http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/opinion/l10iraq.html?August 10, 2005
A Mother and a Nation Seek Answers (6 Letters)
To the Editor:
"One Mother in Crawford" (editorial, Aug. 9) describes how Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, has been trying since last Saturday, in the broiling Texas sun, to speak to President Bush to ask him why he thinks her son died for a noble cause.
Before Mr. Bush left for Texas, his spokesman said that it is the president's desire to "shed his coat and tie and meet with folks out in the heartland and hear what's on their minds."
Apparently, meeting with the folks in the heartland does not include listening to those people who would dare disagree with the administration that has brought this country into a war filled with deception and untruths.
Clifford J. Hutchins
Rochester, Wash., Aug. 9, 2005
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To the Editor:
Cindy Sheehan is my hero because she, unlike any politician, has the guts and commitment to demand a genuine accounting from the president for this disastrous war.
Perhaps the only thing that will get this administration to face reality is a thousand mothers camping out in Crawford.
Judy Levine
Kingston, N.Y., Aug. 9, 2005
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To the Editor:
Cindy Sheehan gave a very different account of her visit with President Bush in June 2004. There has been no president in modern times who has spent as much time meeting individually with families of military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice.
I think the real issue is, Whom do you blame if your son dies and he volunteered for duty? In the days of the draft, you could blame the government. But if he volunteered and believed in the mission, whom do you blame?
My heart breaks for Ms. Sheehan and other mothers of the fallen. I deal with that by doing as much as I can for soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and coasties during this war.
This is America's war and the world's war on terror. We are proud of the sacrifices of the fallen, and they are proud to have fought and died for Ms. Sheehan's right to question her president.
Martha Zoller
Gainesville, Ga., Aug. 9, 2005
The writer, a radio talk show host, visited with soldiers in Iraq in July.
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To the Editor:
If Cindy Sheehan is able to meet President Bush, she might well ask him why his two daughters, both eligible for the military, do not enlist and serve in Iraq. After all, his recent statement, "We will stay the course; we will complete the job in Iraq," suggests shared involvement.
Who is the "we" he is referring to? Sadly, Ms. Sheehan, the "we" is your son, and the less well-connected brave men and women who do our nation's fighting and dying.
William Lyons
Irvington-on-Hudson, N.Y.
Aug. 9, 2005
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To the Editor:
We all owe a debt to Cindy Sheehan, not only for the sacrifice of her son's life, but also for informing the American people of a truth about our president: he doesn't even bother to learn the basic facts about the men and women who have died in a senseless war, for which he holds the supreme responsibility.
Roger Waldinger
London, Aug. 9, 2005
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To the Editor:
Cindy Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq, is camped by the side of the road in Crawford, Tex., insisting that President Bush owes her an explanation for his war policies.
So far, the president has refused to meet with her again, sending instead two subordinates, who failed to mollify this "gold star mom."
The reason Mr. Bush will not meet with her is obvious: he cannot explain his policy in Iraq in any way that a growing number of Americans will accept. Weapons of mass destruction? None. Saddam Hussein's link to 9/11? None. Fighting terrorists over there? They weren't there until the United States lured them in.
This war is a classic example of bait and switch, and people are beginning to catch on.
Jim Calio
Marina del Rey, Calif., Aug. 9, 2005
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