Cindy Sheehan Sucks

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 4:54pm

First off, I don't agree with the war. But I'm not going to put together half-hearted publicity stunts that exploit the memory of a loved one to shout my disapproval.

Because that's what she's doing and it's horrible. She's exploiting the memory of her dead son to push a political agenda. If Bush had actually talked to her the first or second day, I guarentee you she would have found an excuse to stay on until the entire vacation ends.

This reminds me of what Michael Moore did to the poor woman in F9/11 only in reverse.

[gymman]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 5:00pm

She's trying to have her son's death MEAN something besides another notch in Bush's belt. Duh...

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 5:02pm

The way she's going about it just reeks of exploitation. While she's no Michael Schiavo (Thank God...), using the death of someone you love (indeed anyone) to enforce a political viewpoint has always annoyed me.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 5:02pm

I think this thread needs to be jacked a little.

===

L. A. Times
8/19/05
Al Martinez

Sometimes tranquillity is merely a fairy tale

ONCE upon a time, there existed a kingdom called Ameripax that was ruled by an emperor known as Sweet George II, who wanted nothing but peace, at least in the immediate vicinity.

Members of his royal staff were forced to whisper when they spoke and to wear soft, doeskin slippers when they walked in order to maintain the almost mystical aura of tranquillity. Anyone who violated it was quietly drowned in platitudes and never heard from again.

That is not to say, however, that Sweet George was necessarily in favor of tranquillity outside of his kingdom. He had his royal Secretary of Settlements, which was his term for war, send their armies, known as noise abaters, to inferior distant kingdoms, which they were to tranquilize by whatever means necessary, and to take whatever of value the inferiors possessed to cover the costs of the noise abatement program.

No news of their efforts, however, was to reach George, who existed in a sweet-smelling, bird-twittering world far removed from disquieting events. He was awakened each day with prayers, heroic poems of ancient battles and bits of uplifting thoughts by a staff of women who whispered cheerful news to him regarding the weather, the garden and the smiles of children too young to form opinions.

The Good News Mamas, as they were known, ended each session by telling Sweet George that whatever he did was right and that he was wonderful and well loved by everyone. Only once in anyone's memory was a sour note sounded, when his dog ran away, but it was quickly replaced with a puppy called Condolee. It was, of course, a puppy that yapped its love and agreement wherever George went.

The area around the palace, known as the Red Zone, was patrolled by carolers of sedation who assured the populace that George II was doing all he could for them, especially if they happened to be rich, and that Settlements abroad were being handled in ways that brought peace and silence to the inferior alien lands. Public commentators, the only ones allowed to raise their voices, reported each day how grand George was and how dangerous were those who felt otherwise.

This so pleased the Red Zonees that they added an extra prayer to their daily routine, thanking Gold, the Ameripax god, for Sweet George II and the happiness that he had brought them. Any display of coffins returning from overseas was banned, because, as George once remarked, they were not happy boxes. Since no bad news was allowed to reach them, the masses were content to believe that no one had been hurt.

Then one day there was a shout at the royal gate.

"What's that?" George demanded, shocked by the sudden loudness.

"No doubt a crazed liberal from the Blue Zone," an aide assured him. "He will be taken care of, Your Lordship."

Then, a sharp cry.

"Probably a wild dog, Sire. We shall have it caught and its tongue removed."

But then there was an anguished shout, and George realized his name was being called. He looked out a window.

"It's a woman," he said. "What does the poor thing want?"

"A maniacal mother from the Feminist Zone," the aide said. "We'll have her tongue …"

"No!" Sweet George declared, one finger in the air, after the manner of Nero and Napoleon, whom he numbered among his heroes. "Mothers are never to be harmed in Ameripax. Mothers are to be loved. They are life givers, son." Tears filled his eyes as he recited Mother Speech No. 4 from memory. "What does that lovely mama want?"

"Well, Sire," the aide said hesitantly, "she, er, believes her son was killed in one of our foreign settlements and is demanding answers from you."

"Then send out my Secretary of Reconfiguration and have him mouth the condensed version of Compassion Statement No. 32 about how our heart goes out to her, her son is a hero in the cause of peace, we must be on guard against inferior alien forces that threaten our nation and we are grateful for her sacrifice. We'll help her adopt if she wants another boy. God knows, there are enough orphans out there."

"She's heard all of that, Sire. She calls it politibabble and wants answers from you personally."

George's expression darkened from sweet purity to hateful red. His aide backed away, fearing an explosion of murderous rage.

"I see her," Sweet George said, his words freezing into ice crystals, "as an atheistic, sexually deviated, life hating, anti-Ameripax traitor. Is that not so?"

"Exactly, Sire. Disruptive and in violation of the Serenity Act." Condolee yapped agreement.

Sweet George was about to have her severely punished when he noticed that others were gathering at the gate. More voices were rising. Soon, the crowd was in the hundreds and then the thousands as word spread that the so-called settlement abroad was, in actuality, war, and that their sons and daughters were dying for the emperor's false tranquillity. They began peppering him with truth and it hurt.

