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Cindy Sheehan wearing a Veterans for Peace t-shirt (Photo: Jacob Appelbaum)

Cindy Lee Miller Sheehan (born July 10, 1957 in Bellflower, California) is an American anti-Iraq War activist who attracted international attention in August 2005 for her extended demonstration at a peace camp outside President George W. Bush's Texas ranch. She is sometimes referred to by the media as the "Peace Mom".

Death of her son

Sheehan is the mother of the late U.S. Army Specialist Casey Sheehan, who first joined the U.S. Army in May 2000. He re-enlisted in August 2003, at the age of 24. Casey was killed in action on April 4, 2004, just five days after his arrival in Sadr City, Iraq, during the Iraq occupation. Casey had volunteered for a rescue mission in which he and several others were killed. Casey was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart .

The family was active in the Roman Catholic church in Norwalk, and then in Vacaville, California where Cindy Sheehan as a youth minister at St. Mary's Church .

Sheehan's campaign against the Iraq War

Sheehan has stated that she has "always been a Democrat," and had initially questioned the urgency of the invasion of Iraq, but did not become active in the anti-war effort until after her son's death .

Cindy Sheehan speaks at a protest outside of Fort Bragg, North Carolina on March 19, 2005. (Photo: Jeff Patterson)

Sheehan and other military families met with President George W. Bush in June 2004 at Fort Lewis, near Tacoma, Washington, nearly three months after her son's death. In a June 24, 2004 interview with the Vacaville Reporter published soon after the meeting, she expressed concerns about the President's having changed justifications for war "every time a reason is proven false or an objective reached," as well as the way the war had been handled, but also told the reporter that President Bush was "...sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis...I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of faith." On July 4, 2005 she was again interviewed by a local paper in Fort Lewis, Washington, regarding her meeting with President Bush, this time describing it as "one of the most disgusting experiences I ever had and it took me almost a year to even talk about it." She described President Bush as being "detached from humanity" and said that "his mouth kept moving, but there was nothing in his eyes or anything else about him that showed me he really cared or had any real compassion at all." She continued, "He didn’t even know our names," asking "Who we'all honorin' here today?" when he first entered the room, and then referring to her as "Ma" or "Mom".

Sheehan gave another interview on October 4, 2004 stating that she did not understand the reasons for the Iraq invasion and never thought that Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States. She further stated that her son's death had compelled her to speak out against what she feels to be an unjust war, in order to help to bring the troops home and hold politicians accountable .

During the Presidential Inauguration in January, 2005, Cindy traveled to Washington D.C. to speak at the opening of Eyes Wide Open: the Human Cost of War, a traveling exhibition created by the American Friends Service Committee that displays pairs of combat boots to represent every U.S. military casualty. There she met other families who lost loved ones in Iraq, and together they discussed the need to create an organization for similiar familes. Cindy wrote about the experience in a commentary article . She was also a featured speaker when the exhibition opened in San Diego in March, 2005 and traveled with the exhibition other locations. "Behind these boots is one broken-hearted family," she stated as she donated her son Casey's boots to travel with Eyes Wide Open when it stopped in San Francisco later that month .

Sheehan is one of the nine founding members of Gold Star Families for Peace, an organization founded in January 2005 that seeks to end the occupation of Iraq and provide support for families of fallen soldiers. As of August 2005, at least 63 other relatives of fallen soldiers are listed as members.

Although she had spoken publicly against the Iraq war and occupation since 2004, Sheehan gained national attention in early August 2005 when she traveled to President Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch just outside Crawford, Texas, during his five-week vacation retreat there. Demanding a second meeting with the President and an explanation of the "noble cause" for which her son died , she created a peace camp called Camp Casey by pitching a tent by the side of the road and announced her intention to stay, day and night, for the full five weeks, or until such a meeting is granted. She has also promised that, if she is not granted a second meeting, she will return to Crawford each time Bush visits there in the future . Toward the end of her vigil, she said she was "very, very, very grateful" Bush did not grant her that meeting because it would have ended the momentum the peace movement gained from the popularity of her vigil .

Sheehan's actions have led supporters such as Rev. Lennox Yearwood, CEO of the Hip Hop Caucus, to describe her as "the Rosa Parks of the antiwar movement." Later during the demonstration, Sheehan also gained the label of "Peace Mom" from the mainstream media . Some far-right pundits have likened her dissent to an act of treason .

Rhetoric

In her anti-war speeches and writings, Sheehan is blunt and often vitriolic, a characteristic that has been noted by observers on both the left and right, and which Sheehan herself does not deny . Some of her statements have caused controversy.

