I'm awestruck with the phenomenon that is Camp Casey. Lisa (who guest blogs here) and I rode up Saturday morning.Some friends were surprised to hear that I was still going even though Cindy Sheehan had to leave when her mother had a stroke. I knew it isn't about Cindy, but what she started. I knew it's about ending the war. I knew it's about citizens working together to effect change. I knew I was about to experience a watershed moment in our nation's history. It sounds trite, but it's all of that and more. We knew we were about to experience something big, a part of history. But nothing could have prepared us for the collective spirit of the amazing people gathered in Crawford. Every second we were able to be there, from the moment we set foot in the Peace House, to our final departure yesterday was filled with meaning and purpose.
We wandered around the Peace House for a little while. There was plenty of food for everyone - catered by the awesome organization Food Not Bombs. We talked to several people who had come from all over the country. Then we took the Peace Shuttle to Camp Casey. The first day, we went straight to the new camp - Camp Casey 2. We were immediately struck by the huge tent an anonymous donor is reported to have subsidized. Coincidentally, George Bush used the same tent for his last fundraiser. The road to the ranch was blocked off with notices of a "100% ID check".
There were many banners inside the tent, perhaps the most striking was Casey's banner. There was plenty of food, ice and cold drinks for everyone. We sat down at a big table and met a mom from Spring who'd brought her young daughter. She is feeling pretty isolated in Spring so we clued her in to Spring Democrats.
Lynn Bradach, a Gold Star mom introduced herself to me and thanked me for being there. I tried to tell her how lucky I felt to be there, to be a part of this huge force for change. She was the first of many to express how they appreciate the welcome they've gotten from Texans and how pleased they were to see that there are a lot of great Texans who are fighting the good fight.
We were there about 20 minutes when Stan Merriman (Chair Emeritus of the PPC) and Jim Rine (San Jacinto Democratic Veterans Brigade) and Charisse Hines appeared. They brought the flags of the Texas fallen that were originally assembled for Memorial Day by Jim's group, along with the flags representing the unit that lost their lives with Casey Sheehan. After a while, the folks that set up Arlington West brought 800 of the crosses for Camp 2. Several Houstonians pitched in to set up the flags around the new Arlington West. In no time, the crosses and flags were positioned into an amazing memorial. We were almost finished placing the flags when there was a flutter of excitement. There was Coleen Rowley, the FBI whistle blower who is running for Representative from Minnesota and Becky Lourey, a Minnesota state senator who lost her own son in Iraq filming a documentary.
After we finished placing the flags, we had dinner and settled in to hear the evening's program. We heard heart wrenching stories from former military personnel, Gold Star families and Military Families Speak Out. These people are true heroes.
If you remember nothing else from reading this, commit this to memory. The military appreciates our efforts on their behalf! Tell everyone that!
We were treated to performances by James McMurtry and Steve Earle. In between, just as the sun was setting, we all left the tent to stand next to Arlington West while Lance Corporal Jeff Key, Iraq vet, played Taps at the edge of the crosses.
When Taps finished, the woman in front of me started to sing "Give Peace a Chance". She couldn't get through it, but another woman came over to help. Soon we were all singing. And crying.
The last song of the evening was Steve Earle's "The Revolution Starts Now". Most of us had parked our cars at the the Peace House. In addition to the Peace Shuttles, not one vehicle that was parked at Camp Casey 2 left with an empty seat. Everyone with room in their car gave someone a ride back to the Peace House. We didn't wait 15 minutes for our ride and we were about halfway back from the front of the line.
We spent the night at a hotel and ran into many others who were marveling at their experiences at Camp Casey that day. The desk clerk asked what brought me to Waco. He told me he was thoroughly disgusted by the man that mowed down the crosses and flags at Camp 1 the week before. I asked him what the residents of Waco thought about Camp Casey and he told me that they almost all support it.
Sunday we took the Peace Shuttle to Camp Casey 1, where it all started. We had a reunion of sorts with Buddy and Annie Spell. Buddy is an attorney from Louisiana who organized the Jazz Funeral for Democracy on January 20. That was the first of many road trips Lisa and will take together. They had been at Camp Casey since the beginning, with Buddy representing Cindy in various matters. While we were there, Kat from Minnesota, who had ridden the shuttle with us was interviewed by ABC World News Tonight. Marine 1 flew overhead. There was a map where people from all over the country signed where they had come from. The green poster board I'm holding in the picture represents Alaska. If you're counting, there were 3 counter protestors on the other side of the infamous triangle.
We returned to Camp 2 where yet another feast was being served. We talked to Preacher Tom who is 74 and organizing a fast at Camp Casey after the Gold Star families follow Bush to Washington. Our own John Cobarruvias arrived and we got a group photo with him and several other friends from Democratic Underground.
I didn't want to leave and I intend to go back.
Cross posted with photos at
http://www.houstondemocrats.com/archives/2005/08/a_trip_to_camp.html
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