Fearing for his tranquillity, Sweet George, hands covering his ears, was seen running toward the forest, away from the thousands that had become millions. The gates of the palace were breached, music filled the air, and Ameripax was never the same.

[gymman]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 5:03pm

Michael Schiavo used his wife's death? What world do you live in? The parents and the far right to lifers created that media circus.

Posted: 8/20/05 at 5:04pm

let's kick this thread out of cruel's hands

[gymman]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 5:07pm

right to ya!

Posted: 8/20/05 at 5:47pm

[Pinguin]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 7:15pm

I'll agree with you cruel -she's hardly playing the role of a grieving mother. I somehow doubt her military son would want to be used this way. And she's certainly not saying anything that no one else has said a thousand times. I find her completely uninteresting.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 7:20pm

I think what she is doing is patriotic and creating meaning in a chaotic, vague war.

Bravo to her and any American who takes a stand, especially to honor someone who may well have died in vain.

Posted: 8/20/05 at 7:24pm

It certainly says something about someone who is willing to judge a woman who has lost a child, and question the actions she takes to try and make sense of it all.

Calling this a publicity stunt is implying that she is in some way benefitting from this experience. I hardly think that the case.

[Pinguin]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 7:37pm

DGrant, You don't think that this ridiculous amount of attention, fame, and followers is a benefit? Many people lost their children in this conflict. The war is about the soldiers not their political parents, and telling people that her son died for Israel is hardly a tribute to her son.

In my humble opinion.

I can respect her loss without respecting her actions.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 8:22pm

>I'll agree with you cruel -she's hardly playing the role of a grieving mother.

And how exactly do you think she should be playing that "role"?

[Pinguin]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 8:52pm

her rhetoric overwashes anything she ever says about her son -I've heard nothing about her son, only about how she thinks Bush is an idiot. Whoopee. How exciting and original. How personal.

Again, I just think she's uninteresting.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 8:56pm

I'm sorry but I totally agree with Cruel_Sandwich. Sorry.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 9:05pm

I think I have changed my mind. You guys are right. No one should ever protest. No one should ever dissent. It's too inconvenient. It's not original.

We should be good Americans and sit on our couches and do nothing even when we are unhappy with our leadership. It would be highly unAmerican of us to cause a distraction from important news stories and issues like Aruba. It would be treason to fight for what you believe in and the truth when we all know we should just shut up and believe what the leadership says without question.

And when our loved ones are killed in a war--even one that is vague and chaotic and based on lies--we should never fight in the honor of that loved one for truth and restoration of what is right in the world.

We should just let their bodies rot in vain like good, flag waving Americans.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 9:16pm

>I've heard nothing about her son, only about how she thinks Bush is an idiot. Whoopee. How exciting and original. How personal.

I guess you haven't been listening that much then.

[Pinguin]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 9:16pm

She can protest all the wants, but that doesn't mean that I have to care about her or her views just because her son died. As insensitive as that may seem, I just don't understand people's fascination with her. I don't have any issue with the media covering the protests, but treating this one woman like she is some goddess is ridiculous to me. There are plenty more anti-war protestors who are much more articulate and interesting, even if they don't have a son who died in the war.

[otis33]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 9:20pm

I don't think you have to be articute and/or interesting to be a protestor of any sort...you have to be passionate. And she is. And I applaude her for putting herself out there and trying to make a difference. If I were able, I'd be there as well.

[Pinguin]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 9:22pm

It's just a personal thing; I value ideas more than emotions. They speak to me more.

[Cruel_Sandwich]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 9:22pm

I'm not saying she shouldn't protest. I'm saying that she knew, without question, that this kind of attention would have been foisted upon her.

I don't disagree with her and I respect her loss, however. Taking a five week vacation in the middle of a major conflict overseas is reprehensible, yes.

But does this mean that she hadn't carefully planned this so that the ensuing media circus would give her attention?

[Chloe]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 9:25pm

What's important about her is that she *has* succeeded in getting the media's attention, unlike the other protesters, and I imagine this is because she didn't start out with a political agenda, just a desire to understand better why her son died. The fact that she was unable to get answers that made sense to her turned her into a protester.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 9:28pm

As usual, Ann Coulter gets it right.

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/anncoulter/ac20050818.shtml

[otis33]

Posted: 8/20/05 at 9:31pm

I agree that she didn't set out for the attention. Had our lovely President given her the time of day and met with her, the situation would most likely not have gotten the attention it has. And, a while back when she and other grieving families had the opportunity to meet with Prez Bush, he refered to all the parents as "Mother" "Father"...not taking any time to learn who he was meeting with or the names of their lost children. I can understand her wanting some answers.

I also agree that it's a matter of personal opinion. I think mine is clear.

Posted: 8/20/05 at 9:32pm

Ann Coulter knows a C list celebrity when she sees one. I suspect her view from the d list is pretty clear.
Updated On: 8/20/05 at 09:32 PM