Today is Christmas Eve. I have a miserable cold...or possibly the flu. My husband has been sick for a week. But with that said, once again I anticipate sharing Christmas with all members of my family around the table although happily, that celebration won't occur until December 26 giving me a bit of time to recover from my least favorite and totally unreturnable Christmas "gift."

Yesterday, I picked my son up at the airport - complete with his usual travel drama stories and conversation peppered with bad language and Army lingo. He still has not figured that you attract more flies with honey when it comes to dealing with stressed out O'Hare employees who would rather be home with their families than dealing with stressed out and unhappy travelers. He wanted to talk into the wee hours of the morning...but with a snort and a sneeze, I slinked into my warm bed - complete with three down comforters and a heating pad for my back. I considered putting on my fleece hat but decided it was really taking the sympathy thing a bit far.

As I write this, my boys, now young men and my daughter...still the mature one have taken my folks to church after trying to get me "better" all day. I refused to be typhoid Mary to all of those who gathered today to pray for peace and goodwill among all peoples to honor the birth of Christ and will watch the midnight services on television with my box of kleenex, vaporizor and bottle of aspirin close by and my dogs who will lie strategically on my bed to keep me toasty warm. And I will dream of first Christmases with tiny babies - toddlers running around the tree with eyes full of wonder - school aged children who learned that giving was indeed as good as getting on Christmas.

With all of my heart, I will pray that next Christmas will see all of us gathered around the table again - safe and healthy (and perhaps without a cold but what can I say?). I will say a prayer for the thousands of families who have loved ones in dangerous spots and I will pray for comfort for those who will always have an empty place at the table and in their hearts.

Happy Christmas and Peace on Earth - Goodwill to all of God's Children. 

This picture first published as a Christmas card in 1917 shows a little girl waiting by a Service Flag for a loved one serving a world away. As we celebrate the upcoming holidays, I believe it is important to remember the families of those who serve...especially the children.

May their fondest wish be granted and their absent loved one be safe over the holiday...and on their way home soon so they will be present for all of those important family events and celebrations.

Elections

On Friday, the Iraqis voted in large numbers to elect their own parliament. I applaud their courage and hope that those elected representatives show the same courage as their supporters.

It is my belief that we, in this country, ought to demonstrate the same democratic principles that we are encouraging from the Iraqi people. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Congress passed a bill forbidding inhumane treatment of any prisoner held by ANY U.S. entity and clarified in the Military field manuals what proper interrogation procedures entail. It is sad that our government did not appear to know any better when it scuttled the Geneva Conventions as they pertained to Iraq and Afghanistan. Extraordinary Renditions, CIA torture planes and sending people off to states where torture is permissable are not American values...and have proven to be poor substitutions for good intelligence.

This week the New York Times reported that the President had approved spying on Americans living in the U.S. Following the scandals of the Nixon era, laws were passed to stop that behavior. Appearantly, once again, our President feels himself "above the law" because on the extraordinary threat of terrorism. No public official is above the law and it is my strong hope that the Congress will inquire into this matter and sanction any violations of our laws in a non-partisan manner.

Closer to home, a group of 12 citizens delivered a petition from residents in our congressional district to our congresswoman who has stated that this district supports the President's mission in Iraq. Our petition requested an open debate to honestly discuss Congressman Murtha's proposal to withdraw troops back to a position that would protect innocent Iraqi citizens while giving the new elected government more room to establish its leadership role. Among those chosen to deliver this petition were 5 Military Family members representing all branches of the military, 1 Active Duty Military member, three vets representing service to this country since Korea, a flight attendant who serves on flights that take our young servicepeople to Kuwait and assists in bring wounded soldiers back from Germany and four peace activists representing different groups in the district. The petition had signatures of several hundred residents who live in the district. Similar petitions were delivered all over the U.S. to the offices of Congressional Representatives. We will have to wait and see what, if any impact, the petition will have on our hawkish Congresswoman. Happily, the district is fielding a couple of candidates who feel that war is not the first option of diplomacy.

On a personal level, rumor and speculation abound that deployment orders and dates will be cancelled and/or delayed while we re-evaluate our presence. My son's unit was one mentioned by name as slated for cancellation. However, they continue to pack their gear in preparation for war in anticipation of deployment early next year.

Hopefully, 2006 will be marked by peace and diplomacy in Iraq and Afghanistan....and the U.S.

It is time to bring our soldiers home. Merry Christmas, Happy Chunakah, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to all. May it be marked with peace, prosperity and hope.

Strategy - What Strategy?

The Administration published a booklet called the "National Strategy on Victory in Iraq" (available on the whitehouse.gov site). All I can say after reading all thirty five pages is "wow, are we really paying these guys for putting out this stuff?" Basically, it was a neatly bulleted document encouraging the public to "stay the course" even as the Congress moves to cut funding to programs that benefit the poor and elderly in this country.

Further, there was no explanation of what victory looked like. It is important in a strategy to have a clear goal in mind. There was no explanation of how that victory will be achieved and who is going to achieve it. If it is the Military, that could be a problem: reports indicate an ongoing decline in recruitment which has lead to decreasing standards for enlistees. National Guard units will not, under law, be permitted to return to combat IF they have already spent a specified time away. Congressman Murtha, who is quite knowledgable about Military Affairs, has stated that the Military is tired...and reaching a breaking point. Others in Washington state that within 6 months, the numbers deployed will HAVE to be cut back...citing lack of adequately trained replacements, fatique and other issues

If victory is to be achieved politically, that too presents a problem. In case the reader has missed it, our President is unable to go anywhere in the world without protesters following. Even in carefully venued places in the US, opposition voices are heard. The Vice President is hardly ever heard from. Rice is going to face the hot button issue of CIA secret prisons in European countries who face expulsion from the EU if found complicit.

