“”Grandma’s going to talk to the president so my daddy doesn’t have to go away again.” said her 5-year-old grandchild just before Lietta Ruger “caught a Texas-bound red-eye out of SeaTac,” writes Susan Paynter, popular Seattle P.I. columnist.
Lietta Ruger of Bay Center in southwest Washington admits she didn’t know what she was getting into when her feet hit the ground in Crawford, Texas, at 5:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
But soon, by cell phone, she was describing the scene around her. The way daylight sketched the emerging shapes of five tents. The early rising figure of the suddenly famous Cindy Sheehan. And the outlines of the growing numbers of her supporters. […]
Ruger’s son-in-law and nephew already have served 15-month stretches in Iraq and thankfully, so far, stayed alive. But both still face second “stop-loss” deployments. […]
Ruger has no desire to join Sheehan’s Gold Star club. The dues — the loss of a cherished child — are simply too high.
“People just need to do something hands-on to help,” Ruger told Susan Paynter about the swelling numbers of people coming. “I think it reflects how powerless they have felt, until now, about this war.” Ruger is a member of Northwest Military Families Speak Out.
Update [2005-8-12 13:10:4 by susanhu]: Raw Story has the exclusive tip that Cindy Sheehan is now “running a sixty second ad on cable channels in the area.” Scour the Raw Story site — they’ve got links to great stories and events re Cindy — from “VIDEO: IN AD, MOTHER BEGS FOR ANSWERS” to “ Kennedy, Kerry throw Sheehan support” to “Ralph Nader Writes Sheehan.”
Another Must-Read: “[W]ho would believe that a sitting President who had ordered soldiers off to war would not meet with the grieving mother of a fallen hero. Who could imagine that America could turn so cold and callous in a searing hot and dusty place?” — Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)
… And, journalist Amy Goodman, an exceptionally capable interviewer, talks to Cindy today. Details BELOW:
“Protest on the Range: Cindy Sheehan Calls for Mass Demos at Bush’s Crawford Ranch”
Cindy Sheehan, whose son Casey was killed last year in Iraq, is finally getting major media coverage after months of protesting George Bush’s policies in Iraq. We go live to Crawford, Texas to speak with Cindy Sheehan. […]Sheehan’s protest has generated headlines around the world. Military families from around the country are heading to Crawford to join her vigil. Meanwhile Sheehan has come under attack by right-wing websites and commentators. Earlier this week Bill O’Reilly of Fox News suggested that Sheehan was committing treason.
Listen or watch via Democracy Now!‘s Web site. The transcript should be up by noon PDT.
Note: Olivia has posted a very important diary, “Sheehan’s Response To Letter From Aunt.” Since the rightwing spreads negative rumors like an out-of-control wildfire, we must be aware of counter-arguments so we can speak up for Cindy. And, Amy asks Cindy about those relatives in the interview.
Thanks to blogger Howie Martin for the tips on Jim McDermott’s and Susan Paynter’s column today!
Susan — this story just made me cry — with joy, with sadness, with pride.
I can hear the voice of that child.
It is the voice of my child, of the Iraqi children, of children of the world. We must do better for them, we must. Failure is not an option.
Thank you, as always, for all of your fantastic work!
Isn’t that lovely story? Susan Paynter writes so well.
The SAD PART is that grandma won’t get to talk to the president, and that little child’s daddy will probably go back to Iraq.
My pal Lisa sent this from Bush’s press conf. remarks yesterday:
I am still weeping here….I need to go take a shower and steady myself. My son is six — Rummy talks of 12 more years, it’s about all of them, all of us….I dedicate this song to America
**********
“Who Will Save Your Soul” — c. Jewel
People living their lives for you on TV
They say they’re better than you and you agree
He says “Hold my calls for me I must go”
The boss says “Come here boy, there ain’t nothin’ for free”
Another doctor’s bill, another lawyer’s bill
Another cute cheap thrill
You know you love him if you put in your will
Who will save your soul when it comes to the flower
Who will save your soul after all the lies that you told, boy
Who will save your soul if you won’t save your own?
We try to hustle them, try to bustle them, try to cuss them
The cops want someone to bust down on Orleans Avenue
Another day, another dollar, another war, another tower
Went up where the homeless had their homes
So we pray to as many different God’s as there are flowers
But we call religion our friend
We’re so worried about saving our souls
Afraid that God will take His toll
That we forget to begin
Who will save your soul when it comes to the flower
Who will save your soul after all the lies that you told, boy
Who will save your soul if you won’t save your own?
Some are walking, some are talking, some are stalking their kill
You got social security, but that don’t pay your bills
There are addictions to feed and there are mouths to pay
So you bargain with the Devil, say you’re o.k. for today,
You say that you love them, take their money and run
Say it’s been swell, sweetheart, but it was just one of those things
Those flings, those strings you’ve got to cut,
So get out on the streets, girls, and bust you butts.
