The Sheehan Situation

File Under: Editorial

President Bush met with Mrs. Cindy Sheehan in June, 2004, just two months after her son, Casey, died in combat in Iraq. She wasn't convinced when it came to the war, but kept it quiet. But lately, she's been really, really angry, and demands to speak to the President again. She feels that there was more corruptions leading up to the war in Iraq, and believes that the President owes her a visit. She is camped out 2 miles outside the President's ranch in Crawford, Texas. And she has become quite the media starlet. Her daughter wrote a poem, which begins, "Have you ever heard the sounds of a mother screaming for her son?" Cindy's nickname is "Atilla the Honey", for her hard-line, unwavering demeanor, but ability to be sweet at the same time. "We can't give up, no matter how hard it gets," declared Cindy. She plans to camp out for 3 more weeks, for as long as President Bush is on his working vacation in Crawford. And now about a hundred anti-war protestors are joining Mrs. Sheehan in protesting the President. Watching the media coverage, would you get the impression that Casey died 14 months ago? Or rather recently? Is this simply a mother working through her grief, or is she a political activist?

Yes. While no one should ever try to deny her grief, and for some, it takes a long time to recover, it is impossible to ignore her heavy-handed political overtones. This is Cindy's anti-war movement, using her son's death as a front.

Though this info came from Drudge, and as such, should be taken with a grain of salt, here's what Mrs. Sheenan apparently said not too long ago: "My son was killed in 2004. I am not paying my taxes for 2004. You killed my son, George Bush, and I don't owe you a penny... You give my son back and I'll pay my taxes. Come after me (for back taxes) and we'll put this war on trial."

Death is war is a horrible thing. There are hundreds of families who have lost loved ones. But I'm willing to bet they still do their civic duty, and pay their taxes. (Render unto Caesar...) Mrs. Sheenan seems to think that this is all about her. That somehow, George W. Bush made sure her son died, and now he has to atone for Casey's death. She wants others to do stuff for her, so she can feel better about herself.

The 24/7 media coverage probably helps her feel a bit better about herself.

And now it seems that members of her own family want her to come home. Her son - and Casey's brother - recently sent her a long e-mail telling her to "come home because you need to support us at home." Casey's aunt e-mailed a California radio station to rebuke Cindy. "She appears to be promoting her own personal agenda at the expense of her son's good name."

The White House is worried about precedent. "If the President meets with her, does he have to meet with every protester who camps out in Crawford of in Lafayette Park? Does he have a second meeting with every mother or wife who asks for one?" a Bush aide commented to TIME magazine.

If she continues down this path, if she comes out as a bit more radical every day, then the media coverage could backfire, and she would be seen as a "loony protestor". While everyone can sympathize with her loss, the way she's conducting her political crusade leaves much to be desired. Cindy could use a handbook on learning tact.