And then there is the ongoing loss of life in Iraq...on both sides. And for what? An incomplete strategy that only serves to document the inadequacies of this Administration? A strategy that goes against the will of the majority of Americans?

It is time for both new leadership...and a new strategy. It is time to bring our soldiers home and care for them when they get here.

Thanksgiving...and after

I know that I don't talk in specifics about my son...and where he is or where he is going. He will be deployed within the next couple of months...and that is scary. His job will put him in danger since he is an infantry soldier.

However, due to some good fortune (at least to my way of thinking) he was home unexpectedly for Thanksgiving this year. My son is a drama king when it comes to travel, however. His travel arrangements never work out as planned and this trip was no exception. On the day before Thanksgiving, the busiest travel day of the year, he arrived at the airport 10 minutes AFTER his flight was scheduled to depart, due to car problems. Since there was bad weather in various places in the US, the flight was delayed and he made it home to the most traveled airport in the country. Picking him up was a challenge.

But this year, his chair was occupied at Thanksgiving and for that I am grateful. Too many friends have chairs at their Thanksgiving tables that will be permantly empty.

It is time to bring our soldiers home.

"Cooked Hard Drives"

I have always known that stuff breaks only when you need it the most. Therefore, all I can say is when it comes to computers, back it up!

Mine broke as I worked to research information for an event to "Honor the Troops but Not the War". My talk was the "warm up" to a Gold Star Dad - whose elloquence was not in what he said - but rather in the fact that he said anything at all.

He spoke of his beautiful young son with a life yet unlived taken from his family and the young woman he planned to marry. He spoke with pride of his son's accomplishments: graduation from college, passing the certification test to become a Certified Public Accountant after first serving his country in Kosovo. He spoke of his son's last call home - making plans to leave for the US in just 12 days...but returning instead in a flag draped coffin. He spoke of the mystery surrounding his son's death...on an American airbase in the shower.

And then he told the audience why he now speaks out against the war. To honor his son's life, he believes he must "adopt" his son's comrades and become responsible for their lives. He believes that he must work to educate young people about military service and caution parents of the possibly devastating outcome.

Although he was not born in this country, he and his family have paid the ultimate price for living the American dream. He is a patriot and a friend.

2000 Dead, SCOTUS Nominee Withdraws and Scooter Lies

2000 Americans Dead....Two Parents grieving their children and honoring others at Arlington National Cemetery

On Wednesday communities from all over the US came together to mourn our fellow citizens who have been killed in Iraq. Along with the American Friends Service Committee, Military Families Speak Out, Gold Star Families for Peace, Vets for Peace and Iraq Vets Against the War called for "Not One More Death - Not One More Dollar" for war in Iraq.

Mr. Bush, appearing in front of a group of Air Force wives in Virginia once again stated that we must "stay the course" to honor our fallen citizens. He was faced both by a demonstration outside his event as well as hecklers during his speech - one with the same theme echoed in earlier speeches.

His nominee for the Supreme Court withdrew her nomination under pressure from his own party. I guess she, like many of us, are having a difficult time seeing exactly what the course is...

And on Friday, "Scooter" Libby and the rest of the country learned that lying to the FBI and to the Grand Jury has legal and professional consequences. He was indicted in the Plame case and resigned to professional "atta-boys" from the President and Vice President. However the legal charges pan out, his willingness to lie simply shows the length the Administration will go to silence critics and protect themselves. And since official statements made before this indictment by the White House denied any involvement of Rove and Libby in the case at all, it shows that lying is an acceptable strategy to get out of tight spots and to avoid criticism: Rather like WMDS and Saddam's alleged involvement in the events of 9/11.

One thing is certain - more Americans have died and will continue to die as long as this country tolerates lying from public officials. It has already happened. The last I heard, the American death toll had risen by 12 since our vigils on Wednesday.

It is time to bring the troops home and care for them when they get here.

And the people just kept on coming...estimates ranged wildly from "more than 100,000 to 1/2 million. I only know it was more people in one place than I have ever seen take to the streets

Large Peace Dove Puppet carried by a faith based group

Vets and Military Familes carry flag draped coffins to the White House

Military Families

Vets for Peace

March Pictures

MFSO Steps Off

Good Press Story About the March

The People visit Mr Bush and he leaves town

Diverse Anti-war Protests Largest in DC Since
Vietnam
by Benjamin Dangl (bio)
and Brendan Coyne (bio)

Demonstrators from a variety of backgrounds and representing
numerous causes came together Saturday by the tens of thousands with a unified
message demanding an end to US military involvement in Iraq.

Washington, DC, Sep 25 - Kicking off three days of actions aimed
ultimately at pressuring the US government to pull troops out of Iraq, scores of protesters converged on Washington, DC yesterday for an all-day protest that included an array of speakers, a march past the White House and a concert that lasted well into the early morning hours. Estimates of the demonstration's size ranged from 100,000 to 300,000 protesters.

Participants from across the country spent long hours riding overnight
on buses and in caravans to take part in the largest anti-war event the nation's capitol has seen since the Vietnam War era. Groups began assembling on the Ellipse in front of the White House early yesterday.
In preparation for the event, police blanketed the Ellipse, Federal Triangle and the grounds of the Washington Monument with a confusing maze of orange-plastic and wooden fences, closing many roads to both automobile and pedestrian traffic.

