Opposition to Crawford protest grows as camp expands

[sabra]

http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8BTQK480.html

Opposition to Crawford protest grows as camp expands

As a makeshift campsite of war protesters grew Thursday along a road leading to President Bush's ranch, they began facing increased antagonism from locals and opposition from some military families.

More drivers are speeding and blaring horns continuously as they pass the camp, which started Saturday as grieving mother Cindy Sheehan's simple peace vigil. It has grown to about 100 people, with more expected from across the nation.

On Internet chat rooms and blogs, some organizations and soldiers' relatives are criticizing the protest, saying participants are trying to promote a left-wing agenda and lower troop morale. They say Sheehan does not represent their views on the war with Iraq.

....

Although authorities have not arrested anyone or forced the protesters to move, more residents have complained about the group parking on the edge of private property or blocking an intersecting road, according to the McLennan County Sheriff's Office.

[leesa]

1. More "some say" GOP nonsense.

[sabra]

3. "some organizations and soldiers' relatives are criticizing "

indeed

[sakabatou]

48. Notice how they do not say soldiers

Ooooo....

[saigon68]

79. HERE'S THE SHIT THEY ARE POSTING

[Fire Walk With Me]

54. This from the same people who brought us "WMD" and Saddam=9/11

Yep.

[Miss Chybil]

68. Some say you can kill yourself and hop a ride to heaven on a comet. nt

[Cronus Protagonist]

84. Hahahahaaa not funny, but it hits my funny bone in a sardonic way

And I like things like that :)

http://devil:420/bushfordummies/img/bush_hunting.jpg

[Born Free]

82. Karl Rove buses pulling in daily

Much like Florida in 2000, get ready for the buses of paid protestors to put on a show for FOX news.

[radfringe]

85. if "some" want Cindy to go home

all "they" have to do is pressure bush* to take ONE HOUR out of his working 'vacation' to talk to her...

if he won't pay attention to ONE WOMAN for ONE HOUR - what makes anyone think he pays attention to what regular 'mericans have to say...

if this was ONE WOMAN who wanted ONE HOUR to show support for bush* - don't you think he'd find time in between cutting brush and riding his bike to meet with her?

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. But, hey, Bush said this was America and she has the freedom to

protest. Get those right-wing talking points straight.

[roguevalley]

6. Cindy and the others put their names and faces out there. These

'some say' assholes need to do the same. Don't like the protest? Counter protest and put your dog faces out there. No? Not surprised.

[blue sky at night]

18. I totally agree...

when it comes to putting it (their asses) on the line, or putting your money where your mouth is, they just can't do it. Why is it the Repuke Right Wing just can't take it when the whole world doesn't agree?? Take a pill you morans. Speaking of the The Whole World....it is watching. Love the Puppies.......can't keep mine off the bed either.

[ashling]

27. those are cutie dog faces

:)

[wakeme2008]

4. More and more people are coming every day

These ppl have to live if it for * 5 week vacation :)

[tblue37]

49. Maybe they should tell Bush to haul his ass outta there

and back to Washington, where he supposedly has some sort of day job.

[satya]

5. Sounds like the sheriff needs to set up a speed trap. n/t

[KansDem]

22. Yeah, and whatever happened to the "unnecessary honking" law?

I seem to recall when anti-Bush drivers were cited for honking their horns in solidarity when driving by anti-Bush protesters.

Why, here is one such article (not anti-Bush, though)!

HoustonChronicle.com - Woman gets honking mad over receiving horn citation :

"An Oakland woman alleges Berkeley police violated her First Amendment rights when an officer ticketed her last year for honking in support of a labor union's picketing outside the Claremont Resort and Spa to protest risi <...>

Published 2005-04-25 07:56:04

This is the summary and citation only. The article was not available.

Notice the woman cited was supporting a union...wonder which side of the political spectrum she was on compared to the police officer?

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

90. some elderly woman was tasered in Kansas City

for honking her horn

[TomInTib]

7. The more things change..

the more they stay the same.
This is (d)evolving into a situation eerily akin to the "hardhats vs longhairs" of the Viet era.
Turn the stupids against the thoughtful and concerned.

As Twain said, "We have all the fools in town on our side and that's a majority every time."

Or something like that.

[DBoon]

10. weren't the hardhat "riots" orchestrated

Like it wasn't really a spontaneous outburst of proletarian anger - its was an organized and coordinated disruption?

[bobbieinok]

57. never heard that and I lived thru the 60s (in grad school in CA )

would have been helpful to have heard this ....proved

[FlemingsGhost]

8. This will end badly.

Mark my words.

