Cindy Sheehan

[shinerbock]

Is moving into a tree house near the President's place in Crawford...what a freakshow.

http://www.wacotrib.com/news/content...interview.html

[Drolefille]

The one thing that really bugs me about her, is that her son CHOSE to go back in service. She wanted to take him to Canada and he said that this was his duty.

It's terrible that he died, but abusing her son's legacy is worse. She'll never finish grieving this way.

(And I do think she's been used by anti-war people, and now sees this as the only way of "getting her son back" which is clearly not going to happen)
/end psychology

[KillarneyRose]

Originally Posted by shinerbock

Is moving into a tree house near the President's place in Crawford...what a freakshow.

I support President Bush, I support the war and without question I support the trooops. My own sister describes my political leanings as slightly to the right of Pat Buchanan. Just wanted to show that I'm not one of those bleeding heart flag burning liberal types

Anyhoo...

Shame on you for mocking this woman's grief. I don't like what she's doing and I certainly don't support it, but I've never been in the situation she's in so I wouldn't dare criticize her method of dealing with her grief.

She lost her son and it is her right to use any legal means she chooses to voice her vexation. She wants to set up a camp down the road from President Bush's ranch? Let her. We all know it's not going to make a whit of difference in the President's foreign policy, but if her quixotic crusade is something that will ultimately help her cope with her terrible loss, then let her have her fifteen minutes of fame.

ETA: I apologize for how harsh my post must read, but I just feel so sorry for that poor woman.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by KillarneyRose

I support President Bush, I support the war and without question I support the trooops. My own sister describes my political leanings as slightly to the right of Pat Buchanan. Just wanted to show that I'm not one of those bleeding heart flag burning liberal types

Anyhoo...

Shame on you for mocking this woman's grief. I don't like what she's doing and I certainly don't support it, but I've never been in the situation she's in so I wouldn't dare criticize her method of dealing with her grief.

She lost her son and it is her right to use any legal means she chooses to voice her vexation. She wants to set up a camp down the road from President Bush's ranch? Let her. We all know it's not going to make a whit of difference in the President's foreign policy, but if her quixotic crusade is something that will ultimately help her cope with her terrible loss, then let her have her fifteen minutes of fame.

ETA: I apologize for how harsh my post must read, but I just feel so sorry for that poor woman.

I feel sorry for her too. But any counselor/therapist would tell you that this is a terrible way to deal with grief.

She's completely within her rights, but I feel like she's been misled and lied to by the anti-war groups. And I have a hard time justifying the dishonor of her son's memory/wishes.

[adpiucf]

She's completely within her rights to protest, live in a tree and do as she pleases. And I'm completely within my rights to point out that she's a freak of nature who's gone off the deep end and won't seek mental help.

[shinerbock]

Don't worry I'm not offended.

However, I believe that once you cross the line into the public arena, when you rail against the administration and those who support the war, you've effectively lost your immunity to attack. I'm with Ann Coulter on this one, in that you have every right to grieve in peace, and even to question the authorities in power...but when you use your grief as a rallying point for your personal leanings, people should be free (both legally and without moral rebuke) to refute your positions. There are thousands of parents who have lost their children in this war, and very few are given a national audience. We (the public) did not seek her out, but rather she subjected herself the harsh political world by consistantly bashing not only the war but other policies of our President. Didn't she say Hugo Chavez was a better president than W?

I believe that grief is important, and that people should be free to express it publicly. However, I don't believe people like her or the "9/11 widows" should have a free card of immunity to wave whenever their viewpoints are attacked. Basically, if you put yourself out there, you should be prepared for exposure to scrutiny, especially those who exploit the media's attention.

[dekeguy]

No one can argue against this woman's right to express herself, but when her whole existance becomes a freak show of public faux pas one cannot but wonder whether her motivation is to "honor" her son or to take advantage of expanding her 15 minutes of fame.
Her son was a soldier in an all volunteer Army. He did his duty and gave the last full measure of devotion to that duty. Tragic and worthy of admiration. However, his mother is a disgrace to the memory of a young man who chose to go in harm's way to fulfill his committment.
I count myself very lucky to have heard the admonition and expectations of my Grandmother, the original Steel Magnolia. You might remember my earlier comments in other threads relating how when my Dad went to Viet Nam and when I deployed to Iraq we got the 'speech'. "Don't try to be a hero, just do your duty, take care of your men, and try to come home in one piece, BUT, if the worst comes to the worst, remember that the last thing you do on earth is die, DO IT WELL!"
No soldier wants to die, and no soldier's mother wants him to, but that is an accepted risk known to every soldier and every soldier's family. We Americans would do well to remember that sometimes we need to reach down into ourselves and simply demonstrate that we are made of the stuff that forged this nation, warts and all, and that this nation of ours is worth defending, warts and all, and those who give the last full measure are very much worth honoring, not dishonoring.
No one should ever challenge anyone's right to express oneself, but is it asking so very much that the mothers of those brave souls who defend our rights should not descend into the squalor of tackyness and self serving desecration of the very values for which their dead sons and daughters laid it all on the line?
I honor and stand in admiring awe the vast majority of mothers who have lost sons and daughters in the service of their country and confront their grief with dignity. I am nauseated with contempt for those few who make a mockery of their child's supreme sacrifice.