Billed by organizers as a rally and march to end the war on Iraq, a
variety of groups and causes were represented both by speakers on the stage and in the crowd. Orators and demonstrators alike highlighted the interconnectedness of their causes, and it was clear that different issues had spurred people to attend the protest, though the message was overwhelmingly anti-war. Ruiz Santiago, 21, a Bronx, New York native studying politics at City College in New York tied his family's experience in Colombia to the Iraq war.

"Colombia is being used, by companies and Bush's friends, for money,
just like Iraq," he said. "The companies and the private military – they all don't care about the poor people in Colombia, they just let them die. It is, I think, worse in Iraq because nobody is in charge."
Santiago said this was the first time he visited Washington, and the second time he had participated in a protest, the first being the counter-convention during the Republican Party's gathering in New York City last September. The enormity of that crowd and the
variety of events and people participating there had inspired Santiago to become active in political causes, he said.

The march, which was scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m., did not step off
until after 1 o'clock, due to the mass of participants. Shortly before 2 p.m., with marchers having made little forward progress, an event organizer told the crowd filling the Ellipse and lining Constitution Avenue that logistical problems at the front, owing to the number of people in attendance, was keeping the march from rolling.

Saturday's demonstrations were spearheaded by a pair of anti-war
coalitions, International ANSWER and United for Peace and Justice, though local groups and unaffiliated activists from around the country pitched in to pull off the massive undertaking.

Some demonstrators carried signs and banners addressing economic
causes, such as advocating for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and tenants rights. A large contingent marched under the banner of US Labor Against War. The idea that the Bush administration's military ventures are draining much-needed resources on the domestic front was well-represented.

Joan from Baltimore, MD, who originally supported the Iraq war, was
attending her first peace demonstration. "This hurricane put me over the edge," she said. "Why are we using the troops in Iraq when we have enough to do in our own country?" She continued: "I thought Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. I thought they were a threat, but we had bad information."

Angela Kelly, who works with Student Peace Action Network, a DC-based group that organizes around anti-war and human rights issues, said, "A lot of students who are plugging into counter-recruitment efforts realize that it's poor people that are being targeted by recruiters and forced into the military." She added, "Katrina has brought a lot of economic justice and racial issues to the forefront…, and it adds fire to our movement."

Glen Sandberg, a long-time peace activist, organized a group to come
from his home in Gulf Port, Mississippi, where much of the area was destroyed by Katrina. "The way Bush handled the Katrina disaster was another disaster," he said.

Diane Spencer marched with the US Labor Against War contingent. "Seeing all these people today, this is great," she said. "Maybe we'll get somewhere out of this. Maybe all these diverse groups coming together means more than what we see in our own cities and towns," Spencer added, noting that, at the very least, the size of national convergence should encourage local groups to be more active.

Spencer and her cohort Tim Thomas had traveled to Washington on one of two buses from Chicago chartered by three area unions, Service Employees International Union Locals 4 and 20 and United Auto Workers Local 550. Neither protester had previously been very involved in activism outside of union efforts, they said.

"It's great to come out and see the diversity of people, the diversity
of ideas and the goodwill being represented here," Thomas told The NewStandard. "After seeing and being a part of this, we're definitely going to go back and do more anti-war and anti-Bush organizing locally. I think that with labor working with all these other groups to end this war and call the President to account, things can get done."

Kermit Leibensperger, who works two jobs as an electrician and teacher
and has been an activist since 1967, is already looking toward the next protest, one he believes will allow people to participate wherever they live, instead of limiting action only to those who can travel for large protests in faraway cities. He is helping organize a nationwide "Rosa Parks Anniversary Strike" against poverty, racism and war on December 1.

"If everyone came who wanted to come to this protest, there would be
millions here today," Leibensperger said.

"Iraq has slipped onto the backburner and we felt compelled to do
something," said Laurie Sargent, a musician from New Hampshire who was part of "Testy Goyls," a group of mothers, teachers and friends who had banded together for peace vigils and Democratic fundraisers in their home town to protest the Iraq war.

"We had goose bumps all the way down on our trip to DC," said Gail
Erdos Belmon, also a member of the group.

The Matriots, from Western Massachusetts, were dressed up in colorful
wigs, clothing and jewelry. Group member Sarah Acker explained: "We're mothers and feminists and we didn't raise our children to be killed in a war. We want to bring the mother-woman balance to the male-dominated world."

The slogan of group, painted on a large sign they carried, declared,
"We want for the world what mothers want for their kids."

Tatiana Lam is a high-school student and anti-war organizer who does
counter recruitment work in schools. "I hope people learned about things they didn't know about before," she said, "and gain a better sense of awareness and that people go home and do outreach and organizing work."

Along the March route, two members of the National War Tax Resisters
Coordinating Committee stood in front of the Internal Revenue Service calling on people to stop supporting the US war machine.

"Watch your pockets, folks, you're passing the IRS," Daniel Woodham, of Greensboro, North Carolina, called as marchers neared the end of the route. He and a colleague, Rob Randall, both of Brunswick, Georgia, handed out flyers directing people to a website with detailed information on war-tax resistance.

A handful of counter-protesters showed up along the route, but they
were barely noticeable among the throngs of anti-war activists. Jeremiah Baldwin, of the Open Air Gospel Ministry in Jacksonville, Florida said, "We support the war and the troops and freedom in Iraq, freedom for women to vote… we're Christians and we stand up for Jesus, too."

Mobilization for Global Justice, an organization of activists demanding
an end to the World Bank and IMF's economic policies, organized a feeder march from Dupont Circle under the banner, "Another World is Under Construction." The feeder march, scheduled to leave Dupont circle at 12:30, met up with the main anti-war demonstration later in the afternoon.