Of greatest controversy is an incident about which Sheehan's detractors claim she has lied. In March, 2005, James Morris sent an e-mail, written by Sheehan, to ABC's Nightline that allegedly included the statements that Casey "was killed for lies and for a PNAC Neo-Con agenda to benefit Israel" and that he had "joined the Army to protect America, not Israel." Sheehan claims that the email was modified by James Morris to support his own personal agenda, and that she did not write the statements about Israel and a "PNAC Neo-con agenda." However, James Morris denies altering the email before sending it along to Nightline on Sheehan's behalf (per her request for him to do so). Two other individuals, Tony Tersch and Skeeter Gallagher, received a copy of Sheehan's email directly from her; both claim that the e-mail they received is consistent with Morris's story, rather than Sheehan's. Tersch posted the email he received to the "bullyard" Google group . Opponents of Sheehan assert that this essentially proves that she has repeatedly lied about the content of her original e-mail.

Sheehan also gave a speech on August 5 2005, at the Veterans for Peace convention in Texas, stating, "You get America out of Iraq, you get Israel out of Palestine".

In a letter to author William Rivers Pitt, she stated, "And most importantly and devastatingly, this war is based on lies and betrayals. Not one American soldier, nor one Iraqi should have been killed. Common sense would dictate that not one more person should be killed for lies. One of the people, my son, was more than enough for me and my family. I will live in unbearable pain until I die. First of all, because my first born was killed violently, and second of all, because he was killed for a neo-con agenda that only benefits a very chosen few in this world. This agenda and their war machine will chew up and spit out as many of our children as they can unless we stop them now."

In a column relating her experience on a June 28, 2005 Larry King Live show, Sheehan described President Bush as having "moronic and callous foreign policies" and said Senator John Warner "fell in lockstep behind his Führer." She said, "this war is a catastrophe" and "we should bring the troops home and quit forcing the Iraqi people to pay for our government's hubris and quit forcing innocent children to suffer so we can allegedly fight terrorism somewhere besides America. How absolutely racist and immoral is it to take America's battles to another land and make an entire country pay for the crimes of others? To me, this is blatant genocide."

In an August 15, 2005 interview on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, Sheehan told Matthews that she thought she would not have responded differently to her son's death had he died in Afghanistan rather than in Iraq. Sheehan argued that the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan was "almost the same thing" as the Iraq war and that in both cases it was wrong to invade an entire country to fight an ideology that did not necessarily represent all of the people of that country. When Matthews pointed out that "...Afghanistan was harboring, the Taliban was harboring al-Qaida which is the group that attacked us on 9/11," Sheehan replied, "Well then we should have gone after Al-Qaeda and maybe not after the country of Afghanistan." Sheehan also argued that American efforts in Afghanistan were not "having any success" and that "our troops should be brought home ."

In a speech given on April 27, 2005 at San Francisco State University, Sheehan is quoted as stating "We are not waging a war on terror in this country. We’re waging a war of terror. The biggest terrorist in the world is George W. Bush." Similarly, Sheehan wrote that "Casey was killed in the Global War Of Terrorism waged on the world and its own citizens by the biggest terrorist outfit in the world: George and his destructive Neo-con cabal." Sheehan also claimed that "We (the United States) are waging a nuclear war in Iraq right now.".

In an interview given to Mark Knoller of CBS, Sheehan states her belief that the Iraq War has made terrorism worse and referred to the foreign insurgents coming to Iraq as "freedom fighters". "But now that we have decimated the country, the borders are open, freedom fighters from other countries are going in..."

On August 31, Sheehan wrote that "George is finished playing golf and telling his fables in San Diego, so he will be heading to Louisiana to see the devastation that his environmental policies and his killing policies have caused. Recovery would be easier and much quicker if almost ½ of the three states involved National Guard were not in Iraq."

On September 16, Sheehan likened the National Guard presence in New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina relief to that of occupied Iraq stating, "George Bush needs to stop talking, admit the mistakes of his all around failed administration, pull our troops out of occupied New Orleans and Iraq, and excuse his self from power."

On September 24, Sheehan wrote "I am watching CNN and it is 100 percent rita... even though it is a little wind and a little rain... it is bad, but there are other things going on in this country today... and in the world!"

On November 2, Sheehan gave a speech at a "The World Can't Wait" rally in San Francisco, where she stated "The people that are being killed in Iraq are not terrorists."

Reactions

The White House

On August 6 2005, Sheehan met with two high-level Bush administration officials, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and deputy White House Chief of Staff Joe Hagin. According to The New York Times (August 6 2005) the meeting lasted 45 minutes. The Times also reported that Ms. Sheehan told the two officials she appreciated their meeting with her. After the interview she said, "I think they thought I'd be very impressed and intimidated that these two high-level officials came to talk to this little grieving mother, and that I'd leave."