[ixion]

15. duly noted

we shall see... you may very well be spot with that.

[NNN0LHI]

41. My stomach gets in knots when I think about it

I hope you are wrong but...

Don

[Coastie for Truth]

63. I pray it doesn't

<>
<>
<>

but if ends badly - the images will be the defining images of the NeoCon Agenda - and the Bush Presidency

[jobycom]

9. Need signs saying "Honk if you oppose Bush!"

[Habibi]

12. Good idea!

Also "Flip us off if you oppose Bush!" That'll learn 'em.

[FlemingsGhost]

16. LOL ... that's a wonderful idea!

Well done!

[October]

19. PERFECT! LOL

:rofl:

[Rebellious Republican]

38. You need to email that to the Crawford Peace House! N/T

[etherealtruth]

45. You are a genious! n/t

[Zorra]

72. Ding ding ding! - we have a clear winner.

You should get a raise for that idea! sweet!
:hi:

[damntexdem]

11. Sabra, are you in Denton?

I am, moved here a year ago.

[sabra]

56. I am not. I am a Chitown guy!

peace

[deadparrot]

13. Has Cindy ever said that she speaks for all military families?

No. I don't believe she has.

She, personally, wants answers. Apparently, so do other military families. She's not forcing anyone to join, and she's not speaking for the military community as a whole.

[lpbk2713]

14. They would like to think one of *their own* is beyond reproach.

But it just ain't so. The facts say otherwise.

[CAcyclist]

17. They Can't Have It Both Ways

Either it's a private road and that means only residents can legally drive on it or it's a public road and anyone can park on the edge of a public road and anyone can walk on the edge of a public road or in the public road, for that matter.

[mbperrin]

89. It's a public highway built with Texas tax dollars.

Course old man Bush lives on a public street in Houston that the Legislature had to pass a special law to allow it to be chained off. Why these fuckers merit such use of my tax money I don't know.

BTW, there are NO LAWS in Texas prohibiting walking on the pavement, only against walking in the traffic lane.

Sounds like Shurf Deputy Dawg needs a little attitude adjustment - maybe a little subpoena?

[LisaM]

20. Bush just can't expect to go run and hide in Crawford for 5 weeks

Why do you think they chose such an out of the way location in the first place? So they could avoid this very kind of thing.

[Kittycat]

21. They need busses to drop them off each day

n/t

[Miss Chybil]

69. Rhandi Rhodes is getting them some busses. nt

[Shakespeare]

23. Typical wingnut reaction: "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!"

They just cannot abide a difference of opinion, can they? How very un-American.

[shadowknows69]

86. They can't abide being reminded that there's a war on

that they support

[Bumblebee]

24. As long as they are careful about not breaking laws

I am actually delighted that they are making the residents mad. May make them re-evaluate whether it's such a great thing to have B spending five weeks near them.

[shance]

25. This is how they will begin to respond. They are going to try and stir

the pot and ignite division and doubt through the media and with articles like this.

The Administration and other proponents of the War are going to now turn up the propaganda machine and damage "control by creating illusions and false opposition that is not there.

Seems it's very important now to keep the good things happening and the FACTS coming from Crawford up to date on blogs, and the unity building in America that is happening because of Cindy's and others actions.

[CAG]

26. Why aren't they telling a certain person to get back to work, then

all these protestors would move on.

[WePurrsevere]

28. One thing I've learned after being on the 'Net for well over a decade...

People are not always as they seem and often even more so on the 'Net. Simply taking what is said from anonymous chat rooms and blogs, etc by some ANON SUPPOSEDLY "soldiers' relatives" doesn't guarantee you a REAL and reliable source.

On Internet chat rooms and blogs, some organizations and soldiers' relatives are criticizing the protest, saying participants are trying to promote a left-wing agenda and lower troop morale. They say Sheehan does not represent their views on the war with Iraq.

Although there are some wonderful and very real people on the 'Net the fact is that anyone can pretend to be anyone or anything to play the game and try to tip the scales.

[IndianaGreen]

29. Rightwingers are pukes, who cares what they say?

None of them, and I mean none of them, would ever consider holding Bush accountable for lying to plunge this country into a criminal and unnecessary war.

The late Pope John Paul II even took the trouble of sending a Cardinal to see Bush to warn him that if he went into Iraq he would do so "without God."

Republicans love dead soldiers! Republicans use dead soldiers as backdrops for their hypocritical patriotic speeches and parades. We want our soldiers to live, to return home, and to live productive lives without becoming tools of the war criminals running this country.