Participants made the connection between the Iraq war and the policies of the World Bank and the IMF, which are actively involved in transforming modern Iraq. Virginia Setsheti of the Anti-Privatization Forum in South Africa told InterPress Service, "It is not just about war. It is about how many people die around the world because of unfair policies and actions – a large part of which are economic. "

Law enforcement officials declined to provide official crowd estimates
but DC Police Chief Charles Ramsey noted that organizers had probably met their goal of attracting 100,000 people to the event. Organizers put the number at about 300,000. The spread-out nature of the demonstration made a crowd estimate difficult.

Today, organizers planned interfaith services, town hall-style
meetings, workshops and vigils. With politicians scheduled to be working in the nation's capitol Monday, groups are planning non-violent direct action and lobbying.

© 2005 The NewStandard.

link

Casey's banner comes to the Washington Mall

Bring Them Home NOW!

1900+ Crosses to remember those who have died in Iraq

Camp Casey, DC

Camp Casey is now on Constitution Ave at the foot of the Washington Monument. Crosses representing the over 1900 soldiers who have died in Iraq have been erected. Boots lie on the corner....empty sentries watching over the camp. It is very hot...and has been since my arrival. Several people are milling about. There is a large map for visitors to sign. Above are several pictures around the camp.

Shelter from the Storm

I came to Washington concerned for my soldier. He is possibly in the path of Rita and scheduled to leave the area for NY on Sunday. I think he attracks hurricanes - last year it was Charley, Jeanne and Ivan. This year Katrina and Rita.

Anyhow, I guess the Army felt that Rita could be a bigger force than they and therefore changed his travel plans. On Friday evening, I spoke with him -- safely but rather sleepy in Syracuse.

More Candlelight and Prayers

At The Wall Friday Evening.

Friday Vigil

Vigil goers marching from Camp Casey to the Wall

Candlelight and Prayers

September 23 Candlelight Vigil

Demonstrators came by plane, train, automobile, bus and bike....and there were thousands. The DC police estimated the crowd at "over 100,000" for the march and rally. Over the next few days, I will post more pictures and stories from the weekend.

On Friday evening, Military Families and various Veterans groups met on the grounds of Camp Casey to pay our respects and to grieve for our young men and women who had died in the Global War on Terror. Gold Star Families shared shared stories of their loved ones lost. Prayers were offered to seek comfort for those who had lost so much...and those assembled walked from Camp Casey to The Vietnam War Memorial on the Mall to honor those who had served and died with our assembled Vets for Peace. There were about 250 people who participated - primarily from Gold Star Families for Peace, Military Families Speak Out, Vets for Peace, Iraq Vets Against the War, and Viet Nam Vets Against the War. Virtually every state in the US was represented.

To DC With A Question

A Question for the President

A week from now, Military Families, Gold Star Families and Veterans will be joined by thousands of Americans in Washington DC on the Mall to demand that the troops be brought home now. We expect that those who served our country will be honored. We expect that those wounded in the service of our country will be cared for properly. We expect that the nation will rally around the families of those soldiers who have given their lives.

In the hurricane ravaged areas of this country, there is a need for families to be reunited to begin the process of starting anew. Sadly, many of our first responders remain in Iraq and Afghanistan even as they do not know the condition of their own families and homes.

It is time....NO it is PAST time to stop the bloodshed and begin the process of healing -- our own country and the countries we invaded. It is time to BRING THEM HOME...NOW!

I will see you in DC.

Resolutions

Many have wondered if Camp Casey would carry through to bring meaningful change. The jury is still out on that but signs of progress can be seen.

The tour group left last week. This week the City Counsels of Evanston and Chicago approved resolutions to encourage the President to order the speedy and orderly withdrawl of our troops now serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Polls show that the people of the United States no longer see a strategic benefit for our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan particularly following the biggest natural disaster in the history of the nation. With the reports out of the Gulf Coast indicating a rising death toll hundreds of thousands of people displaced, our resources....all of them... are needed at home to help our neighbors. The task of rebuilding will be huge and our people need to be the priority.

Today, the tour was in Philadelphia. The City Council welcomed the group with a resolution that both welcomed them to the City of Brotherly Love AND offered encouragement to the federal government to bring our troops home quickly.

In a week, people from all over the country will gather on the Washington Mall to express to the President that we want the troops home - NOW! Join us. It promises to be a historic event.

Flags, flowers....we will never forget!

Moms respond

Blue Star Mom, Sherry addresses the crowd

Need we say more?

Gold Star Dad, Al addresses the crowd

Shoes representing the Iraqi child victims of war

Louisiana....Wisconsin

Bring Them Home Tour visits Highland Park

Eyes Wide Open in Highland Park

On the final day of the Bring Them Home tour in Chicago, the bus visited the memorial display of Eyes Wide Open in Highland Park. This memorial has been up for several weeks and has sparked conversations in a newly created public forum area in the town. Prior to their visit to the display, Cindy Sheehan and other Gold Star Family members met with the staff of Mark Kirk at his Deerfield office. They issued an invitation for Mr. Kirk to pay them a visit during the upcoming demonstration in Washington DC.

The names of all of the soldiers killed in Iraq are displayed behind the boots and shoes - the boots represent the soldiers who have been killed...and the shoes represent innocent Iraqi victims of the war. Scattered throughout the display are red and purple poppies to symbolize the countless severe injuries that too, are part of the war. The members of the tour read the names of those killed in the last 12 days accompanied by the haunting strains of a bagpipe dirge. After all of the names were read, student from the local high school played Taps.

All members of the bus tour spoke...and then asked me to make an ad hoc speech. (scary!)