There had been reports that the police had threatened to arrest all protesters on site on Thursday, August 11, 2005 when Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would be at the president's nearby ranch. However, no arrests in connection with the protest were made. President George W. Bush did speak to reporters at his ranch, saying:

"I sympathize with Mrs. Sheehan. She feels strongly about her position, and she has every right in the world to say what she believes. This is America. She has a right to her position, and I thought long and hard about her position. I've heard her position from others, which is: 'Get out of Iraq now.' And it would be a mistake for the security of this country and the ability to lay the foundations for peace in the long run if we were to do so."

Prior to going on a bicycle ride on his Texas ranch on August 13, 2005 Bush gave journalists and aides a defense of his not meeting with Sheehan stating, as reported by Ken Herman of Cox Enterprises:

"I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those who have got something to say. But I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life think the people want the president to be in a position to make good, crisp decisions and to stay healthy. And part of my being is to be outside exercising. So I'm mindful of what goes on around me. On the other hand, I'm also mindful that I've got a life to live and will do so."

Sheehan later issued a statement, which among other things outlined the purpose of the protest .

On August 24 2005, in a speech to Idaho National Guard families, President Bush singled out Tammy Pruett, who has four sons serving in the National Guard in Iraq and a husband and another son who have returned from Iraq. Bush said:

"America lives in freedom because of families like the Pruetts."

A picture of Pruett and Bush hugging each other was later placed at the top of the White House website home page.

Supporters of Sheehan have pointed out that an attempt to use Pruett as a counterpoint to Sheehan is a faulty one, as Pruett has lost none of her sons in Iraq. When Pruett was interviewed about this, she replied:

"Actually, I would agree with them completely. I have not experienced what they experienced, and I wouldn't judge how they chose to express their grief."

U.S. Congress

At least sixteen Democratic members of Congress signed a letter on August 9, 2005, asking that Bush meet with Sheehan and the other relatives of fallen soldiers, as well as calling on Bush to ensure that no one will be arrested for having a peaceful demonstration.

Support

Since beginning her vigil, a number of organizations and individuals have expressed and provided support to Sheehan. One of these is the national organization Veterans for Peace, at whose convention Sheehan spoke just prior to beginning her vigil in Crawford. Members of the organization have also assisted at the "Camp Casey" site, installing and maintaining the Arlington West display there.

The website MoveOn.org announced on August 10, 2005 that it was gathering comments via email to place in a two-page newspaper spread in a Sunday edition of the Waco Tribune newspaper in support of Sheehan and her efforts. MoveOn gathered more than 250,000 comments, many of which were included in the advertisement. Tom Matzzie of MoveOn said:

"In her grief and bravery, Cindy has become a symbol for millions of Americans who demand better answers about the Iraq War. Though right-wing pundits have attacked her personally, her honesty is unimpeachable. Now more and more mothers (and fathers, brothers, sisters, wives, husbands, sons and daughters) are standing up with Cindy. Please join us, and together, we'll make sure that President Bush can't escape the reality of this war—even in Crawford, Texas."

Supporters say that the Crawford protest highlights the claim that the Bush administration believes in selective violence and the claim that the President fails to take responsibility for the deaths of those he commands.

On the week of August 8, 2005 several other groups were reported to be traveling to Texas to join the protest. Sherry Bohlen, field director of the Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), was one person traveling to Crawford, and says this of the protest:

"We'll be sleeping in a tent in the ditch along the roadside (the only place that the authorities will allow us to be). I spoke with Cindy by phone again yesterday. She said that local authorities have told her that if we're still there by Thursday we'll be arrested as "national security risks"... She could well be the Rosa Parks of the movement against the Iraq War. Just as Rosa refused to leave the bus, Cindy is refusing to leave the roadside. She's the spark that is igniting the anti-war movement."

On August 9, 2005, Sheehan began writing a blog concerning (among other things) her experience at Camp Casey, her thoughts on the Iraq War, and her response to criticism of her. It has been featured on several websites, including The Huffington Post, Daily Kos, and Michael Moore.com.

She has spoken at the laissez-faire Ludwig von Mises Institute, whose founder and president, the free-market capitalist Lew Rockwell, regularly features Sheehan's columns on his website.

Parents of other military personnel killed in Iraq

On August 17, 2005, Jane and Jim Bright, parents of slain Army Sgt. Evan Ashcroft, attended a vigil in support of Sheehan, saying "their son's memory would not be lost in the anti-war movement." They also said their son, like Sheehan's son, "was a hero who died for what he believed in." Jim Bright went on to say

"People are looking inside themselves and saying, is this war worth it?" .

