The Peaceful Occupation of Crawford (Day 8): George Bush: you work for me

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

Sunday, August 14th, 2005
The Peaceful Occupation of Iraq (Day 8); WOW!!!

-- a message from Cindy Sheehan, Crawford, TX

http://www.michaelmoore.com/mustread/index.php

It is not often that Cindy Sheehan is at a loss for words. I will try and describe today, though. It was the most incredible, fantastic, fabulous, amazing, powerful, miraculous event I have ever been a part of. I was so humbled and honored at the outpouring of love and support that arrived in Camp Casey today.

It was a busy morning of interviews and problem solving. I had interviews with some network shows and a photo shoot for the Vanity Fair article. Almost all of the reporters ask me if I have accomplished anything at Camp Casey and I think we really have. We have brought the war onto the front pages of the newspapers and the top stories of the mainstream media. It is really incredible that we are doing so well in the media because I keep telling all of the reporters that I am doing their jobs. I am asking the tough questions of the President that they don’t ask.

We are also gathering people together in this country who believe that this war is a mistake and our troops should come home. I know people have been frustrated, either sitting on the fence or apathetically sitting on the sidelines. I know before Casey was killed, I didn’t think that one person could make a difference in the world. Now I know that isn’t true. Not only can one person make a difference, but one person, with millions behind her can make history. I really believe that this movement that began in Crawford, Texas (does the irony escape anyone) is going to grow and grow and transform the world. Like I said last night in my blog: hope is blossoming in Crawford, because WE have the power.

The CBS reporter whom I met last Saturday when I began this Holy War against the War of Terrorism that George Bush is waging on the world told me that he has interviewed me 4 times this week already. He told me that he has never, ever interviewed anyone 4 times, let alone four times in one week. I was joking with the reporters that were here last week that they should have brought me flowers on our one week anniversary.

The most fantabulistic (I needed a new word, none of the old ones fit) thing happened in Crawford today. There was a very insignificant counter-protest across the way. At first the Sheriffs let them stand in the street, until we politely pointed out to the Sheriffs that we had to stay in the ditch last week. So they made them move into the ditch. Since we are supposedly in Bush country, the counter protest was so small and weak. They had signs that said “Stay the Course.” I appreciated that. I really believe they were telling me to stay the course. I will.

We also met a man whose son was KIA in Iraq in November of 2004. He still loves George Bush and thinks we are doing great things in Iraq. By the end of the day we were drinking beer together and telling each other “I love you.” I am telling you miracles are happening here in Crawford.

Anyway, back to the fantabulistic thing that happened today. We had a rally downtown in Crawford. Then the people caravanned up to Camp Casey. I was told to come down to the point of the triangle to greet them. While I was walking down to the point, I had a great view of Prairie Chapel Road. There was car, after car, after car!!! I started sobbing and I felt like collapsing. The cars kept on coming. It took almost a full hour for them to all get to Camp Casey, it was a miraculous sight to see. It was identical to Field of Dreams.

People came from all over the country to be here. We are building a movement and they are coming.

We don’t have a full count of all the people who were there, but I would say hundreds. It was amazing and awesome. I felt the spirits of all of our needlessly killed loved ones in the presence of Camp Casey. I felt their strength and the wisdom of the ages with me in that wonderful place.

Today was George Bush’s accountability moment, and he lost. Two young ladies from San Diego drove all night to get to the rally and they had to leave tonight to get back home. One of them said: “Wow, we can drive all the way from San Diego just to meet you and he can’t even come down to the end of his driveway to meet with you.”

George Bush: you work for me. I pay your salary. Come out and talk to me. Anyway, I have a feeling you are about to be fired!!!

[Greeby]

1. You;re wrong, Cindy

He doesn't work for you, because he doesn't work AT ALL.

Just sayin ;)

[Maggie_May]

2. It's true

she is asking questions that the media will not ask. We have never in my life time (and I am getting up their in age) have had such a wimpy press. I am tired of this and I am glad we have Cindy standing for what she believes in we need more people like her. It's to bad I can't be with her can't afford the gas.:-(

[calimary]

10. Welcome to DU! Yep - she IS doing the job our so-called media is

not doing. Because, oh, golly-gee-whiz, they DARE NOT lose their precious ACCESS!!!!!!

Never mind that the big stories about the opposition to the war, the voices from the scientific and weapons-inspector community that debunked all the lies during the run-up, and the first details about the DSMs all came from the KNIGHT-RIDDER news service, whose reporters do NOT have access to the White House. Since they had none, they were forced to go to lower-level State Department and Pentagon officials who aren't interesting enough or well-connected enough or highly-placed enough for the mainstream media to bother with. They were forced to go to people within the opposition. And they got the truth.

