegal occupation. I can't think of anything else. Ghandi and MLK used civil disobedience to push their cause forward. I see no difference in what Cindy is doing.

BTW, I would never flame you. You are a patriot in the highest order. We just disagree on this.

[immoderate]

12. I agree. Polite demonstrations will not be enough.

I wonder if the people who don't appreciate this were around for Vietnam.

No flames, just wondering.

--IMM

[Mr_Spock]

69. I tend to agree. Doing a feeble demonstration at this point is pointLESS

Civil disobedience 101 - it's fine with me. Yeah, it ain't all kumbaya sweetness and flowers, but it gets attention to an issue that is needlessly killing & endangering Americans daily.

[lvx35]

9. I think if its what she needs to do, she should do it.

I have heard that losing a child is the worst thing ever, and it can make your life seem worthless. So I say if its something she needs to do, she should do it. I think that's why Cindy is so different, she doesn't give a damn about the politics of self preservation, she plays like she has nothing to lose.

[Flying Dream Blues]

97. Yes, it is the worst thing ever. nt

[lildreamer316]

110. Thru..

HUGE hug coming your way.:grouphug:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

14. Yes. She should be much more polite and respectful of the President.

If she really wants to stop the war she should a well-composed Hallmark Card addressed to the boob and those nice generals complimenting them on killing thousands of people to protect us from....what was it? Oh, yeah! Terrorists..uh..WMD...erh...outsiders from Syria..or, was it Iran? And, she shouldn't say all those naughty things about our heroic Democratic Senators who collaborated...er, cooperated with, er, were duped by..tried to prevent the war by signing on to the slaughter..uh..liberation.

She sure shouldn't upset the American people by reminding them that there's a bloodbath going on.

[jayctravis]

24. Is it possible to mail a certified letter to the President?

I mean, I'm sure it would be xrayed and irradiated and dunked in water first, but can't the USPS make him sign for a letter...say the complete list of soldiers killed?

[Silverhair]

46. NO.

There is nothing you can do to insure that a particular package will go to his personal hands.

Everything incoming is opened by office staff. There is just too much of it for him to touch any of it.

[AverageJoe]

19. No flame, but I strongly disagree

Cindy still has the power to change things, but only if she is bold and creative. I fear for her, but I respect her passion and the power she is unafraid to use.

[RoyGBiv]

20. This is not a flame ...

It is some pointed criticism.

On the Daily Show, Jon Stewart regularly has a segment showing clips of talking heads, politicians, etc. repeating the same message, using the same words, over and over, implying rather clearly that this message has been handed to them by someone. It's a script with few alterations, and it's funny only because it is so absurd that those spouting this rhetoric don't seem to understand it is so transparent. But, when you think about it, it's not funny at all because most people don't understand it is just rhetoric, and even if they disagree with the message being offered, they find themselves using the same language, validating it, giving it power. They've accepted the message without realizing it.

Starting near the end of Cindy's vigil in Crawford, we started hearing a lot about how she was a potentially loose cannon. Most of this came from the right-wing noise machine, but little by little, people on our side of the fence starting using the same words. Within a few weeks, as it became apparent that Cindy is not in fact a brilliant politician with a cadre of advisers to write her speeches for her, she began making statements that some found objectionable. In response, people on the left, right, and in the middle began questioning her sanity, suggesting that a grieving mother was not necessarily the best leader for the anti-war movement because she was too emotionally involved and could not be trusted to choose her words wisely. Some went so far as to suggest she be abandoned as a spokesman, that she was doing more harm that good by offering "stupid" comments that reflected "badly" on "us."

That died down for awhile as we dealt with the aftermath of Katrina and focused on impending indictments of high-ranking administration officials, but the noise machine was still hard at work, looking for ways to redirect the focus. So, in the last several days, as Cindy has made her intentions not just to let this die, not just to give everyone a free pass merely because they belong to a certain political party, not just to bask in her fifteen minutes, we start hearing the noise again. It started with the right-wing machine, and it has found its way into our own discourse, by what path I shall not begin to opine.

Cindy has jumped the shark. What an insulting -- and repetitive -- thing to say. This isn't Happy Days. Cindy isn't The Fonz. No stunt-men will be involved and no script writers will be able to ensure a positive outcome. This is war, an illegal, immoral war based on lies that has taken the lives of thousands. I only wish I had the courage to lash myself to a fence, knowing full well I would be arrested, or worse, in order to ensure the focus remained where it should.