Celeste Zappala, mother of slain Sgt. Sherwood Baker, the first Pennsylvania National Guardsman to die in Iraq, said, at a press conference at the Crawford site:

"When we buried Sherwood, I knelt down beside his coffin and I vowed to him I will speak the truth for him. This war is a disaster. It is a betrayal of our military. And it's a betrayal of the democracy they seek to protect."
"I think they have absolutely no idea what they're doing, I think we're getting to the point where normal, reasonable people are starting to see that. The war has to stop. We don't want anyone else killed. We're here to support the troops, to bring them home now, alive. ... My little piece in all this was to say, 'We've got to tell the truth.'"

Minnesota State Senator Becky Lourey, a vocal critic of the Iraq War, and mother of fallen Army helicopter pilot Matthew Lourey, traveled to Crawford to protest Bush's refusal to meet with Sheehan.

"There is an isolation here of President Bush from the people," said Lourey, "(and)it seems to me as I am looking around that it is wrong, that a person who makes life and death decisions is insulated from the people who suffer the consequences of those decisions."

She also traveled to Crawford to grieve and support her fellow military parent, stating that she wanted to "put her arms around" Sheehan and offer her support.

Lynn Bradach, mother of Marine Cpl. Travis Bradach-Nall, who died from a land mine explosion in Karbala, Iraq on July 2, 2003 (the day Bush said, "Bring them on!"), traveled from Portland, Oregon to Crawford to join Sheehan in her vigil.

"I don’t want to be a center of anything," said Bradach. "But when you strongly believe something, at some point you have to stand up for it."

Karen Meredith, whose son, Army Lt. Ken Ballard, was killed in Iraq in May 2004, , defended Sheehan, saying,

"Some people are trying to paint her as one crazy woman against the war, and she’s not. A lot of people feel like her and want to know what the noble cause is."

Criticism

Since embarking on her vigil in early August 2005, Sheehan has been criticized by various individuals.

Media personalities

Some conservative media personalities have been critical of Sheehan.

Early criticism of Sheehan was led by Internet news analyst and conservative talk radio host Matt Drudge, who on August 7, 2005, said Sheehan had been inconsistent in her description of her meeting with President Bush. Drudge quoted part of a June 24, 2004, interview with Sheehan published in the Vacaville Reporter newspaper shortly after her meeting with the President, as evidence that Sheehan had previously spoken highly of President Bush. In it, Sheehan says, "I now know he's sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis. . . . I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of faith." This criticism was also repeated by other pundits including Bill O'Reilly. A closer examination of the original interview shows that Drudge's story had involved selective editing. Sheehan is also quoted as saying, "We haven't been happy with the way the war has been handled. . . . The president has changed his reasons for being over there every time a reason is proven false or an objective reached."

On August 9, The O'Reilly Factor television program host Bill O'Reilly spoke critically of Sheehan, stating:

"I think she has been hijacked by some very, very far left elements . . . there is no question that she has thrown in with the most radical elements in this country. . . . I think Mrs. Sheehan bears some responsibility for this and also for the responsibility of other American families who have lost sons and daughters in Iraq, who feel that this kind of behavior borders on treasonous."

O'Reilly went on to announce that Sheehan would appear on the next evening's episode of his program. The next day, however, O'Reilly stated that Sheehan had backed out of the interview because she believed that he had lied about her. That same day, Sheehan stated her reasons for cancelling her appearance to a blogger, via telephone.

On the August 15, 2005, episode of The Rush Limbaugh Show, host Limbaugh said:

"I mean, Cindy Sheehan is just Bill Burkett. Her story is nothing more than forged documents. There's nothing about it that's real, including the mainstream media's glomming onto it. It's not real. It's nothing more than an attempt. It's the latest effort made by the coordinated left.".

"Limbaugh did not explain what about Sheehan's story he believed to be false, nor did he provide any evidence to support his claim. Later, on the August 17, 2005, episode of his show, Limbaugh said that his previous remarks had been taken out of context.

"The media is exploiting her like she is a genuine spontaneous eruption. They are not telling the truth about how this woman has been shepherded by Joe Wilson. There are pictures of her with Joseph Wilson -- yes, of Valerie Plame fame. She has showed up at all these anti-war rallies. She was an anti-war mother before any of this began to happen... I first said on August 12th and in ensuing days, acknowledged she lost her son, talked about it, was even sympathetic and then went on to make the point that all she is, is an opportunity, like Bill Burkett was an opportunity to bash Bush, like the Jersey Girls are an opportunity to bash Bush, like Valerie Plame is an opportunity to bash Bush and bash Rove. Like the Jersey Girls were, she's just the next in line..."