[ann.coulter2]

Sheehan fans bonkers over 'American Mourning'
Success, visibility of title pushes opposition into strident, vulgar name-calling
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com


What are Cindy Sheehan fans saying about the early sales and high-profile publicity a new book highly critical of the anti-war figure is getting?

They are calling one of the authors "fat." They are calling another one a "whore." They are using the "b-word" about both of them. And those are the calmer reactions.

Supporters of Sheehan have become enraged at the success that the new patriotic book, "American Mourning," the latest release from WND Books written by talk-radio star Melanie Morgan and veteran journalist Catherine Moy.



What does the book say?

One day earlier, peace activist Sheehan said on the nationally syndicated Stephanie Miller radio show that she planned to sue Morgan and Moy "for every nickel they have."

Sheehan stated during the interview that her anger was based on several statements in the book, including a claim that after her son's death, "Cindy had become addicted to online chat rooms of a pornographic nature."

The book also asserts that Sheehan exchanged "hundreds of explicit emails and instant messages" with a married man.

Sheehan in the radio interview called Moy and Morgan "hate-mongers" engaged in "yellow journalism."

[Drolefille]

Cindy Sheehan is a sad woman who is obsessed with "fixing" her son's death. She's been used by the anti-Bush crowd and it's tragic.

She needs serious counseling.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by ann.coulter2

What are Cindy Sheehan fans saying about the early sales and high-profile publicity a new book highly critical of the anti-war figure is getting?

They are calling one of the authors "fat." They are calling another one a "whore." They are using the "b-word" about both of them. And those are the calmer reactions.

Hmmm. I wonder where they learned that kind of political discourse, "Ann."

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Cindy Sheehan is a sad woman who is obsessed with "fixing" her son's death. She's been used by the anti-Bush crowd and it's tragic.

She needs serious counseling.

Strong agreement.

[DeltAlum]

Sheehan is annoying, but these two radio types had better be telling the whole truth, and pretty certain of their facts or this could be one that Cindy could win.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

Sheehan is annoying, but these two radio types had better be telling the whole truth, and pretty certain of their facts or this could be one that Cindy could win.

Well, Sheehan has unquestionably made herself a public figure, so it's going to be an actual malice standard, not just a standard libel standard.

[DeltAlum]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Well, Sheehan has unquestionably made herself a public figure, so it's going to be an actual malice standard, not just a standard libel standard.

That's probably true. I wonder how the courts would define a "public figure" in a case like this one.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by DeltAlum

That's probably true. I wonder how the courts would define a "public figure" in a case like this one.

The usual Wikipedia caveats apply, and then some since "public figure" is a legal term of art, but the Wikipedia article on "public figure" is a fairly good nutshell of what the term means. I'd wager that most courts would find that Cindy Sheehan is a limited purpose public figure with regard to the war in Iraq.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by dekeguy

No one can argue against this woman's right to express herself, but when her whole existance becomes a freak show of public faux pas one cannot but wonder whether her motivation is to "honor" her son or to take advantage of expanding her 15 minutes of fame.
Her son was a soldier in an all volunteer Army. He did his duty and gave the last full measure of devotion to that duty. Tragic and worthy of admiration. However, his mother is a disgrace to the memory of a young man who chose to go in harm's way to fulfill his committment.
I count myself very lucky to have heard the admonition and expectations of my Grandmother, the original Steel Magnolia. You might remember my earlier comments in other threads relating how when my Dad went to Viet Nam and when I deployed to Iraq we got the 'speech'. "Don't try to be a hero, just do your duty, take care of your men, and try to come home in one piece, BUT, if the worst comes to the worst, remember that the last thing you do on earth is die, DO IT WELL!"
No soldier wants to die, and no soldier's mother wants him to, but that is an accepted risk known to every soldier and every soldier's family. We Americans would do well to remember that sometimes we need to reach down into ourselves and simply demonstrate that we are made of the stuff that forged this nation, warts and all, and that this nation of ours is worth defending, warts and all, and those who give the last full measure are very much worth honoring, not dishonoring.
No one should ever challenge anyone's right to express oneself, but is it asking so very much that the mothers of those brave souls who defend our rights should not descend into the squalor of tackyness and self serving desecration of the very values for which their dead sons and daughters laid it all on the line?
I honor and stand in admiring awe the vast majority of mothers who have lost sons and daughters in the service of their country and confront their grief with dignity. I am nauseated with contempt for those few who make a mockery of their child's supreme sacrifice.

Having heard this self-same speech made to so many of my relatives, I understand and agree with you. I toyed with adding more, but decided to let your words stand, uncorrupted.

Bless you and all of our military personnel, now and always.