Sheehan Lets Go The Coat
Cindy Sheehan, who for two years has become the symbol of the anti-war movement, as well as its most publicly identifiable face, has stated that she's giving up the effort now.
In her diary on DailyKos, Sheehan faults the left-wing Democrats who have caved into the Bush Administration as much as the right wing, and says that most people who protested the war were "armchair quarterbacks," content to sit behind their computers and criticize rather than take action, while she herself has exhausted her financial and emotional resources fighting this battle, even to the detriment of her 29-year marriage. Now, she says, she's returning to California to try and "be normal" for a while.
The sad part is, she's right. The left wing HAS sold out to George W. Bush, in the form of all their compromises on the Iraq War funding bill. The ultimate slap in the face was, I think, allowing it to pass without any sort of timeline. How spineless was that? That was the one thing they most insisted on at first, and they ultimately let it go, proving to Bush that he and his craven cronies can essentially get away with anything they want, as long as he holds the veto pen (even if he holds it between his toes). In a devastating turn of phrase, Sheehan writes that she realized this morning that Casey did, indeed, "die for nothing" and that "this isn't the America" that we've fought for.
What's even sadder is that I'm afraid Sheehan was always destined to be disappointed: when you've suffered such a devastating loss and been willing to put yourself on the line as she has, opening yourself up to the most vile ridicule from the pseudo-patriots on the right, it necessarily follows that not everybody can be as committed. Sheehan was, and is, a unique person and the hell of being that unique is that you're often in very sparse company. Who among us could be committed enough to give up all that she did? I don't think any of us who hasn't lost a loved one in this war can understand that kind of commitment.
But we still have a choice and a voice, and it's time we exercised them. Maybe we should hold our legislators accountable to follow through on their word and act on our behalf, as we elected them to do, instead of playing nicey-nice with Monkey Ears. As Sheehan said in the closing of her blog:
"It's up to you now."
In her diary on DailyKos, Sheehan faults the left-wing Democrats who have caved into the Bush Administration as much as the right wing, and says that most people who protested the war were "armchair quarterbacks," content to sit behind their computers and criticize rather than take action, while she herself has exhausted her financial and emotional resources fighting this battle, even to the detriment of her 29-year marriage. Now, she says, she's returning to California to try and "be normal" for a while.
The sad part is, she's right. The left wing HAS sold out to George W. Bush, in the form of all their compromises on the Iraq War funding bill. The ultimate slap in the face was, I think, allowing it to pass without any sort of timeline. How spineless was that? That was the one thing they most insisted on at first, and they ultimately let it go, proving to Bush that he and his craven cronies can essentially get away with anything they want, as long as he holds the veto pen (even if he holds it between his toes). In a devastating turn of phrase, Sheehan writes that she realized this morning that Casey did, indeed, "die for nothing" and that "this isn't the America" that we've fought for.
What's even sadder is that I'm afraid Sheehan was always destined to be disappointed: when you've suffered such a devastating loss and been willing to put yourself on the line as she has, opening yourself up to the most vile ridicule from the pseudo-patriots on the right, it necessarily follows that not everybody can be as committed. Sheehan was, and is, a unique person and the hell of being that unique is that you're often in very sparse company. Who among us could be committed enough to give up all that she did? I don't think any of us who hasn't lost a loved one in this war can understand that kind of commitment.
But we still have a choice and a voice, and it's time we exercised them. Maybe we should hold our legislators accountable to follow through on their word and act on our behalf, as we elected them to do, instead of playing nicey-nice with Monkey Ears. As Sheehan said in the closing of her blog:
"It's up to you now."
posted by Aaron at 11:19 AM
6 Comments:
If the Democratic Party wants to take the lead they need to drill it into the tiny little
Republican brains that unless they oppose the war they too will be turned out of office next election. Congress shuld have sent a bill to Bushie funding the war for 1 month. If he vetoed it, send him one for another month. Finally, the money would have ran out and only Bushie would be to blame.
She is an amazing woman. Her labeling this country a 'fascist corporate wasteland' is, to me, a sadly true observation. I hope she can find some happiness, and that her efforts weren't in vain.
I feel incredibly sorry for this woman who has seemingly lost everything in an attempt to make people see what is right in front of them.
(On an unrelated note, I tried to e-mail you about my plans last week, but the e-mail came back to me as undeliverable...)
Sorry about that, Dirk. I don't know what happened...I'm still getting e-mails though, so hopefully it was just a temporary glitch. I'll look forward to reading about your IML adventure...
She just needed to start hanging out with Paris and Lindsey and then people would start to pay attention to her.
Well, those two are in dire need of a positive role model, so that might not have been a bad thing (although maddening for her, no doubt).
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