Various blogs have pointed out that another parent of a U.S. serviceman had made a similar protest 11 years earlier, but garnered much less media coverage than Sheehan: Herbert Shughart, the father of Randall Shughart, a Medal of Honor winning member of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command Delta Force, who had been killed during a rescue mission in Somalia in 1993, accosted President Bill Clinton during a face to face meeting on May 23, 1994, accusing the president of being responsible for his son's death and asserting that Clinton did not deserve to remain as Commander in Chief.. However, the blogs often fail to mention that Shughart's father was protesting Clinton's withdrawal from Somalia, and not the United Nations deployment and mission there. Shughart and fellow Delta sniper Master Sgt. Gary Gordon were killed in the famous "Black Hawk Down" incident of the Battle of Mogadishu, in which they knowingly sacrificed their lives to protect fallen pilot Mike Durant from a hostile Somali mob.

Sheehan's sister-in-law

On 11 August 2005 Matt Drudge made public an email he had received from Sheehan's sister-in-law (and Casey's paternal aunt), Cherie Quartarolo, in which she was quoted as saying:

"We do not agree with the political motivations and publicity tactics of Cindy Sheehan. She now appears to be promoting her own personal agenda and notoriety at the expense of her son's good name and reputation. The rest of the Sheehan Family supports the troops, our country, and our President, silently, with prayer and respect."

Quartarolo signs the email "Casey Sheehan's grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.", but does not mention the individual names of these relatives.

During a series of interviews published on several websites, Sheehan responded to Quartarolo's statement:

"My in-laws sent out a press conference disagreeing with me in strong terms; which is totally okay with me, because they barely knew Casey. . . ."
"We have always been on separate sides of the fence politically and I have not spoken to them since the elections when they supported the man who is responsible for Casey’s death."

Sheehan clarified that:

" . . . my immediate family, Casey's dad and my three children and my sister, we're all on the same page. And I really think that some of my husband's siblings are with us too."

Sheehan's husband Patrick Thomas Sheehan (Casey's father) filed for divorce from her on August 12, 2005, though he has not publicly stated his position on his wife's protest.

Parents of other military personnel killed in Iraq

Linda Ryan, mother of Corporal Marc T. Ryan, a Marine who was killed in Ramadi, says of Sheehan:

"She's going about this not realizing how many people she's hurting. When she refers to anyone killed in Iraq, she's referring to my son. She doesn't have anything to say about what happened to my son."

On August 15, 2005, Matt and Toni Matula, parents of Matthew Matula, a Texas Marine killed in Iraq, requested that the white cross representing their dead son as a victim of the war in Iraq be removed, stating that they did not wish their son's name to be part of an anti-war demonstration. Mr. Matula said:

"It's fine for people to grieve their own way. It aggravates me to see them using other people's names to further their cause."

Natalie Healy, mother of Dan Healy, a Navy SEAL who was killed in the line of duty in Iraq, organized a rally on August 20, 2005 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in order to counteract Sheehan's message, stating:

"We just want to let the fellas know that we’re supporting them and that we’re not going to wimp out on them."

Gary Qualls, whose son, Marine Corporal Louis Wayne Qualls, died in Iraq, started what was dubbed "Fort Qualls" in Crawford, Texas to counter the "Camp Casey" protests. Qualls has repeatedly removed the white cross bearing his son's name from the Arlington West display set up by "Camp Casey."

Gregg Garvey, whose 23 year old son died in Iraq, joined the pro-Bush counter protests stating "people have had enough Bush bashing", and that Sheehan "does not represent all of America".

Criticism of comments

Sheehan has come under criticism for a number of comments, one such comment she wrote on the Daily Kos Sheehan blog on September 24 2005:

  • "I am watching CNN and it is 100 percent (Hurricane) Rita...even though it is a little wind and a little rain...it is bad, but there are other things going on in this country today...and in the world!!!!"

This comment caused outrage to many supporters and critics, calling her jealous of media coverage of other's suffering and "The right-wing media has painted you as a self-centered, self-absorbed woman and you're living up to that image".

Criticism of the critics

The criticism of Sheehan by pro-Iraq war pundits and bloggers has in turn been widely criticized by anti-Iraq war pundits and bloggers. Joe Conason described the criticism as "baiting a bereaved mother as a traitor". .

Keith Olbermann attacked Rush Limbaugh for his coverage of the Sheehan story, describing him as the "World's Worst Person". Olbermann ridiculed Limbaugh for claiming that "There's nothing about that's real." and accused Limbaugh of hypocrisy, "He also referred to her supporters as dope-smoking FM types. I guess the painkillers wipe out your memory along with your ethics."

Sheehan, commenting on mothers of other soldiers killed in Iraq who support Bush and the war, wrote:

"How can these moms who still support George Bush and his insane war in Iraq want more innocent blood shed just because their sons or daughters have been killed? I don't understand it. I don't understand how any mother could want another mother to feel the pain we feel. I am starting to lose a little compassion for them. I know they have been as brainwashed as the rest of America, but they know the pain and heartache and they should not wish it on another. However, I still feel their pain so acutely and pray for these 'continue the murder and mayhem' moms to see the light."