Do you want our soldiers to be dead, or would you rather have them back home alive?

[ninkasi]

42. We want them back home, alive

It must take a twisted mind to think that a mother's grief over losing her son lowers troop morale. Multiple deployments, inadequate equipment, seeing their buddies die for no good reason...these are things that will lower morale, but I don't see any of those right wing organizations or blogs getting all bothered about things like those.

Personally, it doesn't surprise me in the least that the right wingers are all huffy about this; it only points out what a lying, sniveling, chicken-shit their glorious leader really is. They get bothered by the truth.

[AlCzervik]

30. The townsfolk should be pissed at Bush and not Mrs. Sheehan

[Mad_Dem_X]

87. What's this nonsense about "lowering

troop morale"? She wants the troops to come home, alive and now. She doesn't want anyone else to have to go thru what she did. HOW IS THIS LOWERING MORALE? I truly don't understand.

[kskiska]

31. Compare the scene at the Schiavo hospice

to this. The protest at the hospice disrupted schools and prevented visitors from entering the building to be with their dying loved ones.

[Roland99]

53. VERY good point

[kath]

73. Very, VERY good point - that protest was WAY more disruptive.

[XemaSab]

32. God forbid

she should promote such thing as a left-wing agenda.

And as far as troop morale goes, shouldn't they feel shitty that they are fighting a war based on LIES?

(The troops, of course, would have no cause to feel shitty if we weren't in Iraq in the first place fighting an illegal and unjust war.)

[SlavesandBulldozers]

35. yes, all of the sudden using troops for the defense of the nation

is a left-wing cause.

[XemaSab]

40. Communists!

n/t

[SlavesandBulldozers]

94. bwahaha

exactly

[daleo]

33. Honking is usually an indication of agreement.

I don't know for sure here, but this sounds like spin.

[Cocoa]

34. "They say Sheehan does not represent their views on the war with Iraq."

so what? She represents her views. Duh!

[SlavesandBulldozers]

37. yes, their view is to have somebody else die for a war they support

that's their position, and they ain't budgin goddamnit, they are that steadfast in their belief.

[Solly Mack]

36. Fuck these people. I'm a military family. I support Sheehan's effort

And I'm good and damn tired of a pack of mealy-mouth spineless blowhards attempting to speak for me. Fuck you! Fuck everything about you.

Not having supply lines lowered troop morale.
Not having enough food and water lowered troops morale
Not having enough uniforms lowered troop morale
Deploying units that WERE NOT deployable lowered troop morale
Not being able to shower for WEEKS on end lowered troop morale
Constant deployments lowered troop morale
Lack of armor lowered troop morale
Stop-Loss lowered troop morale
Reducing training and promotion time lowered troop morale
Cutting contractual pay for days over 365 lowered troop morale
Constantly changing the amount of combat pay lowered troop morale
Screwing up combat pay lowered troop morale
The lack of programs for returning deployed soldiers lowered troop morale
Injured soldiers being forced to pay for their meals at Reed lowered troop morale
Screwing the National Guard and the Reserves, as well as their families, out of entitlements, once activiated, lowered troop morale.



You people need to get your heads out of your asses and wipe the shit away from under your noses....

that way you can wrap your little pathetic minds around this very simple truth

Dying for BUSH's LIES lowered troop morale.

[Karenina]

39. You GO, girl!!!

:kick:

[Solly Mack]

58. lol! Hey you!

[Duncan Grant]

43. If I could recommend an individual post, it would be this one!

Solly Mack - you should start a new thread with this post. Your voice is among the most truthful I've read all day. :applause:

[satya]

44. Agreed! Great post, Solly Mack, and would be a great LTTE.

:yourock:

[Solly Mack]

66. Thank you!

:hi:

[Solly Mack]

59. I feel loads better just letting it out

Thank you!!!!

[cliss]

50. love, Love, LOVE your post.

There's no arguing with the truth. This is make it or break it time for Bush.

I thought it was incredibly interesting the Bush actually came out and made some kind of statement. He even mentioned Cindy Sheehan. It won't help. He's trapped like the sewer rat he is. If he does nothing, public attention will keep growing.

If he has her arrested, she will get more publicity than she ever dreamed of. There will be photos of her posted all over the place, being handcuffed and taken to jail. Imagine that for a moment. The mother of a soldier who died, gets arrested.

She's radioactive, and Bush and his cronies know it.

It's time to lay down the cards, George. Cindy's got 4 Aces and 1 king. What you got?