Who will save you soul when it comes to the flower
Who will save you soul after all the lies that you told, boy
Who will save your soul if you won’t save you own?
************
I saw him saying that on the news yesterday, and wondered how anyone could miss that he was an insensitive bag of sh-t after that statement. Some feel? death that takes place? This PARENT lost her CHILD for his LIES, and that’s all he can say?
The 12 more years thing scares me, too. More than once this spring, I thought to myself while watching my son’s lacrosse games, “These boys (aged 13 or younger) are going to be drafted if we don’t put a stop to this war.”
Cindy Sheehan spoke last month at the Full Circle Fair, which is the annual big fundraiser for community radio station WERU-FM.
I called the station and told them “a friend on the West Coast” had alerted me to Amy’s interview and that they should include it in their afternoon news plugs.
Call your local stations if they broadcast Amy later in the day. It’s always good to let them know you’re paying attention to the programming.
If you have DISH, you can watch several times a day on station Free Speech TV at 9415.
I still haven’t watched Amy’s last show — she interviewed Jane Mayer on her New Yorker article on how military psychologists/ psychiatrists/physicians are taking part in developing torture methods — and she interviewed prominent psychologists from the U.S. and the UK.
isn’t it “quaint” that America is trying to write ETHICAL guidelines on how to mentally torture people and break them down?
God I hate this rightwing admin.
The guy who wrote “The Nazi Doctors” was right… the allowance of such “guidelines” creates a society who can look away from such attrocities.
P.S. Great idea, M. I think the Seattle Air America station is now airing Amy’s shows on the weekends now…. wish they’d air her during the week, and ditch Jerry Springer 🙂
Mothers, Grandmothers … perhaps we are watching something momentus build and grow here, and the experience in other countries show that families raising their voices in grieving protest can change nations:
The maw of war grinds on, and perhaps the only weapons to fight it with are grief and compassion. Perhaps Americans are starting to learn that lesson, focused through the up-until-now unnoticed efforts of Cindy Sheehan and the network of devoted activists she’s been working with.
Women in Black
The best sign I saw yesterday was:
“Where’s the compassion, conservative?”
I wish I had gotten a picture of it. I’ll have to look through my video to see if it is on there.
Are there any vigils in support of Cindy scheduled for the Seattle area?
Is anyone taking the lead on this?
Some progressive group sponsored one on Thursday or Wednesday — I posted the info here and in a diary. I haven’t heard boo about how it went, and I’m on several Seattle-area mailing lists. So that probably means very few people showed up. Dunno.
Thanks, Susan.
That was the vigil Wed night in front of the federal building. I went to that and posted a short note about it (with a photo) at dKos and Liberal Street Fighter. I would have posted one here, but there was no open thread handy.
I’ll look around some more.
Here’s the photo from Wed:
http://www.geocities.com/raincat100/CindySEA2sm.jpg
Great photo! Thank you! Looks like you had a nice group.
There’s Rolling Thunder tomorrow at Magnuson Park … i posted the info in a diary over on the right.
GWB’s motorcade just passed by Cindy Sheehan’s camp site. She was holding up a sign in full view asking Bush why he did not have time for mothers of fallen but had time for his donors.
and elected members only had 1/100th the courage of Cindy Sheehan, and all that have joined her, this country (and world) would be a far better place. Of course, there are exceptions (I’ll throw out Congressman Conyers as an example), but what a contrast between mealy-mouthed, drink-at-the-corporate-trough, inside-the-beltway “leaders” we have representing the Democratic Party and a simple mother making a simple TV commercial. What powerful words, spoken so directly, honestly, and to the point.
Thank you Tracy and Brianne. Thank you for everyone else representing what I consider to be my online community. Every day I am amazed at how this simple idea, on a Wednesday barely 10 days ago, is growing into what quite likely will be a sea change in the military policy of the United States, and our actions in attacking a sovereign nation.
In January I accepted Kerry’s defeat, with the belief that the Republicans would overplay their hand, having all three branches of government in their hands (not to mention most of the media). As we moved through 2005 we have seen the continuation of corruption of DeLay, Abramoff, Ohio, Schwarzenegger; the mess of Schiavo; the recess appointmentS of Bolton and more; and the Downing Street Minutes. I am practical enough to realize that the Democratic Party would have overplayed their hand if they had all the levers of power (Chicago’s Daley is one example).
I believe there is a major rejection of the continued attacks by the far right wing religious neocons (and I realize they are each unique, and sometimes act together) — and there could be no clearer picture than the Swift Boating of a grieving mother, whose son was lost in an unjust war.