Chronology

Casey Sheehan

Casey Sheehan was the son of Cindy Sheehan and died as a soldier in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Growing up, he was a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout who attained the rank of Eagle Scout. In May 2000 Sheehan enlisted in the United States Army hoping to continue the training he had as an altar boy and become a chaplain's assistant. The Army trained him as a mechanic instead. Near the end of his tour of duty, the US invasion of Iraq began. Sheehan re-enlisted, knowing that his unit would be sent to Iraq. Sheehan's division, the First Cavalry Division, was sent to Iraq. On March 19, 2004 Sheehan's company, Charlie Battery, arrived at FOB War Eagle in Sadr City. Just a few weeks later, on April 4, 2004 Sheehan was killed in action after volunteering as part of a Quick Reaction Force to rescue American troops.

Activism

Friends and family of Cindy Sheehan hold a photo of Casey Sheehan at an anti-war demonstration in Arlington, Virginia on October 2, 2004.

A little more than a month after her son's death, Sheehan visited her son's cross at the "Arlington West" memorial in Santa Barbara, California on Mothers Day, telling reporters "I'm finished crying for Casey. I'm crying for all the other mothers." On June 18 she met with President George W. Bush at Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Washington. Unsatisfied with her meeting with the President, she began attending larger and larger peace rallies and marches, often speaking to protest the occupation of Iraq. At a pro-Lynne Stewart rally at San Francisco University she stated that "The biggest terrorist in the world is George W. Bush." Also, she responded to Time magazine's choice for "Man of the Year," and presented at a Capitol Hill forum held by U.S. Congressman John Conyers, Jr. about the Downing Street memo On August 3, 2005 Bush delivered a speech in Grapevine, Texas, in which he said that the sacrifices of U.S. troops were "made in a noble cause" and reiterated that he will not set a timetable for withdrawal. Two things in Bush's speech "enraged" Sheehan: "We have to honor the sacrifices of the fallen by completing the mission," and "The families of the fallen can be assured that they died for a noble cause." The next day, Bush began his five-week vacation.

Demonstration - Week 1

Location of Crawford, Texas
  • August 6, 2005: Cindy Sheehan starts her demonstration. She creates a makeshift camp in a ditch by the side of the road about 3 miles from George W. Bush's Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas and announces her intention to stay (sleeping in a pup tent at nights) until she is granted a face-to-face meeting with the President.
  • August 6, 2005: National security adviser Stephen Hadley and deputy White House chief of staff Joe Hagin meet briefly with Cindy Sheehan. Sheehan later calls the meeting "pointless."
  • August 8, 2005: Cindy Sheehan states that she has been informed that beginning Thursday, 10 August 2005 she and her companions will be considered a threat to national security and will be arrested. Later there was a retraction of the story by the Daily Kos. Sheehan's camp is first referred to in the media as "Camp Casey."
  • August 9, 2005: Democratic congressmen request that Bush meet with Sheehan and the other relatives of fallen soldiers. The congressmen call on Bush to ensure that no one will be arrested for having a peaceful demonstration.
  • August 11, 2005: Bush holds a press conference at his ranch, during which he states that, while he believes Sheehan has a right to her point of view, he will not withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq.
  • August 11, 2005: Cindy Sheehan writes an open letter to President Bush in response to his press conference statement. In this open letter, she demands to know the "noble cause" behind the war in Iraq, as well as the reason why, if the cause is so noble, Bush's daughters are not volunteering in the war effort.
  • August 12, 2005: Gold Star Families for Peace releases a TV commercial featuring Cindy Sheehan, broadcast on Crawford and Waco cable channels near Bush's ranch.
  • August 12, 2005: Camp Casey protest draws hundreds of supporters (including actor Viggo Mortensen), with a constant presence of just over 100..
  • August 12, 2005: Southern California members of Veterans for Peace install Arlington West, a memorial consisting of nearly 1,000 white crosses (as well as stars and crescents), each bearing the name of a fallen U.S. soldier in Iraq, along the side of the road near Sheehan's camp.
  • August 12, 2005: Bush's motorcade passes within 100 feet of Sheehan's roadside encampment en route to a nearby ranch to attend a fundraising barbecue expected to raise US$2 million for the Republican National Committee; Sheehan holds a sign reading "Why do you make time for donors and not for me?"
  • August 12, 2005: Patrick Sheehan files for divorce from Cindy Sheehan in a California court, citing "irreconcilable differences". Mr. Sheehan was the father of Casey Sheehan.