[HockeyMom]

51. Cindy in Handcuffs will make papers all around the WORLD

[WinkyDink]

60. Thus, first she must be denigrated and condescended to.

Then, she will be arrested. Perhaps at night.

Other women led away in cuffs haven't bothered America.

[Solly Mack]

61. Yep. She pretty much trumped him

[Old and In the Way]

52. I can't imagine any soldier's family discouraging an effort to get

their loved ones out of that hell-hole. Do these families love their country/AWOL pResient so much that they'd actively work against an effort to bring their sons/daughters/moms/dads/aunts/uncles/neices/nephews home from Iraq? I doubt it.

I do believe that there'd be RNC operatives that would masquerade as a family member of the military to keep the appearance that these families support Bush.

[Solly Mack]

65. there are military families who *need*

to believe Iraq is a good thing...they can't grasp that people can attack policy and a corrupt regime without attacking the troops...for them it's all one thing.

They may even not like Bush...but anyone critical of the war is being critical of their soldier to their thinking. They take it very personal and get downright belligerent about it. It's a very self-defeating cycle.

[sendero]

55. This post..

.... I VEHEMENTLY agree with.

Fuck the spinners, fuck the dumbasses, fuck the ass kissers, and especially fuck the liars.

Cindy Sheehan is the patriot with courage, and her detractors are a bunch of whining cowards.

[Solly Mack]

62. I agree!!

[Miss Chybil]

70. A - FLIPPEN - MEN! I'm a military family, too, and you hit the nail on

the head. I think you should send that around the to MSM and/or turn it into an LTE.

[Voltaire99]

75. Well said, Solly! (nt)

[Mad_Dem_X]

88. ((APPLAUSE))

[Endangered Specie]

46. I telkl you what lowers troop morale, and it isnt protests.

lower morale usually comes from DYING! :mad:

[slor]

47. "drivers are speeding and blaring horns"...

thank goodness that the reporter was trained to discern a "pro-bush" honk from a "Pro-Real American Hero Cindy" honk, or else he could not have spun this article so chimpily.

[54anickel]

64. Letter From an Iraq Vet

http://www.antiwar.com/orig/bruhns.php?articleid=6902

Editor's note: Following is a letter by Army Sgt. John Bruhns, excerpts of which were read on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) on July 19, 2005.

I am a concerned veteran of the Iraq war. I am not an expert on the vast and wide range of issues throughout the political spectrum, but I can offer some firsthand experience of the war in Iraq through the eyes of a soldier. My view of the situation in Iraq will differ from what the American people are being told by the Bush administration. The purpose of this message is to voice my concern that we were misled into war and continue to be misled about the situation in Iraq every day. My opinions on this matter come from what I witnessed in Iraq personally.

George Bush and his political advisors have been successful in presenting a false image to the American people, that Saddam Hussein was an "imminent" threat to the security of the United States. We were told that there was overwhelming evidence that Saddam Hussein possessed a massive WMD program, and some members of the Bush administration even hinted that Saddam may have been involved in the 9/11 attacks.

We now know most of the information given to us by the current administration concerning Iraq, if not all the information, was false. This was information given to the American people to justify a war. The information about weapons of mass destruction and a link to Osama bin Laden scared the American people into supporting the war in Iraq. They presented an atmosphere of intimidation that suggested if we did not act immediately there was the possibility of another attack. Bush said himself that we do not want the proof or the smoking gun to come in the form of a "mushroom cloud." Donald Rumsfeld said, "We know where the weapons are."

After 9/11, comments like these proved to be a successful scare tactic to use on the American people to rally support for the invasion. Members of the Bush administration created an image of "wine and roses" in terms of the aftermath of the war. Vice President Dick Cheney said American troops would be greeted as "liberators." And there was a false perception created that we would go into Iraq and implement a democratic government and it would be over sooner rather than later. The White House also expressed confidence that the alleged WMD program would be found once we invaded.

more...

[Miss Chybil]

71. I'm going to post this letter everytime I catch a chickenhawk cackling.

:kick:

[progressivebydesign]

67. No, Ms. Davis.. MILLIONS PROTESTED BEFORE THE WAR!

Do the right wing apologists REALLY want thousands of us down there?? Cuz we can do that...

I have yet to understand HOW protesting against an unjust war which has killed and injured thousands of our trooops is somehow not supporting them. Seems to me that those of us that questioned the war BEFORE it happened were the REAL supporters of the troops... sticking a magnet on your car and being an armchair patriot doesn't cut it. Those who sent them into harm's way without proper equipment, those who dump the reservists when they become injured, and those that lied about why we are there, are NOT supporting the troops.

