A Special Camp Casey Family Reunion

[proud2BlibKansan]

A Special Camp Casey Family Reunion
April 07, 2006
Written by: Ava Lowery



This past Thrusday my Mother and I traveled to Austin, TX for a Camp Casey Family Reunion. We attended the Camp Casey Peace Awards and I was honored to accept the Camp Casey Peace Institutes first Young Activist Peace Award. I was especially inspired by being in the company of so many great people working for Peace including Willie and Annie Nelson and Ann Wright. The award ceremony was a great reunion of some amazing activists and wonderful musicians who played some awesome music. Our plan was to leave the next day on the last flight out of Dallas. We had flown into Dallas and driven from there to Austin. After realizing that we weren't going to be able to make our flight we pulled off onto an exit from the interstate and realized we were a matter of minutes from Crawford, TX. After checking to see if we could find another flight out in the morning, and making a quick stop to stock up on more batteries for our camera, we made a decision. We would be taking a detour to Camp Casey and join the camp-goers who were holding a demonstration on Prairie Chapel road - the road which leads to Bush's ranch.

Camp Casey is an amazing experience no matter what time of the year you attend. My Brother, Uncle, and I attended last August during the middle of a drought during 100 degree weather. We stayed a week and despite the heat, and some frustrations with our tent and being stuck in a tent with each other for a week, we had an absolutely amazing and truly life changing time at the Camp. We met so many activists from all over the country who came to support Cindy and the peace movement. I was especially glad to meet so many amazing Iraq war Veterans who told their stories such as Geoffrey Millard, Grant Collins, and Cloy Richards. Speaking with the family members who had lost loves ones in this war was a heart wrenching but necessary task. More Americans should take the time to listen to the stories of people like Carlos Arredondo - who was notified of his son's death in Iraq on his own 44th birthday. All of the amazing activism groups such as Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, and of course Gold Star Families for Peace all helped make that summer week once of my most memorable weeks, but this second trip to Camp Casey was different - it stood out for an especially sad reason.

Camp Casey Easter stands apart from other Camp Casey events because it is the anniversary of Casey's death. Casey Sheehan was killed by enemy action on April 4, 2004, during his deployment in Iraq. It was Palm Sunday. Camp Casey Easter is an absolutely needed reminder of what this war causes. Sons, Daughters, Mothers, and Fathers are being killed in Iraq every single day. George W. Bush still has not met with Cindy - almost 2 years after she first approached his Crawford ranch in August of 2005. It is our duty as patriotic Americans who love our country and our troops, to stand up and demand an end to this war. Cindy Sheehan should never have had to stand up against this war, and Casey Sheehan should have never been sent to die in a war based on the President's lies. Not one more Mother like Cindy should be forced to bury their own child in a war caused by lies and continued because of a wanna-be cowboy's ego. Over 3,200 American loved ones have been killed in this war. It's time we send the message to Congress and the Bush Administration that the American people want our troops brought home.


Ava Lowery is the 16 year old peace activist and video creator from Alabama behind the website, PeaceTakesCourage.com.

http://www.peacetakescourage.com/article-campcaseyeaster.htm