Demonstration - Week 2

  • August 13, 2005: Cindy Sheehan makes front page news in the Washington Post.
  • August 13, 2005: A morning counter protest is reported to bring over 250 people, who shout pro-Bush slogans for several hours. Sherry Bohlen, National Field Director for Progressive Democrats of America (PDA), estimates that 1000 to 1500 people gathered at a park in Crawford for a peace demonstration, and that 500 cars ferried these people to Camp Casey. (Source: email from Bohlen to PDA members)
  • August 13, 2005: Activists in Chico, California found "Camp Casey Chico," in solidarity with Cindy Sheehan and supporters in Crawford, Texas.
  • August 14, 2005: Larry Mattlage, who owns a cattle ranch across where Sheehan has set up her protest site, fed up with traffic near his home, fires a shotgun several times into the air. He later claims to have been practicing for dove hunting season but also hints to reporters that the shots may also have been meant to drive off the protesters.
  • August 14, 2005: U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-California), as well as a group of Iraqis living in Texas, visit Sheehan at Camp Casey.
  • August 14, 2005: News first breaks regarding Sheehan's husband's filing for divorce..
  • August 15, 2005: Late in the night, a pickup truck driven by Waco, Texas resident Larry Northern tears through the rows of white crosses stretching about two-tenths of a mile along the side of the road at the Crawford camp, each bearing the name of a U.S. soldier killed in Iraq. Several hundred of the crosses are damaged but no one is injured. Northern is later arrested and charged with criminal mischief by police.
  • August 16, 2005: Sheehan announces plans to move her camp closer to the Bush ranch after being offered the use of a piece of land owned by a supporter, Fred Mattlage, who also happens to be a third cousin of Larry Mattlage, the rancher who had fired a shotgun on his property near the demonstration site several days earlier.
  • August 16, 2005: MoveOn.org announces a nationwide "Vigil for Cindy Sheehan" to take place Wednesday, August 17.
  • August 16, 2005: Move America Forward announces a "You Don't Speak For Me, Cindy" caravan ending in Crawford, on August 27.
  • August 17, 2005: More than 1,600 anti-war candlelight vigils in support of Sheehan are held around the United States, including one outside the White House.
  • August 18, 2005: Sheehan announces she is leaving Crawford to see her elderly mother, who had suffered a stroke, but vows to return if possible and as soon as she can.
  • August 19, 2005: A walk is made by the Gold Star Mothers for Peace towards President Bush's ranch in Crawford to deliver letters written by them to First Lady Laura Bush, appealing to her as a mother for support towards their movement.
  • August 19, 2005: Bush sets a record for the most vacation days by a U.S. president.

Demonstration - Week 3

  • August 20, 2005: President George W. Bush embarks on a five-day campaign to defend the Iraq war, speaking to veterans' and military groups in Utah and Idaho.
  • August 20, 2005: Supporters of the Iraq war, led by Crawford small business owner Bill Johnson, set up an opposing camp, named "Fort Qualls," behind his "Yellow Rose" gift shop in Crawford, Texas. First performance at new event space and camp site, "Camp Casey II.
  • August 20, 2005: Texas singer-songwriter James McMurtry and country musician Steve Earle perform at Camp Casey II, followed by speeches by Rev. Peter Johnson, organizer and former staffer of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and Rev. Joseph Lowery, preacher and co-founder of the SCLC. They introduce three African American mothers whose sons were killed in Iraq.
  • August 21, 2005: Folk singer Joan Baez visits and performs at Camp Casey.
  • August 21, 2005: A bomb threat is received via telephone at Bill Johnson's "Yellow Rose" gift shop in Crawford.
  • August 22, 2005: U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and actress Margot Kidder visit Camp Casey.
  • August 22, 2005: The Pro-Bush "You Don't Speak for Me, Cindy" caravan, sponsored by the Sacramento-based group Move America Forward, leaves from San Francisco for Crawford, Texas.
  • August 22, 2005: Opponents of Sheehan set up "Camp Reality," located in a ditch across the road from Camp Casey.
  • August 22, 2005: Casey Sheehan's boots are removed from the American Friends Service Committee's traveling exhibition "Eyes Wide Open: The Human Cost of War," for the purpose of returning them to Sheehan.
  • August 23, 2005: In brief remarks to reporters in Donnelly, Idaho, President George W. Bush states his opposition to Sheehan's call for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
  • August 24, 2005: Sheehan returns to Camp Casey.
  • August 24, 2005: President George W. Bush addresses military families in Nampa, Idaho and explains his reasons for being in Iraq: "We will stay on the offense. We'll complete our work in Afghanistan and Iraq. An immediate withdrawal of our troops in Iraq, or the broader Middle East, as some have called for, would only embolden the terrorists and create a staging ground to launch more attacks against America and free nations. So long as I'm the President, we will stay, we will fight, and we will win the war on terror... We're spreading the hope of freedom across the broader Middle East."
  • August 25, 2005: Sheehan states that she will continue her campaign against the Iraq war even if granted a meeting with the President, and announces plans to lead a national bus tour to Washington, D.C., which will leave on September 1 and arrive in Washington on September 24 for three massive days of action against the war.
  • August 25, 2005: Casey Sheehan's combat boots are returned to Sheehan by the American Friends Service Committee