Soo... they really think they'd like thousands of us there? Hmmmmm.......

[expatriot]

74. i don't understand how war protests can lower troop morale...

If I was a soldier in a war overseas, even if I supported the war I was in, I would be heartened by people exercising their freedoms to protest the decision makers. If all I saw was blind support of the leaders' war policies I would get worried for my own and my comrades' safety since there would be no people questioning the wisdom of those policies and I would also be demoralized with the fear that my home country was not a democracy at all, but a fascist state.

people who are against war protests because they think they undermine troop morale seem to prefer we completely throw out our democratic ideals. They love America for its might and not its soul.

[Podface]

76. Last nail in the coffin?

Bush has now personally jumped into the spin game. I wonder how many days it took with advisers to come up with his response "I've heard her position which is: Get out of Iraq now". Brilliant talking point delivered by the grand manipulator himself. Guaranteed that Fox News is already on it, saying that this lunatic wants to tell the president to bring our troops home, an unreasonable request. Thankfully, Reuters, CNN, WP, NYT, AP, McNews, Yahoo, and countless other are delivering her real message - tell me again why my son died as you keep changing your story, and have you encouraged your daughters to enlist for this cause?

As many have seen, Cindy Sheehan will be on the cover of Newsweek et al. next week. Chances are, even Mr. Rove can't estimate the amount of cars headed to Texas this weekend in support, not of this cause specifically, but to bring to light the reality of the script-driven, talking points administration. Personally, I think he will in the end, fall harder for this than any scandal up until this point.

Bush has never publicly had to deal with real questions, as we all know. Sheehan should be hired by the DNC as a strategist, as it seems she may be the first person to crack the Bush shell. There is no way he can agree to a meeting with her as she now has control of the conversation. She knows it. Being a mother, I’m guessing she applied the simple strategy used to deal with disobedient children – honesty versus shame. Bush can't answer the emerging question that is on the mind of average Americans - have you advised your children to serve in Iraq?

CNN spent significant time tonight showing what a charitable, devoted, honest Catholic Sheehan’s son was. There was no room for argument from the far-right. This is a “good Christian family” that is calling bullshit on the president.

What I find remarkable is this woman has created a no-win situation for the President. This is something the Democrats have been unable to do themselves with more ammo than Nixon’s Washington Post.


! Long time reader, first time poster.

[LeftyMom]

83. welcome to DU

Thanks for taking the time to post. :)

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

92. Nice first post. Welcome.

glad to see ya, hope you have lots moe to say.

[Voltaire99]

77. "My sons made me promise not to go off the deep end and protest..."

"...if they got killed."

Good lord, what a ghastly testimonial.

One feels pity for any mother so abused by power that she is left in fear clutching such a silly testosterone-fueled promise. Her misery over the risk to her sons, sacramentalized in this stupid vow of silence...

There are days when I am disgusted by the endless murder perpetrated by Bush's wars.

And also at times, like this, when I am reminded of what his corrupt ethos does to people like that family: twist and malign their sense of self-worth until it can only be measured by performance of the mission and faith in their Glorious Leader.

Under Bushism, you are nothing. In service to Bushism, you are glorious. Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.

http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen1.html

[Swamp Rat]

78. Deus meu!

:cry: So many Bush victims... and they are accumulating faster and faster. :cry:

[AtomicKitten]

80. I don't understand

the vehement resistance to Cindy. I don't understand why those disagreeing with her can't just let her do her thing. Why does this always degenerate into a left/right battle royale? I remain at a loss trying to understand how ANYONE can deny Cindy her right to speak with the man who sent her boy to war and sent him home in a box. The allegiance this a-hole in the WH garners is spooky. It's confused for patriotism but it's actually cultism.

[joe1991]

81. Truthout.com says 700 people, NOT 100 !

"The sun is finally beginning to set behind a small line of trees, and the crowd has begun to thin out. The official count for today's gathering was 705, not counting press. Given the fact that we are in a drainage ditch by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, that is a great number."

http://www.truthout.org/cindy.shtml

[Buns_of_Fire]

93. I wonder if that count -- 705 -- was a subtle jibe...

...because, according to the 2000 census, 705 is also the entire population of Crawdad... (ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford,_Texas )

Either way, after boosh* hits the road after leaving office (they don't really think fratboy is going to hang around the pig farm after it ceases to serve his political purposes, do they?), they can look forward to the town's average I.Q. going up by a good 15 points.

[against all enemies]

91. "Shut it Down" just like the Florida recount. Thug alert!!