After many hugs...we said goodby to the North Bring Them Home tour. I will be meeting up with them in Washington later this month.

More light in the darkness

Iraq Vet, Cody

Gold Star Dad, Juan speaks of shattered dreams and a beloved son.

Gold Star Mom, Karen asks "For What Noble Cause?"

Flickers of light brighten the darkness

Boots that represent the wounded soldiers

The Cost to Illinois

Tuesday Vigil

For What Noble Cause?

The Cost of War

Remembering those honorable soldiers from Illinois who gave their lives

Camp Casey - North

Camp Casey - North

On Sunday, the Bring Them Home Now tour arrived in Chicagoland. To make the travelers comfortable, several peace groups set up Camp Casey North on the grounds of a local church. On Saturday, we made crosses to memorialize the 76 soldiers from Illinois who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. On Sunday afternoon, several of our guys set them up in front of the church.

We had a pot luck welcome dinner at the home of a local peace friend on Monday evening so our travelers could fuel up for a very busy few days in Chicago. Tuesday, the camp will be "installed" at 06:00. Then the travelers will be off to tell some inner city kids a bit of truth about recruiting. In the afternoon, they will stop by the office of Rahm Emanual to ask if he knows what noble cause our kids are dying for. In the evening, a candlelight vigil will be held at Camp Casey North. Our travelers and a few others will share with us their experiences at Camp Casey. On Wednesday, a visit to Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert is planned to ask him if he knows what noble cause our kids are dying for. Cindy Sheehan will join the tour. There will be another candlelight vigil. On the final day, the travelers will visit Mark Kirk - again to ask that important question. A visit to the Eyes Wide Open display on the North Shore will complete the Chicago Tour...and they will be off - headed toward Washington, DC and the September 24th March and Rally. I will meet up with them there.

More pictures will be posted.

Hurricane Katrina

Take whatever idiot they have at the top of whatever agency and give me a better idiot. Give me a caring idiot. Give me a sensitive idiot. Just don't give me the same idiot --- Aaron Broussard - President, Jefferson Parish

A little over a week ago, Katrina roared into the Gulf Coast leveling the city of New Orleans along with several cities, towns and villages on the Lousiana, Mississippi and Alabama coast.

The Federal response has been horribly slow, resulting in further death and destruction. As the politicians in Washington scramble to save their political capital - America knows we are no safer despite assurances.

Major components of the MS and LA National Guard watched the unfolding disaster on television - in Iraq. As their friends and neighbors lost everything, including their lives - our first responders were "spreading democracy and protecting our freedoms", thousands of miles away.

In the days and weeks ahead, surely we will learn the price of the hubris of those in Washington. And it will be counted in grave markers.

Happy Birthday...Happy Birthday....Happy Birthday!

I hope that you are able to enjoy the big 21 off of the base!

Enjoy that first "legal" beer....but only one! (what can I say - I am still your mom!)

Missing you a whole lot!

Love,

Mom

America Stands with Cindy

Across the United States, people stood with Cindy to ask: "For what Noble Cause did Casey and nearly 1900 other Americans die for?" These pictures were taken at one Chicagoland vigil.

Get Well!

Get well wishes are being sent from Illinois to Cindy's mom in California. Hope you are up and about soon!

More Families Grieve

Last week, we wrote about the unspeakably sad story of Gennaro Pellegrini Jr. -- Philly cop, welterweight boxer, and National Guardsman. The 31-year-old's life was hitting full stride when he received a fateful phone call ordering him to serve in Iraq, just two weeks before his hitch was supposed to end. Pellegrini was quite unhappy, but he went -- and he paid with his life, along with three of his Pennsylvania National Guard colleagues who were killed in a ruthless ambush near the Iraqi town of Beiji.

Read the rest of the story here

Vigils, Vandalism and Intimidation

I attended one of several vigils in my area in support of discovering "what noble cause" Casey Sheehan died for. With me, at the vigil were people young and old...we lined both sides of a street with candles, signs and flowers. In the crowd were parents of other military members. One dad's shirt read "Proud Airforce Dad." He said that his son and family were "counting down the days" until his son re-entered civilian life next month. The other dad, I knew. His son, a Marine reservist had completed a tour in Iraq last year. This year, he attends film school. Dad firmly hopes he is not called back and can continue his schooling. His mom is currently in Crawford and plans to return home on Friday.

Earlier in the week, a Bush supporter decided to mow down a few crosses at Camp Casey in Crawford. I guess he considered this a display of support for the President. Another man, posing as a law enforcement official made threats to the folks at Camp Casey. Both were arrested.

Our demonstration, too, had a few local Bush supporters "make a statement". One pretended to veer his car toward those lining the street, laying on his horn and giving all, the one finger salute. The demonstrators, who numbered about 200, seemed largely unimpressed. The event organizer read a letter from Cindy Sheehan....and a poem from Casey's sister (posted on another thread in this blog). I lit candles for three soldiers: my son, the son of a friend who left for Iraq earlier in the week and one to remember Casey. Casey's candle would not stay lit.

Pictures will follow - later.

Adventures in Camp Casey

Well, it would seem that the "Freepers" from Texas left...a neighbor signaled his displeasure by shooting off his gun....and his mouth. The media pictures were priceless - a red pick up truck, a box of shells and a case of beer.

Cindy was pictured embracing a counter-protestor who also lost his son in Iraq. I guess that pretty much sums up what our President doesn't get: Grief trancends politics. Staying "on message" isn't going to cut it. As parents of soldiers we have questions. Often they are saved for those last moments before we sleep. They are very scary questions. Cindy is asking them. Bush, whether or not he knows it, is answering them. Too bad it is the wrong answer.