Half a century ago, another woman did an incredibly stupid thing. She jumped the shark and refused to give up her place on the bus, in Alabama of all places. What nerve. A group of people in Oklahoma, then Kansas, then other places all over the country figuratively chained themselves to lunch counters and refused to be moved. How dumb. These people were heroes, doing what they had to do to raise awareness, to force those in power to deal with their message.

If you don't like her tactics, come up with some of your own, enact them, and let us know where you'll be and when so we can support you. And when you jump the shark by doing something incredibly stupid, I'll be there with my repellent and tell everyone you were doing what had to be done.

[latebloomer]

40. Excellent points!

Nothing can be accomplished without brave people who put their asses on the line.

[Stockholm]

66. Excellent post!

n/t

[Mr_Spock]

70. ^----------- MUST READ POST<---------

Excellent critique of the above posters rather simple-minded swat at Cindy's plan of action.

:toast:

[Binka]

76. You Rule Roy!!!

:loveya:

[RoyGBiv]

88. No, not me ...

You do. I do not know if I'd have the strength to maintain my sanity if I were to go through what you have. If I were in Cindy's shoes, I know I'd snap. My daughter is my world, and if I lost her to this hideous nightmare, that world would be gone. You and people like you inspire me. I thank you for showing me a path to follow and giving me the inspiration to maintain my strength as I struggle through the lesser trials of life.

That picture of Ben's fist breaks my heart, gives me strength, and enrages me.

Take care of yourself and your family. They -- all of us -- are lucky people like you exist.

[MADem]

79. I agree with you

She is the mother of a dead child who was killed in a stupid war.

She is not a politician.

She is an American.

She has the right to speak, and to protest in any fashion that suits HER. If we take something from her efforts, well, great, but she is not doing this to please US. She has her own agenda, and good for her.

"We" have no business worrying that she might make "us" look bad. The only "us" she needs to worry about are those who are with her.

Dissent IS patriotic.

[Griffy]

81. BRAVO.. well said... now, can we all get behind Cindy?

I would add the very right to vote for women was gained by women going down to the White House and holding up signs. Some of them were arrested and denied due proccess and imprisioned to scare the other women. They expected the womens movement to give up, but more women showed up and took their place! We need MORE Cindys, not less!

I hear the fear in people on our side, that this will anger the other side, or upset people... dont be afraid... fear is the main weapon of the right, whether fear of bombs, or fears of social ridicule.

Cindys right, your wrong, no flame just fact! History shows what must be done, and she is doing it... what are you doing!

[pberq]

102. Excellent post, Roy! nt

[adwon]

28. Bingo

Sitting at Crawford, just waiting for a chance to talk to numbnuts, was something no one could ignore. This? This will come off like chaining yourself to a tree to stop loggers. Not a wise move.

[Maddy McCall]

30. Yes. Comes across as outdated hippie crap.

[RoyGBiv]

57. Outdated hippie crap?

So, what, this is a fashion show now? The long-haired, braless, and sandaled need not apply?

On a more serious note, the tactic of forcing those in power to deal with you directly by securing yourself to some high profile location is not a hippie invention. It is at least as old as recorded history, and it keeps getting used because it works toward its primary purpose: raising awareness.

Yeah, some people will think she's a nutjob. As implied in another message, people thought Rosa Parks, those involved in lunch-counter sit-ins, etc. were nutjobs too. Some still do.

I'll say it again, if you can come up with something better, I'll be there for you.

[Binka]

60. When My Beautiful Wounded Solider Has His Sis Show Up And

She attaches herself to the WH fence wearing this...I think folks will take notice. My baby Callie Jean soon to be 22 and a Senior at Madison. Good Rock Solid Lefty. Only nursed on the left boob! Smart girl!

[G_j]

92. bet you didn't know MLK Jr. was a hippie

neither did I,

hey, ...learn something new every day!
:sarcasm:

:shrug:

[RoyGBiv]

101. Who knew?

:shrug:

:-)

[Hissyspit]

61. Suffragettes famously abused when they tied themselves to fences

etc. to protest for the right to vote (UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE!). Were treated very badly after arrest.

NOT OUTDATED HIPPIE CRAP

[Bridget Burke]

68. What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?

"Jumping The Shark" is good fun when it comes to critiquing TV shows.

www.jumptheshark.com/

But who linked the phrase with Cindy? Googling "Cindy Sheehan" & "Jump the Shark" & returns a BUNCH of hits. One is for Democrats.com (both phrases appeared but were not linked). Guess which other sites appeared?

www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=lang_en&q=%22Cindy+Sheehan%22+%22jump+the+shark%22&btnG=Search

Surprise, surprise. The Right Wing Talking Point Writers are working overtime to smear Cindy Sheehan.

