Hi Raider,
I hope you will believe me when I say that I have enormous amounts of compassion and respect for military families, and unfortunately I too know and have grieved with people who have lost loved ones in Iraq. However, this particular incident has become politics, pure and simple.
For instance, as you noted the President originally met with Sheehan at the White House a couple of months after the death of her son. In an article published 06/24/2004 and available
herethe Sheehan family stated the following (it's worth reading carefully):
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"Surreal soon seemed like an understatement, as the Sheehans - one of 17 families who met Thursday with Bush - were whisked in a matter of days to the Army post and given the VIP treatment from the military. But as their meeting with the president approached, the family was faced with a dilemma as to what to say when faced with Casey's commander-in-chief.
"We haven't been happy with the way the war has been handled," Cindy said. "The president has changed his reasons for being over there every time a reason is proven false or an objective reached."
The 10 minutes of face time with the president could have given the family a chance to vent their frustrations or ask Bush some of the difficult questions they have been asking themselves, such as whether Casey's sacrifice would make the world a safer place.
But in the end, the family decided against such talk, deferring to how they believed Casey would have wanted them to act. In addition, Pat noted that Bush wasn't stumping for votes or trying to gain a political edge for the upcoming election.
"We have a lot of respect for the office of the president, and I have a new respect for him because he was sincere and he didn't have to take the time to meet with us," Pat said.
Sincerity was something Cindy had hoped to find in the meeting. Shortly after Casey died, Bush sent the family a form letter expressing his condolences, and Cindy said she felt it was an impersonal gesture.
"I now know he's sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis," Cindy said after their meeting. "I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of faith."
The meeting didn't last long, but in their time with Bush, Cindy spoke about Casey and asked the president to make her son's sacrifice count for something. They also spoke of their faith.
While meeting with Bush, as well as Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, was an honor, it was almost a tangent benefit of the trip. The Sheehans said they enjoyed meeting the other families of fallen soldiers, sharing stories, contact information, grief and support.
For some, grief was still visceral and raw, while for others it had melted into the background of their lives, the pain as common as breathing. Cindy said she saw her reflection in the troubled eyes of each.
"It's hard to lose a son," she said. "But we (all) lost a son in the Iraqi war."
The trip had one benefit that none of the Sheehans expected.
For a moment, life returned to the way it was before Casey died. They laughed, joked and bickered playfully as they briefly toured Seattle.
For the first time in 11 weeks, they felt whole again.
"That was the gift the president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being together," Cindy said. " -----------
Elsewhere, it has been confirmed that her son's politics and her own as well as their views of the war have always differed. Her son clearly believed in the Iraq effort and volunteered for it. In fact her son, Casey legitimately deserves considerable respect. Casey voluntarily re-enlisted in the Army after his first hitch was up, earned a Bronze Star, and as a mechanic was not expected to see combat but volunteered to join a rapid rescue team being formed to get a convoy of soldiers from his unit out of trouble in Sadr City (that action being the one in which he died).
One has only to contrast that with some of her recent statements including railing against neo-cons and her statements to the effect that "he knew it the war was wrong the whole family knew, etc" which is currently being denied by the rest of the Sheehan family:
"The Sheehan Family lost our beloved Casey in the Iraq War and we have been silently, respectfully grieving. 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 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."
Sincerely,
Casey Sheehan’s grandparents, aunts, uncles and numerous cousins.[/b]
Cindy, was and always has been a left-winger, unfortunately she is now being actively exploited by people like Michael Moore, which is bad enough, what I find intolerable is that she is using the death of her son in such a blatantly political manner, and probably not one that he himself would have appreciated or approved of.
It would be analogous to my parents forming a group to protest against Christian missions in Muslim countries if I were killed while serving as a missionary out there.
- SEAGOON