The Wild Eyed Liberals down in Crawford

Ah....another one of those "wild eyed liberal" protesters who took over the ranch in Crawford

Archie Goodwin, WWII Vet, served his country. He believes that the President should talk to Cindy. He believes that someone lied...and like many others in the US - we would like to know just who that was.

The picture is from CindyWatch on the Lone Star Iconoclast website: Bush's "hometown" newspaper. Oh...they endorsed Kerry for President last year.

Nearly A Week: Bush a "No Show" at Camp Casey

Several friends have joined Cindy in Crawford.

President Bush drove past on his way to raise a couple of million dollars for his political friends.

The police, in riot gear, held the dangerous group of bereaved families and supporters behind a yellow police tape line. The President did not stop.

Word has it that "counter-protesters" are on the way. I wonder if the "true believers" will be invited on the ranch for a pig roast....

Soldier's Moms Are STILL Waiting!

And we are not going anywhere, George!

President Bush: Meet With Cindy!

This weekend Cindy Sheehan, the mother of Casey Austin Sheehan who was killed in Iraq in April of last year, went visiting and took along a few friends. Cindy has been trying to talk with President Bush about the war that killed her son. Cindy has been trying to discuss the war with Mr. Bush for awhile. She tried to set up an appointment with Mr. Rumsfeld and Mr. Bush in January but recieved no answer. She tried again in June...but again no response.

This week, Mr. Bush retired to his ranch for a 5 week vacation. Cindy thought she would drop in. She brought a few friends for the ride out to Crawford. A few more came by car. Then the media showed up. By Sunday, the story was all over the press, television and radio. So as not to appear rude, Mr. Bush dispatched a few of his aides to listen to Cindy's concerns. But no dice, Cindy wants to talk to the man who sent her son to die in Iraq. She has been camping in a ditch about three miles from the Presidential ranch in Texas. She has been given a nice warm ditch to pitch her tent in and the Secret Service is keeping their eye on her. On Thursday, if she is still there, she has been told she will be arrested because she represents a "threat to National Security." (I wonder how she will become suddenly more threatening on Thursday....she has been peacefully demonstrating since her arrival on Friday...from her designated ditch....complete with fire ants.)

Cindy is hanging tough. She will stay as long as the President stays, baking in the hot Texas sun waiting to take her concerns to the President. If he doesn't talk with her, she will move her camp to Washington and wait there. If she is arrested...and released before the end of August, she will be back at the ranch....waiting.

Her son is dead: sent to war based on what seems to be false intelligence...and many believe flat out lies. The President doesn't want to talk about that either. He wants to "stay the course." He is willing to let more young Americans die. Cindy lives with the pain of her son's death...and she doesn't want anymore families to experience her gut wrenching grief.

Mr. Bush...MEET WITH CINDY. If you dare.

Cindy's interview with NPRs Morning Edition can be linked here

Links

Several weeks ago, the Military ordered all milbloggers that were in combat areas to "register" their blogs with their command. This was in appearant response to alleged OPSEC violations. Some bloggers, rather than registering their sites, elected instead to stop posting and/or remove their blog sites as opposed to possibly having their blogs reviewed by their command.

One such blogger was Red2Alpha who was an eloquent reporter of the events around him. I was aware that he did not intend to update his blog after the orders were written, but I did not realize that he was going to pull his blog from cyberspace. But it is gone.

Red2Alpha, much thanks for your insights...often scary and sometimes grim and gritty. Our politics and world views were different...but you gave me a glimpse into your world that was invaluable in helping me understand. May you come home soon... and safe.

I will look for other bloggers from the field. I expect that the comments will be a bit less forthcoming...and more measured than in the past. It appears that those who fight for our freedoms are a bit less free to express their experiences and beliefs.

Down the Rabbit Hole - Preparing for War

First, to those who read this blog, I apologize for my tardiness in posting. A visit home from my soldier, supporting a mom whose son's deployment is imminent, family obligations and work have rather gotten in the way of the blog of late.

As I prepare for the difficult months ahead...and sometimes gasp at current events I am reminded often of how quickly things can change. My soldier, after a nice visit home, was quickly sent to the field for a two week training exercise. A few days into the exercise - which of course means I can't contact my son, I heard of a casualty on the field. Unlike the one in the exercises in April/May, this one did not result in a fatality. It does not lessen the strain, however. While my son was home, I also learned where he would be stationed...a particularly nasty area in Afghanistan which due to OPSEC considerations, I will not mention. Once he is "in country", I will post a bit more information.

During our visit, we were able to discuss a few things as the reality of deployment sets in. My son is a single soldier (hopefully, he will stay that way for a bit longer) who has a very dangerous job that could result in serious injury or death. I have read enough accounts of "snafus" in caring for wounded soldiers and decided to educate my son on "advanced directives" for healthcare. We discussed what HE considered to be life...and how to proceed if he were injured in such a matter that he could not reasonably be expected to recover. This was to my mind at least both important and bizzare. We also discussed what type of a funeral he would want (military...not my choice but I would honor his request)

And so I added another thing to my list of things "to do" - obtain a passport because I promised I would be in Germany at his side to make sure, in the event of injury, he would receive proper care.

Happily, the rest of the visit was much less intense. He fretted about getting his new driver's license that takes the red (under 21) background out of the picture - another milestone as he "comes of age".

Over the next few months, there will be more training exercises, a likely trip to Ranger school, a board for "Soldier of the Quarter", and a loving....but very worried mom back at home. I will post more often - sometimes personal - other times political since too often these days the two seem to converge in my life.