[RoyGBiv]

72. Indeed ...

Thus my curiosity regarding the source of this phrase being used here. I've seen it in a number of threads over the last week, particularly this past weekend.

I'm not suggesting anything about a particular individual on DU, but as implied in an earlier response, some among us have unwittingly accepted this right-wing rhetoric wholesale. It's troubling to me.

[WhiteTara]

86. interesting how the right manages to put things

so cleverly that people just want to repeat them, even if they don't know what it means.

Something must have opened up in Cindy after she was arrested in September for trying to see monkey boy (who was cowering inside). I understand it was the first time she had ever been arrested. My only fear is that the police will injure her to try and scare her away.

What ever she chooses to do will have an effect. Karl Rove has already declared her a clown, but he might have to repeat that from inside a jail cell, I don't know. She has already suffered ridicule at the hands of the right and what she is doing is a time honored tradition. I'm glad she isn't going to do a Mahatma Ghandi and throw in a fast until they stop the war.

[bunny planet]

74. Maybe you haven't realized but that 'outdated hippy crap' is relevant

again, really relevant.

[ET Awful]

29. Here's a little story for you . . . On October 16 and 17, 1967, while

US soldiers were being massacred by the dozens in an ambush that was covered up and called a victory by the military, the government and the media, students at the University of Wisconsin "jumped the shark". They staged a sit-in on campus against Dow Chemical's presence on campus (a huge defense manufacturer at the time) and against ROTC on campus. They did so because they did not feel their school should be hosting organizations that were contributing so strongly to an unjust war in a nation that post no threat whatsoever to the US. The anti-war movement was in its infancy.

Those students were attacked, beaten savagely, more than 60 were sent to the hospital. A nation watched. While the news reported that the students had initiated the violence, a nation watched. When the truth came out that the police had initiated the violence, a nation watched.

Thousands upon thousands of people who had no strong feelings one way or another did after that incident. A movement that had been a few thousand strong on campus became 10 times that overnight. All because a few people "jumped the shark."

Those thousands helped bring the movement to the attention of the entire nation because they "jumped the shark." Within a few years of "jumping the shark" millions of people nationwide were doing their own jumping, from sitting in at induction centers, to marching on Congress itself, they were "jumping" all over the place.

Those people that "jumped the shark" ended the war.

[Maddy McCall]

33. The war didn't end until 1975, with the fall of Saigon.

Troops were withdrawn only three weeks earlier.

Yeah, I'm acquainted with the anti-war movement of the sixties. But it's not the sixties anymore.

[ET Awful]

36. What worked then works now, except it works faster thanks to

forums such as this.

While people like you sit and insult people like Cindy for taking action, people like Cindy take action and get results.

The same types of lies and manipulations were used to gain support for this war as were used to gain support for Vietnam. The same type of people support it and are profiting off it. The same type of media manipulation occurred.

When the same type of attention is brought by very visible means to anti-war sentiment and the media is forced to pay attention, the same results can be achieved.

Cindy knows that standing around and talking about it doesn't accomplish jack-shit. Holding candlelight vigils does nothing except make the person lighting a candle feel better, it's the anti-war equivalent of sticking a bunch of magnetic ribbons on an SUV.

Some people sit back and say "that won't work," others do it and prove that it will.

[adwon]

35. And how were protestors generally perceived?

Antiwar protestors didn't end the war. The war ended because people felt the costs were too high and the gain too slight. They were convinced by body bags, not protestors. The polling data from the era shows quite clearly that protestors and the NLF had similar approval ratings.

[ET Awful]

37. Here's a little hint for you . . . the people that became upset by the

body bags BECAME PROTESTORS.

Of course, I'm sure you knew that right? You knew of all those people who were staunchly pro-war until friends or family were affected, then became anti-war. You know of them right?

You know of people like Ron Kovic who was a gung-ho pro-war beast until he experienced it first hand right?

If you think that protestors didn't have a hand in ending the war, you've been reading too many right-wing history books.

[adwon]

39. They did?

So the overwhelming majority of protestors weren't upper-middle and upper-class 20-somethings? I wasn't aware of that.

