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.