Best of luck to Cindy S. in Crawford. I will post more about her story later but I hope she gets the answers she seeks....from the person she seeks them from. It is pretty hot on the prairie in Texas these days....and the stonewall is not a very good example of how to support the family members of those who have served this country.

The Downing Street Memo

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Ever since the US invasion of Iraq, there have been questions about the reasons for this war. The American people were told that the war in Iraq was necessary because Saddam Hussein posed a threat because he had weapons of mass destruction and was prepared to use them against our allies...and against us. It was easy to believe after the horror of 9/11.

Sadly, it would seem that that was not the case. No WMDs have been found in Iraq. Several official reports have found no credible evidence of a meaningful link between the Al Queda group responsible for 9/11 and Hussein. Once those theories had been proven false, the administration put forth the proposal that the war in Iraq would promote freedom by removing a brutal dictator from his position of power. Where that may be true, the question must be answered if that was the job of the US.

Finger pointing has played a big part in diffusing the blame for the fact that no WMDs were found. The intelligence community was the biggest scapegoat.

In early May, a newspaper in London published the minutes of a meeting held in July 2002 - some seven months before the invasion of Iraq. That meeting involved the British Prime Minister and several high level advisors regarding possible intervention in Iraq. The memo stated that our President was committed to armed action in Iraq and made a reference to fixing intelligence to make the case.

Since that invasion, over 1,700 Americans have died in Iraq. Estimates indicate that tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of Iraqi citizens have died. Soldiers are returning physically and emotionally wounded, many seriously. Our relationships with historic allies has suffered. Military experts in the field doubt that military action is sufficient to quell the insurgency that has become ever more violent. Public support for the war is flagging with nearly 60% of those responding to recent polls describing the war in Iraq as being a mistake. Recruiting for the military has experienced a sharp decline. Commanders cite that the Army, National Guard and Reserve components are stretched to breaking.

This country needs to know if we went to war based upon "fixed" intelligence. We need to know exactly why we are there. The Downing Street memo and its supporting documents need to be discussed in our Congress...and among ourselves. And then this country needs to decide what further action is needed in Iraq based upon the truth.

The memos wil be discussed tomorrow in Washington. Hopefully they will be discussed across the nation over the next several days. War should never be entered into by fixing intelligence to fit the political agenda of a few. The cost is too dear. Right now it is 1,706....and counting.

To learn more please visit www.downingstreet.com and www.afterdowningstreet.com

Editorial from the Minneapolis Star Tribune

May 30, 2005

Nothing young Americans can do in life is more honorable than offering themselves for the defense of their nation. It requires great selflessness and sacrifice, and quite possibly the forfeiture of life itself. On Memorial Day 2005, we gather to remember all those who gave us that ultimate gift. Because they are so fresh in our minds, those who have died in Iraq make a special claim on our thoughts and our prayers.

In exchange for our uniformed young people's willingness to offer the gift of their lives, civilian Americans owe them something important: It is our duty to ensure that they never are called to make that sacrifice unless it is truly necessary for the security of the country. In the case of Iraq, the American public has failed them; we did not prevent the Bush administration from spending their blood in an unnecessary war based on contrived concerns about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. President Bush and those around him lied, and the rest of us let them. Harsh? Yes. True? Also yes. Perhaps it happened because Americans, understandably, don't expect untruths from those in power. But that works better as an explanation than as an excuse.

The "smoking gun," as some call it, surfaced on May 1 in the London Times. It is a highly classified document containing the minutes of a July 23, 2002, meeting at 10 Downing Street in which Sir Richard Dearlove, head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, reported to Prime Minister Tony Blair on talks he'd just held in Washington. His mission was to determine the Bush administration's intentions toward Iraq.

At a time when the White House was saying it had "no plans" for an invasion, the British document says Dearlove reported that there had been "a perceptible shift in attitude" in Washington. "Military action was now seen as inevitable. Bush wanted to remove Saddam, through military action, justified by the conjunction of terrorism and WMD. But the intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy. The (National Security Council) had no patience with the U.N. route, and no enthusiasm for publishing material on the Iraqi regime's record. There was little discussion in Washington of the aftermath after military action."

It turns out that former counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke and former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill were right. Both have been pilloried for writing that by summer 2002 Bush had already decided to invade.

Walter Pincus, writing in the Washington Post on May 22, provides further evidence that the administration did, indeed, fix the intelligence on Iraq to fit a policy it had already embraced: invasion and regime change. Just four days before Bush's State of the Union address in January 2003, Pincus writes, the National Security Council staff "put out a call for new intelligence to bolster claims" about Saddam Hussein's WMD programs. The call went out because the NSC staff believed the case was weak. Moreover, Pincus says, "as the war approached, many U.S. intelligence analysts were internally questioning almost every major piece of prewar intelligence about Hussein's alleged weapons programs." But no one at high ranks in the administration would listen to them.

On the day before Bush's speech, the CIA's Berlin station chief warned that the source for some of what Bush would say was untrustworthy. Bush said it anyway. He based part of his most important annual speech to the American people on a single, dubious, unnamed source. The source was later found to have fabricated his information.

Also comes word, from the May 19 New York Times, that senior U.S. military leaders are not encouraged about prospects in Iraq. Yes, they think the United States can prevail, but as one said, it may take "many years."

As this bloody month of car bombs and American deaths -- the most since January -- comes to a close, as we gather in groups small and large to honor our war dead, let us all sing of their bravery and sacrifice. But let us also ask their forgiveness for sending them to a war that should never have happened. In the 1960s it was Vietnam. Today it is Iraq. Let us resolve to never, ever make this mistake again. Our young people are simply too precious.

http://www.startribune.com/dynamic/story.php?template=print_a&story=5427823

Staggering Statistics

Military officials said Thursday substantial progress has been made in armoring United States military vehicles in Iraq — but given the increasing number and sophistication of those enemy roadside bombs, that is clearly not good enough.