If you think protestors influenced Johnson and Nixon in the slightest, you live in fantasyland. When the bodycount went over 20k, support for the war dropped under 50%. The drop in support for the war is what ended it. To borrow from an unnamed Irish politician of the day, "My people want to end the war and shoot the protestors." That was the general sentiment.

Most people may have turned against the war, but they never bought the message of the protestors (NLF flags and all).

[ET Awful]

41. The protestors were a very large part of the reason that Johnson

decided not to run again.

Look at any of the marches on Washington, look at the crowds. You will see ALL ages (just as you will today).

BTW, the majority of protesters were NOT, by any means, upper-class 20-somethings. Upper-class 20 somethings had nothing to protest, they were having strings pulled by daddy to get them into the National Guard, etc.

[G_j]

93. Wow! mom/activist Cindy soooo controversial

ha ha

When mom/activist Cindy Sheehan becomes a constant source of controversy, one may ask themselves how fucking "underground" can this be?
Geez

new mantra: hurry up and wait

[Cults4Bush]

52. Well go on and take your ass over to meet her and explain why you

are so brilliant and tactical and how your way is soooo much better. Because you know excatly whats best for Cindy and the peace movement that backs her.

Seriously she might listen to you.

Better yet why dont you just do something else instead of handing insults out to her with talking points such "jumping the shark" and "looney". You go be the change and do it whatever you think needs doing and do it so that everyone will agree with you and you'll get the broadest majority and make sure to be that coldly calculating in every last statement you may make.

I don't know if it has occure dto you that maybe Cindy is doing this on her own accord. Maybe she got tired of tactical advisors telling her not to do this kind of stuff even though her heart screams for it. Maybe Cindy just doesnt have time to bend her will to what you and the other don't upset the middle folks want. If thats the case then please go start your brand of protests then you'll really have a pulpit to denounce her from.

[KharmaTrain]

53. My .0000002 Worth...I Totally Agree

Cindy earned and still have my deep respect when she came out with the simple question that she wanted to ask the boy king..."why did my son die?" This is all need be said and should have been the focus until boooosh and his henchmen were forced to meet her and then attempt to answer the question. They still haven't...they still need to be held accountable.

I was all set to come to Washington until I investigated a lot of what was being organized and saw lots about other political agendas, but very little about Cindy's question and original message. It got lost in the media circus and the many others who saw Cindy as a meal ticket to get their causes out. While I'm sympathetic to many, the Iraq invasion is my priority...what got us into this mess and what it'll take to get us out. These are questions, not theater.

The sight of mass arrests at the White House do nothing to serve the anti-war cause at this moment...other than give the corporate media another reason to attack both Cindy and the entire Progressive/Liberal world. I could do far less with the theatrics...just stay on the message...just like the night of the national vigils...where thousands, probably millions, all came out and had the same message.

[grace0418]

71. Couldn't agree with you less.

I fully support Cindy. She's getting it done, she's laying it on the line, while the rest of us are sitting around yapping. Myself included.

[bunny planet]

73. It's actually just what a lot of protesters did in the sixties, the

Berrigan brothers among others, and during the civil rights movement too. It is civil disobedience, plain and simple, coming from a woman who has something big to say and has lost everything. She chooses to make a statement that might resonate to prevent this devastation from affecting one more family. Frankly, I wish someone had protested in this way at the 1000 soldier milestone too. Yes, you are probably right, in this day and age, enough people haven't realized on a deeply personal level yet, that enough is enough. She will be ridiculed, just as she has been already. Thing is, she doesn't care, she's doing what she feels she has to do.

[symbolman]

90. I agree

I think that a better idea would be for everyone to "adopt" a deceased soldier and for them or someone that is their helper in that area to DAILY walk up to the fence and leave flowers, and attach a picture of that troop (use VERY sticky tape and wrap the pic around the steel pole), or MANY troops to the Fence.

They'll have to REMOVE them each day and if TONS of people do this ALL THE TIME, ALL DAY, DAY IN AND OUT, then it becomes a graphic image of MOURNING, of BUSH NOT CARING (as they constantly remove PICS/Flowers, etc) and a WALL OF SHAME for the White House..

MUCH BETTER and it makes THEM the "bad guys" when they Take the Pics down, very disrespectful AND the Pics are "private property", etc..

SHOWER the White House with DEATH, make them clean up the "mess" - and lots of FLAGS, ALWAYS FLAGS, don't let the right take the FLAG away from us.