So it CAN be done.

I am a retired reporter and there are almost no words to express the shame I feel about the colossally stupid, criminally negligent job my former colleagues have done, covering this White House. They're EVERY BIT AS MUCH TO BLAME for the death, the wreckage, the carnage, the loss of our moral imperative, the loss of our moral high ground, the loss of our reputation around the world, and ALL the killing and maiming and torturing and growth of new terrorists that we now have, world-wide. They aided and abetted. They helped with all the cover-ups. They are COMPLETELY liable for all this. The blood is directly on their hands. The American media was uniquely positioned to ferret out the truth, and expose all this, and maybe - just maybe, shortstop the war and the doctrine of global violence, extremism, and aggression that our "leaders" have instituted. They could have stopped it and they did NOT. They only made it easier, swifter, and much less complicated to achieve. They are collaborators. And EVERY BIT AS GUILTY. DAMN THEM ALL.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. wow....just, wow...... To Cindy, who stopped cursing the darkness

and led the way...

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

4. I nominate Cindy to head a new party...the People's Party

The Transparency in Government Party...The Immune to Bribery Party. God we need a new direction in this country. We can't be like those we oppose and not take an honest look at how elected leaders on our side of the aisle have operated. If your not against fascism then you are for fascism. Think of all the outrageous things this administration has done and the dem's weak response to it. Sure, they rattle off a few sound bites to appease the true believers but not nearly enough to satisfy many of us. They should be fighting the neo-cons tooth and nail and it's not happening. Many dem's say publicly that they would continue the fight on terrorism just not in the way that Bush has...THAT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH. This war on terrorism is just a thinly veiled excuse for an oil grab and to make some money for the military industrial complex...you'ld have to be pretty naive to think otherwise.

[KoKo]

5. That's a beautiful picture/graphic of Cindy. Where did you get it?

Can it be purchased somewhere?

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

6. I did it in Photoshop.

So you can buy it from ME!

:evilgrin:

Just kidding. I enlarged THIS photo:



...and ran my "secret Photoshop formula" on it.

Thanks for the kind comments.

:toast:

[KoKo]

7. I wonder if it could

worked up as a poster and you could sell it on DU (clearing with Skinner of course) and give part of the proceeds to Cindy's work.

Or just sell it yourself :evilgrin: Whatever, it's really nice.

[NoFederales]

9. I agree with KoKo, a magnificent rendition; I can imagine it silkscreened

on a teeshirt with appropo words, such as 'the seige at Crawford, TX",
or some such. Stunning and vivid!

NoFederales

[duhneece]

8. I am going to send a postcard to WH: GB, you wk for me...talk to Cindy

Paraphrasing Cindy's quotation, "George Bush: you work for me. I pay your salary. Go out and talk to Cindy."

I sent her a postcard via the Crawford Peace House, but I am thinking it would be effective if we ALL could send postcards to insist this arrogant piece of work is reminded he works for us and we want him to do his work as we see it.

[jillan]

13. Think about GB getting 1000's of postcards with that message-woohoo

How could we get his mailing address in Crawford???

Sounds like a post for DU activist corps if we can get the address.




:toast:

[renate]

11. This was the part that gave me chills

"The cars kept on coming. It took almost a full hour for them to all get to Camp Casey, it was a miraculous sight to see. It was identical to Field of Dreams."

I get weepy every time I see that scene in the movie and I got that same feeling reading today's report... imagining what that must have been like, seeing that line of cars go past for an hour.... chills.

This whole thing is such a miracle. It's so beautiful.

[moc]

14. It was miraculous...

I was there yesterday. The cars kept coming and coming and coming. It gave me chills, and it still does.

What makes me angry is that this wasn't presented in the MSM. The story in the DMN made it sound like the counter protest was of equal size. I've already had a heated exchange with the reporter and editors regarding their piss-poor reporting this morning.

[jillan]

12. Awesome picture!!! It looks like art :) nt

[Mira]

15. Whoever said it (it was here) said a mouthful:

"Why won't the chicken hawk cross the road?"
( I now have that on my bumper, by the way)

I LOVE the picture; it looks like a painting, and has all the makings of being used to commemorate this earth shaking event.
Please pursue some avenue of letting us use it.

