Let me be the first to say that enough is enough. Cindy Sheehan has now been camped outside of President Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch for nearly two weeks. Sheehan and her band of 50 or so demonstrators have been protesting the war in Iraq day and night, hoping to earn an appointment with the President. According to the President's spokesperson, Sheehan is unlikely to get her wish. Sheehan, whose 24-year-old son, Casey, was killed while serving in Iraq, has vowed to remain in Texas until the President's vacation ends later this month. Quite frankly, I'm a little bit bothered by her method of protest. In fact, I'm not the only one. On Monday a petition with over 60 signatures was submitted to the McLennan County commission, essentially asking the county to prohibit the demonstrators from camping so close to the President's ranch. According to the complaint, Sheehan and her supporters have caused major traffic and safety concerns, often congregating in the middle of the road and generally annoying Bush's Crawford neighbors. With all due respect, I think that it is necessary to echo the call of the angry residents " "Go Home!"
Now before I start getting called unsympathetic and cruel, hear me out. What kind of publicity is Sheehan creating? I'll answer that for you " negative. I understand that Cindy Sheehan has lost her son and I can only imagine how heartbreaking that could be. Moreover, I don't blame her for not supporting the war in Iraq and the way that President Bush has handled matters. However, blockading the President's ranch in Crawford is certainly not the way to grieve. And why now? Casey Sheehan was killed in Iraq last year. All of the sudden Ms. Sheehan decides to begin her protest? As far as I know, the President was in Crawford in April and Sheehan was nowhere to be seen. You know that your time is up when the town's residents petition for an ordinance to get you removed. You know that it is time to go home when the neighbors are trying to destroy your makeshift memorial because of the annoyance that is being caused. The idea of a memorial vigil has turned into a radical stakeout.
I'm thankfully not an expert in dealing with loss or death, but I do believe that there is a right and a wrong way to grieve. Why couldn't Sheehan mourn the loss of her son quietly and respect his heroism? Casey Sheehan and all the American soldiers that have died in Iraq are true patriots and heroes. Nobody I know disputes that fact. I wish that Cindy Sheehan could have accepted Casey's death without creating a national drama in the process.
Furthermore, what does this do to Casey's legacy? Great athletes often continue to participate in their sport despite a recent death in their family. All of them will make this decision because they truly believe that it is what their deceased mother, father or sibling would have wanted them to do. Does Cindy honestly believe that her quiet and humble son would want her to organize a nationally-covered protest in his name? Would an American soldier want to be placed on a pedestal above the rest of his fallen comrades? The answer to both of these questions is an emphatic "no." Thousands of mothers have lost sons since the beginning of the war. Not many have made national headlines.
Let us not forget about Casey. It seems to me that although Casey's name has been used as the inspiration for this protest, the spotlight is solely on Cindy. I don't mean to be insensitive when I say that Casey chose to enlist in the Army and knew what he was getting himself into. Perhaps he even supported the war and recognized the good changes that were being made in the Middle East. Casey chose to fight for his country, and his family should be proud. I'll admit that I would probably never join the Army, so Casey is a better man than me. Rather than honoring Casey as a fallen hero, all I can think of is his grief-stricken mother camping outside of the President's ranch, demanding to speak with President Bush. I know that the President is busy hunting, fishing, and mountain biking, but in all seriousness, this is still an outrageous demand. President Bush spoke with Sheehan immediately following her son's death and even granted her a 45-minute session with his national security adviser and deputy chief of staff. Is the President supposed to have a personal conversation with every person who protests the war? What makes Sheehan different from a thousand other mothers aside from her extreme grieving measures?
To conclude my rant, let me say this. The point has been made. Cindy Sheehan has shown through her determination and vigilance that she wishes the situation in Iraq was different. But nothing more can be accomplished. The President will continue to do his best to deny Sheehan's demands and the residents of Crawford will only get more angry and frustrated. I don't agree with this mother's method of grieving and protest, but I could find it in my heart to forgive her if she just packs up her camp and heads home.