My two cents, she could lead the way by posting her son's pic there and then DOZENS of grieving folks could follow right behind her - as they jerk them down, just add more, if they block the way, wave flags and pictures so the media will have a photo op and all of America will SEE they refuse to acknowledge these Fallen Troops..

Cindy, do THIS instead. Let them arrest people for SUPPORTING the troops, not lashing themselves to a fence. SHow the fence for what it is, a WALL OF SHAME. A MEMORIAL that the WHite House tears DOWN.

[cry baby]

15. I don't see anyone else willing to stand in front of the moving tank.

It's going to take a bit of civil disobedience by someone...if that someone is Cindy, then so be it.

[madmax]

16. Cindy, I love you.

You've got balls to the nth degree. I'm so sorry your precious Casey was sacrificed. :cry:

[carolinalady]

17. Does anyone know if she is married?

[procopia]

18. Not for long

Her husband of 28 years has filed for divorce.

[PatriotMom]

26. Yeah and what kind of ass hole is he to serve her while she ....

Is doing something in this country for all parents of military age kids. That was timely, wonder if he took big bucks for that? That was his child too, he should have been half a man and waited till it would not make world wide news. What a dick head, his loss not hers that's for sure.

[nashbridges]

43. Most couples don't survive the death of a child

Really. Do a google on child death and divorce. The manner in which humans handle grief is usually too much for either person to take.

[procopia]

80. A beautiful family destroyed

&f=/c/a/2005/03/20/INGIGBNC46129.DTL

[Hippo_Tron]

21. Okay no offense to Cindy, but this one is getting a little ridiculous

Campign outside of shurb's house in crawford was brilliant. The peace tour was brilliant. Protesting outside of the whitehouse is great, but the whole "chaining yourself to the fence" is too stereotypical.

[oregonindy]

22. can you tell me why its sterotypical?

[shadowknows69]

27. The whole "chaining yourself to a fence"

is exactly what needs to be done. en masse.

[ET Awful]

31. Of course it is, that's why there are people out there every day

chained to the Whitehouse fence. . . . oh wait.

[Hissyspit]

62. Suffragettes.

Put themselves at great physical harm. Were abused.

They have been nice to Cindy so far, but anything could happen each time she does it.
It is not a stereotype, it is a risky venture.

Part of what is wrong with this country is the idea that arose that "Oh, that PROTESTING THE WAR stuff is so old-fashioned... Grow up and get a job."

[blogslut]

23. Good for her

She's also planning to spend Thanksgiving in Crawford.

[PatriotMom]

25. If you lost a son or a daughter to this filthy war ...

You might understand why Cindy would not think twice of chaining herself to a fence or what ever it took to get and keep attention stirring regarding this God Damned mass murder of our kids and the Iraqi people. She talks to parents every day about their sons and daughters that have just died or been blown to shit or have committed suicide etc etc. She is not playing, she is dead ass serious, this was her kid that died that she remembers growing up and she has pictures all around of. This pain will never ever go away, and neither will she until these kids are home where they should be. We have been robbed long enough in this country and I for one am sick to death of it, I have had enough. Until we have that passion the passion Cindy Sheehan demonstrates there will be NO CHANGES in this country. NONE. I am with her 100%, I have several children that could lose their lives for Bush and his greedy friends, my kids blood is not going to be spilled that way for those reasons. If a draft is instituted they will be criminals that would have to do prison time for resisting. They would have criminal records that would follow them for the rest of their lives, this is the fucking reality here folks. And my kids are not afraid to fight for this country, that is not the point, they value their lives more than to give it up for the greed of evil men. I would be chaining myself to a freakin fence too, and worse. Mess with my kids and you will have me doing more than chaining myself to a fence, that is mild. Cindy is a true Patriot.

[callady]

34. In Total Agreement

We seem to want a nice and easy path to stop these vicious thugs in the WH from warring against the world. It just doesn't work that way. Power cedes nothing without a struggle.
I support her chaining herself to the fence as well as other acts of CD that we have seen by other groups/individuals.

[ET Awful]

32. HAVE YOU BEEN TO JAIL FOR JUSTICE?

Was it Cesar Chavez or Rosa Parks that day?
Some say Dr. King or Ghandi
Set them on their way
No matter who your mentors are
It’s pretty plain to see
That if you’ve been to jail for justice
You’re in good company

Have you been to jail for justice?
I want to shake your hand
‘Cause sitting in and laying down
Are ways to take a stand
Have you sung a song for freedom
Or marched that picket line?
Have you been to jail for justice?
Then you’re a friend of mine

You law abiding citizens
Come listen to this song
Laws are made by people
And people can be wrong
Once unions were against the law
But slavery was fine
Women were denied the vote
While children worked the mine
The more you study history
The less you can deny it
A rotten law stays on the books
‘til folks with guts defy it!

