Hypocrites and Liars -- By Cindy Sheehan

Poststructural Pub
1

We’ve been talking about Cindy Sheehan on a couple of different threads and I wanted to dedicate one to her cause so it will be easy to find. Here is her response to everything that has come down so far since her vigil in Crawford Texas began.

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Hypocrites and Liars

By Cindy Sheehan
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 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. —

2

Something about “The media are wrong” as a thesis statement that makes me stop reading, despite my appreciation for Sheehan’s understanding that “media” is plural.

“The media” isn’t any single thing–wrong, right, biased, liberal, conservative, whatever. The media is all of these things, and more. Any argument which attributes monolithic unity to the media can only be false.

3

why do “you” either have to be “pro-peace” if “you” are protesting with Mrs. Sheehan, and “pro-war” if you aren’t? (I’m using the collective “you” because that is what is used in the article)
I am not protesting bodily with Mrs. Sheehan for many reasons (one of which I had a funeral for another fallen soldier to attend this week). None of which makes me “pro-war”. If I’m reading the article correctly, though, Mrs. Sheehan has said that makes me “pro-war”.

I have the utmost sympathy for Mrs. Sheehan in her loss, and she may choose to grieve in whatever way she sees fit. That does not give her the right to label me - just as I would not label her.

I hope I’m reading the article incorrectly.

4

Thanks Simon! I have to deal with it a good bit in my crowd.

5

I think she’s referring to corporate media, Simon. She has been told, (I’ve seen it) in her interviews how the “media” is attacking her and then they ask what she thinks. To her the “media” is the entity that’s attacking her. She’s not a trained orator so you can’t expect her to speak or write without flaws of this nature. It’s damn impressive that she does what she does after having spent her time raising children.

6

Could you please quote the article where you’re seeing this?

I think she’s seeing a lot of people “sitting on the fence,” and maybe you’re in that category to her… I don’t know. But she’s expressing how frustrated she is with people that aren’t taking a stand one way or the other.

7

:confused: That’s not the way I read it, Missy. I think she was saying that the “pro-war” people aren’t coming out en masse to either counter protest or to send themselves or children in to the war. I didn’t really get the message that if a person isn’t protesting with her that they are “pro-war”, although she did say that people have been too apathetic about promoting the “pro-peace” effort (and I agree about that).

Robin

8

"

…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."

And I think I have said it ad nauseum - I am not pro-Bush, or for the war.

9

She’s calling for people to go into action if they disapprove of the war. I agree with her – it’s our responsibility as patriotic citizens to do something about it.

She’s not talking about you here, you said you were not pro-Bush, or for the war. She’s talking about the people who are pro-war but who aren’t actually fighting or sending their children into harm’s way. She’s talking about their hypocrisy.

10

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… (etc.)

I don’t think she’s saying that if you haven’t done these things that you are pro-war/Bush. She’s just urging people who are against the war to speak out, and also thanking those who have shown some form of direct support. I haven’t gone to any vigils or Crawford, but I have spoken my opinion, to some extent. I don’t feel like she’s saying that I’m personally pro-war just because I’m not in Crawford.

Robin

11

Seems to me you have stood up and spoken out… maybe not very loudly or widely, but at least here, I know you don’t support this war. I don’t think she was talking about you, or people like you who do say what they think in public places. She’s talking about those who don’t.

12

My friend, David Ray, is a poet and a member of the Pima Friends Meeting in Tucson, AZ. He said that I could share these copyrighted poems with members of C & F.

CRAWFORD

His motorcade roars by,
throwing dust in the faces
of the gold star mother

and those who have joined her
there in the heat. At night
the crickets of Texas

chirr their comfort,
steady as the stars.
Peace will return

though without the blessings
of those who roar by,
the furnace of each

of their engines guzzling
billions of fossilized
bodies as if worship

of oil is worship of death,
a fact that concerns
them not, no more than

does a mother’s grief.



(C) 2005 by David Ray



As the faces roll by
captioned by name
age, rank, home town
the honor roll of
American service
personnel added
as their deaths
are made official
and their photographs
become available
I visualize each
of these young men
and women as if
they are being
plucked, lifted off
a great map of the
U.S.A. like toy
soldiers in the hand
of a boy and I
wonder how long
it will take for towns
farms, cities, to be
emptied of those
who are the best
who could be
found and who
would have been
future fathers,
mothers, success
stories, centenarians.
But as they are
plucked off the globe
or buried in flag-
covered coffins
we can only recall
from years past
I can see it now
the vast land filled
only by those sad
eyed elders left
behind, the
American gothics.

© 2005 by David Ray

Information about David’s new book is available at www.howlingdogpress.com

13

It occurs to me in the light of day that what I had written here last evening has nothing at all to do with Ms Sheehan and her terrible loss, and that my comments about David Ray’s talent should have been handled in a PM or with a new thread. My appologies to the author of this thread and everyone else who is contributing. :blush: (I seem to do this sort of thing a lot more lately both here and in conversation.)

For what it’s worth, I totally agree with the mother’s stance and I applaud her for the courage to display those convictions. I, too, have wondered why those who seem to be most hawkish on their perceived “threat” to our freedom have not more readily answered their country’s call for new volunteers and fresh blood. I especially wondered that about the president’s daughters (and his other “of age” relatives) after seeing them campaign for Dad with their blurbs about how important the war is and about how their friends and their generation support this “worthy cause.” My response has always been, “Grab a rifle, Toots!”