It's a staggering new statistic. The Pentagon announced Thursday that 70 percent of American soldiers and Marines killed in Iraq today are victims of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

At a House Armed Services committee hearing Thursday angry lawmakers were demanding to know why the Pentagon has not done more to protect U.S. forces in Iraq.

"And I come to this hearing with a sense of outrage,” said Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa. “I can’t tell you the number of homes I've sat in with soldier's families who've come home in body bags."

The rest of the story can be linked here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7752483/

With that said, as of today the deaths of 1116 American soldiers could have been prevented in Iraq. I wonder how many devestating injuries could have been prevented. If the statistics hold true, the numbers could be astounding. But then, war was never about ending human suffering.

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/351/24/2476

Voting To Support Our Troops??

Last Thursday, the Senate agreed to an amendment to change the Emergency Supplemental to provide an additional $213 million in funding to produce armored Humvees. This armor has been found to help save lives in the event of an IED attack which have been responsible for the death and maiming of our soldiers. I find the list of Nay votes very telling. I guess it is OK to pick a fight, if it doesn’t mean paying for it with your life. How many of these senators that voted NAY do you imagine would be caught in an unarmored vehicle in Iraq? Here's the vote break down:


YEAs ---61

Akaka (D-HI) Alexander (R-TN) Allen (R-VA) Baucus (D-MT) Bayh (D-IN) Biden (D-DE) Bingaman (D-NM) Boxer (D-CA) Burns (R-MT) Byrd (D-WV) Cantwell (D-WA) Carper (D-DE) Chafee (R-RI) Clinton (D-NY) Coleman (R-MN) Collins (R-ME) Conrad (D-ND) Corzine (D-NJ) Dayton (D-MN) DeWine (R-OH) Dodd (D-CT) Dorgan (D-ND) Durbin (D-IL) Feingold (D-WI) Feinstein (D-CA) Harkin (D-IA) Hutchison (R-TX) Jeffords (I-VT) Johnson (D-SD) Kennedy (D-MA) Kerry (D-MA) Kohl (D-WI) Landrieu (D-LA) Lautenberg (D-NJ) Leahy (D-VT) Levin (D-MI) Lieberman (D-CT) Lincoln (D-AR) Lott (R-MS) Lugar (R-IN) Martinez (R-FL) McCain (R-AZ) Mikulski (D-MD) Murray (D-WA) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Obama (D-IL) Pryor (D-AR) Reed (D-RI) Reid (D-NV) Rockefeller (D-WV) Salazar (D-CO) Santorum (R-PA) Sarbanes (D-MD) Schumer (D-NY) Snowe (R-ME) Specter (R-PA) Stabenow (D-MI) Talent (R-MO) Thune (R-SD) Wyden (D-OR)

NAYs ---39

Allard (R-CO) Bennett (R-UT) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Cornyn (R-TX) Craig (R-ID) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Dole (R-NC) Domenici (R-NM) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Frist (R-TN) Graham (R-SC) Grassley (R-IA) Gregg (R-NH) Hagel (R-NE) Hatch (R-UT) Inhofe (R-OK) Inouye (D-HI) Isakson (R-GA) Kyl (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Murkowski (R-AK) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Smith (R-OR) Stevens (R-AK) Sununu (R-NH) Thomas (R-WY) Vitter (R-LA) Voinovich (R-OH) Warner (R-VA)

There is still a serious shortage of up-armored Humvees in Iraq -- and Army commanders have requested more armor five times this year. Did your senators vote to protect the troops? If they did, be sure to drop them a note thanking them for putting their money where their mouth is in supporting the troops.

Thanks to the OP Truth blog (linked on the side of this site) for reporting this story…and for pointing out which Senators feel that providing our troops with adequate materials is a priority.

War is Always A Defeat for Humanity

"NO TO WAR!" War is not always inevitable. It is always a defeat for humanity. International law, honest dialogue, solidarity between States, the noble exercise of diplomacy: these are methods worthy of individuals and nations in resolving their differences. I say this as I think of those who still place their trust in nuclear weapons and of the all-too-numerous conflicts which continue to hold hostage our brothers and sisters in humanity. Pope John Paul II, January 2003

Yesterday a great voice for Peace on Earth fell silent. Pope John Paul II left this earth telling his followers "I am happy."

John Paul II embraced a culture of life that taught believers that all people are children of God. He spoke truth to the people of his native Poland which ultimately lead to the demise of communist dictatorships all over Eastern Europe...without war.

John Paul II was the most well traveled Pope in history. And in his travels, he demonstrated the powerful tools of forgiveness and reconciliation. In his historic trip to the Holy Land, he begged the Jewish people for forgiveness for the years of oppression that were perpetrated or ignored by the Church of Rome. He honored the Muslim faith by joining in prayer in a Syrian mosque, demonstrating what was common and powerful amongst the three major faiths of the world: one God who loves His people..

And so yesterday the people of the world lost an inspired, outspoken servant of God and the heavens welcomed bright new "superstar." Catholic..or not, Christian..or not, John Paul embraced all people of the world with the message of Christ that admonished us to "Love one another." He will be sorely missed.


Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called the Children of God. Matthew 5-9

Stand for Peace 3/20/05

Chicago Peace March 3/30/2005: Remembering the innocent child victims of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Chicago Peace March 3-20-05: Chicagoans honoring and remembering those on both sides who have died in the invasion and occupation of Iraq