Have you been to jail for justice?
I want to shake your hand
‘Cause sitting in and laying down
Are ways to take a stand
Have you sung a song for freedom
Or marched that picket line?
Have you been to jail for justice?
Then you’re a friend of mine

Well the law is supposed to serve us
And so are the police
When the system fails
It’s up to us to speak our piece
We must be ever vigilant
For justice to prevail
So get courage from your convictions
Let ‘em haul you off to jail!

Have you been to jail for justice?
I want to shake your hand
‘Cause sitting in and laying down
Are ways to take a stand
Have you sung a song for freedom
Or marched that picket line?
Have you been to jail for justice?
Then you’re a friend of mine
Have you been to jail for justice
Have you been to jail for justice
Have you been to jail for justice
Then you’re a friend of mine

[Binka]

42. I Was Arrested With Dolores Huerta Protesting Gallo in 1997

And I am sure it is going to happen again SOON. Only this time I will be standing with Cindy. I'm on Cindy's team and I can tell you this, when I get my baby Ben healed up(for those that didn't know Ben was blown to shit by an IED on October 8 in Ramadi) I am joining up with The Cindy Crew to add my OUTRAGE.

I'm lucky Ben is alive but Casey is dead. He is DEAD! There is nothing they can do to hurt Cindy. Nothing. My son is severely hurt but alive and I am so FUCKING done being NICE.

I could care less what the "average American" thinks about Cindy or me or lots of other pissed off and grieving mothers. We are taking it to the streets. Oh sorry for sounding like an old hippie just then.

Ben's fist wants me to fight for him



Look for my face in the press, I have a REALLY BIG MOUTH and I will use it!

[ET Awful]

44. Good for you!!!!

Thanks Binka! :hug:

How is Ben? Hopefully recovering as quickly as possible.

Folks like you and Cindy being visible, vocal and belligerent is exactly what's needed :)

[Binka]

45. I'm Heading To Bethesda On Sunday Morning

I'll be with Ben for at least two weeks. His arm is really mangled and he is going to need a rod in his femur. He is in surgery right now! I will get an update later today. He is in a ton of pain and he misses me.

His room was full of people last night and he spent 90 minutes talking with me. I miss him so much but I had to come home and be with Peyton. She is a trooper! Thanks for the kind words, thoughts, encouragement.

[ET Awful]

47. Good for you. I'm glad you have the ability to get there for him.

I'm happy to hear Peyton is holding up well too. That's one tough family you've got :)

[Binka]

50. My Ian & Callie Get Over Looked I Have Four Children They ALL Rock!

Ian



Callie



Everybody but Peyton has been able to be with Ben. Peyton is just too young for a trip like this. Peyton and her future husband Sarah. Sarah shared this with me last weekend!



Ben in Germany when I first got there



Ben before shipping out (This kid is one TOUGH Mother Fucker! :loveya: Ben)

[Cults4Bush]

48. Right on Binka! I was wondering were you would stand on this.

I was at Camp Casey during its 3rd weekend when Cindy was gone it was an honor to help hold down the camp whilst she helped her mom recover.

You continually make me proud, and show many what a soldiers mom is and can be.

So proud of you....:cry: it does indeed bring a tear to my eye.

[meganmonkey]

55. Woohoo!!!

I am honored to be a member of that club. And if I could get back to the White House to get arrested again this week, I most certainly would!

:patriot:

[Cults4Bush]

49. If you think Cindy is "jumping the shark".... then get your ass out there

and do it better. Go start doing your own thing in the name of peace. Im so tired of people who critique a mother like her who is just focused on ending the war at all costs. She has no other life now, this path is her home and those that try to knock her off it because they worry about public perception or they think she should be doing it "their way" are indeed not getting it.

Its not a partisan thing and when you want to control this strong and courageous mother in such a way all I can say is that you seem to be the ones jumpings sharks and pushing your own agendas, go do it better than her if you think that is somehow a possibility. I doubt any of you could and if you did more power to you but frankly you all come off as cold calculating agenda shopping twerps.

[meganmonkey]

51. I'll see your post, and raise you a challenge:

(not for you, Cults4Bush, but for the people criticizing Cindy)

Show me ONE successful peace movement, or other social movement, that occurred without someone breaking the norms, without someone stepping outside of the expectations of BOTH political parties, without some creative civil disobedience.