[GreenPartyVoter]

16. We love you Cindy and we have your back!

[radio4progressives]

17. Beautific Work ! I just emailed it to my pda group... n/t

[loverevolution]

18. Hope:Day 9 of The Peaceful Occupation of Crawford

"I have a feeling you are about to be fired!!!"

I like the sound of that!

tonight's latenight blog at Kos...

Hope: Day 9 The Peaceful Occupation of Crawford

The ninth day ended in the most awesome way. We were out at Camp Casey and it was sprinkling a little bit and it really looked like the rain was going to start pouring down anytime. We looked over into the next cow pasture and there was a full rainbow. If that wasn’t a sign from the universe than I don’t know what is.

I was being interviewed by Alex Jones and he asked me what I thought the rainbow signified. I told Alex that I was positive that it means we are going to be victorious. Rainbows are supposedley God’s sign of hope. When Casey was killed on 04/04/04, I thought that all of my hope was killed, too. Being involved in the peaceful occupation of Crawford and meeting hundreds of people from all over the world who are willing to put their money where their mouths are has given me so much hope for the future. We won’t let George Bush and his evil neocon cabal ruin our world anymore. John Lennon sang: "Power to the people." We are the people and we have the power.

We had a lovely interfaith prayer service this morning. It was truly beautiful and we were all weeping while we were singing "Amazing Grace." But, during the service, one of our neighbors fired off a shot gun. He said he was shooting at birds, but he is tired of us being there and he wants us to leave. I didn’t get to talk to him, but I told the media that if he wanted us to leave so badly, why doesn’t he tell his other neighbor, George, to talk to me. We are good neighbors and we are cooperating with everyone. By the way, in case I forgot to blog it last night, the Sheriff has requested that I stay down in Crawford during the night, because he is afraid for my safety aftger he leaves. He said he would "sleep better" himself at night if I came into town to sleep. Judging from the shooting guns, I guess he was right. I would just like to warn anyone who comes to Camp Casey, though, that we are deep in the heart of Bush country. However, we have had absolutely no problems so far.

Speaking of George, I understand that he was riding his bike yesterday out at the ranch. (I hope no London Bobbies got in his way). He took a 2 hour bike ride and when he got back, he was asked how he could go for a two hour bike ride when he doesn’t have time to meet with me, and he said: "I have to go on with my life." (Austin Statesman, August 14) WHAT!!!!!????? He has to get on with his life!!! I am so offended by that statement. Every person, war fan, or not, who has had a child killed in this mistake of an occupation should be highly offended by that remark. Who does he think he is? I wish I could EVER be able to get on with my life. Getting on with my life means a life without my dear, sweet boy. Getting on with my life means learning to live with a pain that is so intense that sometimes I feel like throwing up, or screaming until I pass out from sorrow. I wish a little bike ride could help me get on with my life. I can’t believe that someone who is the figurehead of an administration that has killed tens of thousands of innocent people doesn’t spend his days hiding under his bed in shame, let alone riding his bike.

I need to focus on the positive, though, and there is so much. I had so many amazing things happen today. I couldn’t walk through Camp Casey or the Crawford Peace House today without hugging people and getting my picture taken. Now I know how Mickey Mouse feels at Disneyland. I had a soldier from Ft. Hood come out today and he brought me a small stone with a First Cavalry insignia painted on it and the pictures of three of his beautiful buddies who were murdered there by George’s reckless policies. It was such an incredible moment for me when he said: "Keep on doing what you are doing. We are so proud of you. Casey would be so proud of you."

My dear friend and fellow peace warrior, Maxine Waters, came to visit us military families and Gold Star Families today at Camp Casey. She brought us some supplies and some encouragement. I asked her how I was supposed to handle the rightwing smear campaign against me and she told me "they can’t touch you, be strong." After Maxine left, we came down to the Peace House and we had a luncheon for several Iraqi people who wanted to express their thanks to us for working for peace. It was quite incredible and hundreds of people crowded into the backyard of the Crawford Peace House. I am so humbled by all of the support.

I just wish George had as much courage in his entire body as Casey had in his little pinky, then he would meet with me. Crawford, Tx. is beautiful prairie land, but I could think of dozens of other places I would rather be right now. However, if George or anybody else thinks I am leaving before my mission is "accomplished" they have another think coming. I will stay the course. I will finish the mission. I will take no prisoners.

By the way, we had about 7 counter protesters today and hundreds at Camp Casey...don’t let the mainstream media say differently.

[opihimoimoi]

19. 7 protesters??/ How shameful of them to show up...SHAME...

but then, some of them Pubs have no shame...only greed and selfishness suffering from LOB...Lack of Brains