Demonstration - Week 4

Bus tour - Week 1

Bus Tour - Week 2

  • September 7, 2005: North bus tour stops in Chicago, Illinois and protests in front of House Speaker Dennis Hastert's office. Meanwhile, the Central and South tours make stops near Cincinnati, Ohio and Dothan, Alabama. to discuss why the war in Iraq is wrong.
  • September 8, 2005: Actress Jane Fonda scraps her March bus tour to protest the Iraq war in order not to divert attention from Cindy Sheehan's efforts. She states that she is still planning to speak out and write some op-ed pieces.
  • September 9, 2005: Southern bus tour to Atlanta, Georgia is delayed due to an accident on Hwy 75.
  • September 9, 2005: Cindy Sheehan meets in San Francisco, California with senator Dianne Feinstein's staff to point out that the war in Iraq is taking away resources that could be better used in the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast.
  • September 10, 2005: Sheehan brings her anti-war message to Stone Mountain, Georgia saying "I had given up on my country, but we remembered what we had forgotten after almost five years of a virtual dictatorship — that we the people have the power"
  • September 10, 2005: Southern bus tour continues to Athens, Georgia and brings the message "to support troops, to bring them home, and to support them once they get home.”
  • September 11, 2005: Sheehan ralies with the central bus tour in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Criticizing Bush's policies in Iraq, she says "Every time Bush talks he should be removed from office." and "None of the chicken hawks have served our country the way our children have."
  • September 11, 2005: The northern bus tour makes a stop near Detroit, Michigan and has a large turnout.
  • September 12, 2005: Outside of Town Hall, Sheehan speaks with a Democratic congressman who called for United Nations or NATO troops to assume responsibility for 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces. Sheehan claims the U.S. plans never to bring troops home.
  • September 12, 2005: The southern bus tour stops in Savannah, Georgia and in Columbia, South Carolina where Sheehan said before a small crowd "You know we had over 12,000 Americans come to Camp Casey but we thought that we’d bring Camp Casey to America and also to Congress to start holding them accountable for the war in Iraq" and "This was a war that was based on lies" ... "It was wrong for us to invade Iraq. It's wrong for us to occupy Iraq and we need to bring our troops home." A few protesters held signs that read "Sheehan does not speak for me" and "Support the Troops" were also at the rally.

Bus Tour - Week 3

Bus Tour - Week 4

A crowd of 100,000 to 200,000 marches on Washington

Washington D.C. rally

  • September 24, 2005: A crowd estimated at 100,000 to 200,000 rallies at the Ellipse, then marches around the White House and along Pennsylvania Avenue to the National Mall. The rally, lasting all day and night, includes a music marathon, and many speeches. Meanwhile, a comparatively very small crowd of only around 400 protests the anti-war march claiming they represent the silent majority. Organizers had hoped that as many as 20,000 people would turn out for the counter-protest.
Sheehan arrested
  • September 26, 2005: Sheehan and several dozen other protesters are arrested outside the White House after refusing to move when asked three times to do so by police. Organizers of the protest indicated prior to the incident that some participants intended to get arrested. Sheehan is the first of the protesters at the scene to be arrested. She, and the 383 others arrested with her, are charged with demonstrating without a permit, a misdemeanor.
  • September 27, 2005: Sheehan, facing a $75 fine was, was released and given a court date of November 16, 2005

Renewed Activism

  • September 27, 2005: Sheehan meets with John McCain and afterwards calls him a warmonger.
  • October 1 , 2005: Sheehan protests Hillary Clinton's soft stance on the war. Sheehan said that Clinton must either speak out against the war or risk losing her job.
  • October 3, 2005: Sheehan holds a rally in Phoenix, Arizona and urges Governor Janet Napolitano to withdraw the Arizona National Guard from Iraq.
  • October 5, 2005: Sheehan returns home to Northern California and gets a hero's welcome She vows to continue her campaign against the war in Iraq until all the troops are brought back to the United States.
  • October 2?, 2005: During a media interview, Sheehan expresses plans to speak at the White House and then tie herself to the fence. She states that if she is arrested, she will return to the fence as soon as she gets out of jail.

Camp Casey II

  • November 25, 2005: Sheehan returns to Texas to protest Bush's vacation without bringing the soldiers home. Bush plans to stay in Crawford through November 28, 2005.

See also

References

External links

Video and audio

Interviews

News articles about Cindy Sheehan

Web commentary

Generally supportive

Generally opposed

Neutral or mixed; other media coverage

Speeches

Articles by Cindy Sheehan

Polls

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