:shrug:

[Cults4Bush]

56. Right on Megan,

Of course there will be the arguments that the peace movement actually hurt the peace movement... yadda yadda. Knowitall egogasms not withstanding I sometimes wonder at the empathy level of DU'ers who subcribe to tactics above compassion and understanding.

Seriously nay sayers just go and make your own movement then, as peace seekers Im sure you wont tear down a fellow peace maker like Cindy anymore then.

[Shakespeare]

75. Well said.

Anybody who criticizes her while sitting on their ass doing nothing should be ashamed (and posting on DU does not count, folks).

Every act of civil disobedience, no matter how small or passed-over by the press, is important. Period. "Jumping the shark" has absolutely nothing to do with it.

[cry baby]

54. To those who don't think she should do this, what else should she do?

What do you suggest she do? Candlelight vigils don't do squat. Suggest something, don't just complain about her decision.

In this new age, what can we do to move people that we're not doing already? And what is wrong with being an old hippie?

[pberq]

58. Go Cindy! - recommended

I nominate Cindy for American of the year!

If we all had her courage and passion and willingness to stand up to the criminals in the White House, things would be a lot better.

[meganmonkey]

59. This is just fricking mind-boggling to me

How many DUers, who complain about the Dems in congress for not having the courage to stand up and make bold statements against this war, our representatives doing nothing to represent their constituents, who are overwhelmingly against this war...

And here is Cindy - who doesn't owe anyone anything, doing far more to keep this issue in the public eye than our so-called leaders. She certainly doesn't owe the Democratic party anything.

I can't fully understand Cindy's motivations, and I won't try, but the basic premise seems pretty simple: HER SON DIED FOR A BUNCH OF LIES, along with a couple thousand other soldiers, over 100,000 Iraqi civilians, and there is NO END IN SIGHT.

Bless her for having the courage and strength to do these things. She is a true patriot.

:patriot:

Please, leave it to the RW to smear her and criticize her - we don't need DUers adding to it.

[lonestarnot]

63. Cindy... You go ahead and get on their fence. They aren't listening

obviously. Warmongers do not listen to peaceful suggestions or solutions. We all need to get onto their fences.

[izzybeans]

64. I'm guessing she'll never be allowed to make it close enough now that

she's anounced it like this. Good idea, bad PR move.

[meganmonkey]

65. Shit, last month the cops knew that hundreds of us were going to

illegally occupy the White House sidewalk and risk arrest, and they opened the barriers long enough for us to get through, gave us our three warnings, and arrested the lot of us.

The DC cops not only know what is going on, they are very supportive of our right to protest this way. In fact, I think they were almost all on our side when we did it (although they wouldn't say so out loud - we got some winks and smiles indicating as much).

Go Cindy!

:patriot:

[izzybeans]

67. That's good to hear. I hope it stays that way. Like I said I was just

guessing. I support her and your efforts.

I read your reports of that event and am honored you replied. the My Posts section of my profile reads like a loner's diary.

:patriot:

[Griffy]

82. duh! we ALL can walk right up to the fence.. be serious..

you think they gonna stop her before doing it.. on what charge?

I wish I had the guts to join her... in fact, I think announcing it was designed to encourage people to join her. She set the time and let people plan it. I would love to see hundreds or thousands strapping themselves to the fence. I plan to go down to the WH when she goes down.. to support her and take pictures in case no media shows.

[izzybeans]

84. I'm with you there.

Just musing on the possibilities given that whole police state thing we've become famous for.

[meganmonkey]

99. Do it! Do it!

If you can get there, you should get arrested too! I highly recommend it - as long as you have a clean record and can spare a day or two (just in case of a hassle). The odds are good you will only be in jail for a few hours, maybe overnight if tons of people participate and it takes a long time to process people...

It is much scarier to think about it for days ahead of time than it is to actually do it - I say this from experience.

As for the media - oh, they'll be there! Last month there probably would have been no one but the truthout.org camera guy if Cindy hadn't been there too, but thanks to her there were hundreds of press folks!

:patriot:

[spuddonna]

83. Good for you Cindy! And to those thinking she's "jumped the shark"...

Wow, is all I can say...

Civil disobedience = "Jumping the Shark" now, huh?