Will O’Ban

14

I would not look to Cindy Sheehan for media analysis. It’s not her field of expertise.

On the other hand, as a citizen who has made a huge and painful investment in the Iraq war, she is fully qualified to address her government. She has it exactly right. Bush lied then and he continues to lie. His administration is a bad combination of ideology, dishonesty and incompetence. Neo-conservative ideology based on false assumptions about Reagan and the fall of the soviet union led Bush into Iraq. He knew Americans wouldn’t buy it so he dishonestly presented Iraq as a source of WMD and linked it 9/11. While recklessly chasing this costly folly he’s bankrupting the nation and failing in the real war on terror to which Iraq used to irrelevent.

15

David sent me an email this morning, which I am sharing.

Thanks, feel free to circulate this too–I’m thinking of doing an anthol if
I can collect more for Cindy-
Dave


LONESOME MOM

for Cindy Sheehan

“A president has to protect himself from emotional predators.”
Edmund Morris, “Conservative Compassion,” New York Times, 8-17-05

“Between Grief and Nothing, I’ll take the Grief.”
William Faulkner, The Wild Palms

Camped by the roadside four miles
from the President’s ranch,
as close as the public’s allowed
(after all, we’re only paying the bills)

you stand by your sign and your ribbon
with its message, BRING OUR TROOPS
HOME NOW. Thee speaks my mind
and that of millions of others, and to me

you are the Rosa Parks who has boarded
the bus that George Bush is driving.
You demand to be heard and respected,
face to face, an I-Thou encounter,

although that may not be possible
with a man who stands by his lies
and is oblivious to all reason.
When he showed up for a closed-door

session with a few families like yours
he did not know your son Casey’s name,
although he called you “Mom” as if
he could for a few minutes replace him.

Should you not then be satisfied,
flattered, honored? A chummy, genial
fellow is our President, addressing
bouquets of you generic Moms and Dads,

nothing special, a nuisance, as un-
welcome a sight as flag-covered
coffins. After all, now that there are
nearly two thousand fallen troops

he can’t recall all their names, and
a voluntary propagandist – of which
there are many – now makes a virtue
of callousness, as if even mothers

of those Bush has sent to their deaths
are nothing but “emotional predators.”
Then so are we all, who proclaim
our pride in having some feelings left.


© 2005 by David Ray
www.davidraypoet.com

16

I don’t know, Simon - I’ve heard some pretty convincing arguments that “the media” behaves in a fairly predictable and somewhat uniform way, attaining monolithic unity purely by accident rather than by design.

I also find it tough to ignore the concentration of ownership of all our sources of daily news in the hands of two major corporations. In fact, the two competing daily papers in Vancouver share the same office space and the same human resources personnel. They also print the same stories, sometimes verbatim. Maintaining the illusion that they are two seperate papers is a rather cynical marketing strategy.

I also find it tough to ignore the compelling evidence that the former owner of most of our daily news sources is a criminal and a fraud.

That said, I doubt that was her point. If you read the rest, you’ll notice that’s not her “thesis”, it’s more of a passing reference to her reason for writing everything that follows. She feels “the media” she’s been in contact with haven’t done justice to her message.

17

We’re the media, right here. The internet is a medium. The media is larger than just newspapers, or newspapers and TV stations.

But yeah, the Sun and the Province operating as one is scandalous here in Vancouver. Without competition, they’re each as bad as the other, and they charge top dollar. THe same chain owns the bulk of the local weeklies, as well. If it wasn’t for the Straight, plenty of things wouldn’t get covered at all.

18

I’m sure that Cindy would agree with you on your point, Simon, but I do believe she was referring to corporate media when she wrote that statement. When I refer to “the media” I usually include “mainstream” or “corporate” to be more specific. I listen to Democracy Now every day and it is definitely part of the media. They report what Cindy is doing very fairly and comprehensively. But even though it’s part of the “media” it’s not “mainstream” or “corporate” so obviously, in all aspects, it’s not what Cindy was referring to.

19

I see what you’re saying, but there’s an issue of credibility, you have to admit. How seriously do you take someone who tells you “I read it on the internet”? Personally, I take them only slightly less seriously that someone who says “I saw it on the news”, because at least a journalist has a professional obligation to at least TRY to be SOMEWHAT truthful sometimes, but I think I might be in the minority. I get the impression the most north americans have a huge amount of faith that what they see in the news is mostly true, and that what they see on the internet is mostly false.

20

Interesting, isn’t it, that a letter, carried in person by two of the mothers in the Camp Casey group, had to be left on the pavement because the Secret Service officer they were confronted by refused to take the letter, or to allow anyone else to take it, but a little later, when the Bush Supporters group brought a pile of sheets to be delivered to the president, the sheets were accepted with no problem.

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/22/1433237
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/22/1433240

Watching that Secret Service officer back away from these two lone mothers of soldiers - one fallen, and one about to deploy, was like watching a man avoiding a filthy child… he looked like he was afraid they would contaminate him. Funny, how a man who can qualify to serve in that position can’t be entrusted to take possession of a letter to be delivered to the president. And please don’t start in on ‘if he accepts one, he’s gonna have to take them all’… If the president of this nation cannot be expected to deal with this, he has no business being president. He’d best find a way to deal positively with it soon, as the crowd of people taking up the torch is growing.

edited to add the second link