*I'm so glad that Rosa Parks and MLK didn't care about 'jumping the shark'...
(I wonder if the same people calling Cindy a 'publicity hound' would call MLK and Rosa 'publicity hounds', too?)
*I'm so glad the suffragettes didn't care about 'jumping the shark'...
(Yes, ladies! Let's keep this above the fold! Hey, why are you chaining yourself to the gate!!)
*I'm so glad the protesters who participated in sit-ins during the 60's didn't care about 'jumping the shark'...
(You people are just crazy hippy types! Especially you, Gandhi!)

I could go on and on about the importance of civil disobedience in our progressive society...

But for those of you saying Cindy shouldn't do this, what exactly do you think she should do? You tell me. You've lost your son to a war that was based on LIES. What would you do?

I can only speak for myself, but I would be sitting next to Cindy in a police cell... GO CINDY!!!

[Bridget Burke]

94. Google "Cindy Sheehan" & "jumped the shark"

You'll find one Democrats.com site wherein the phrases are NOT connected. Check out the other sites:

www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=lang_en&q=%22cindy+sheehan%22+%22jumped+the+shark%22&btnG=Search

Anyone connecting the phrases at DU has definitely been slumming in some of the sleazier back alleys of the internet. And they picked up something nasty.

[spuddonna]

104. Wow, that's prime info for a Jon Stewart bit!

I guess the right wing talking point lackies are out in force...

[adigal]

85. Cindy in Crawford was the start of Bush's downfall

and loss of poll numbers and what seems like an eventual loss of sanity.

She made many Americans take their first honest look at Bush - and they did not like what they saw. I support what she is going to do - she is not going to be violent, she is not going to harm anyone else - and if Limbaugh, Hannity and O'Reilly call her "crazy," there will still be millions of mothers who will agree with here and admire her courage and support her.

I think Cindy should do what she feels is best and we should not judge.

[HoosierClarkie]

107. I really agree.

She has put a face to the cause. She put a face to the flag drapped coffins that we were not supposed to see. People need to wake up and realize what impact she has had. It is inspiring.

[bigwillq]

87. She never ceases to amaze me.

Good for her.

[Binka]

89. Kick For Cindy

We love you :loveya:

[RepublicanElephant]

91. GO CINDY GO!!!!

:patriot:

[AngryAmish]

95. Cindy will lead us and we will crush them

This Repug filth exists throughout our country. We must seek them out, segregate them from the rest of society lest they infect more people and cleanse them from our nation. We must crush them.

[NaturalHigh]

96. I don't know what "jumped the shark" means,

but I think this is a nutty idea. She's becoming little more than a publicity stunt, not much more worthy of attention than the Fan Man or Tara Reid's "wardrobe malfunction."

[RoyGBiv]

100. I've read some asinine things ...

But that one just about tears it.

In your universe, you're comparing Cindy Sheehan's war-protest tactics to a celebrity's breast falling out of a dress?

That makes me sick.

[Arkana]

103. This woman's got guts, that can be said for her.

The fact that I agree 100% with her cause is just the icing on the cake. Go Cindy!

[Glimmer of Hope]

105. She is not tying herself to the fence.

I posted this on the DC thread:


There will be a vigil tonight in front of the White House from 6:00-7:00pm. (Cindy will not be there).

Starting tomorrow, Cindy will start a daily vigil from 12:00 to 8:00pm (this is from her blog)and she has also scheduled the following:

10/26 (Wednesday) 10:30am Arlington Cemetery wreath ceremony


10/27 (Thursday) 10:30am Delivery of wreath and sympathy cards to the Iraqi embassy.

10/28 (Friday) 10:30am Delivery of flowers to Walter Reed

For the rest of the week, everyday at 6:00pm, Cindy will have a "die-in" and ask others to participate. -She plans to be arrested for C.D.

[RoyGBiv]

109. Thanks for the update ...

Do you know if she has legal defense set up?

As a related aside, I took her comment as a figure of speech, akin proclaiming one will not be moved by heaven and earth. Well, literally speaking, heaven and earth, in the form of wind and the movement of the earth, could well move you pretty much no matter what you do. Saying it just means you're serious.

Most chickenhawks and sadly some among us chose to latch on to this comment to try to paint her as a loon to be ignored and shunned.

[DinahMoeHum]

106. "Well-Behaved People Do Not Make History"

n/t

[callady]

108. That's right

Tell Rosa Parks she should have just played nice, written a few letters to her Congress critter and signed petitions. Doesn't work. never has.

Go Cindy!
RIP Rosa Parks.